BLUE HAWAII (1961) Movie Poster, Original Vintage 3 COLOUR GRADIENT
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
BLUE HAWAII (1961) Movie Poster, Original Vintage 3 COLOUR GRADIENT, RARE, Starring Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury & Nancy Walters, Directed by Norman Taurog is in Fine Condition. Movie...
BLUE HAWAII (1961) Movie Poster, Original Vintage 3 COLOUR GRADIENT, RARE, Starring Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury & Nancy Walters, Directed by Norman Taurog is in Fine Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Fine condition with 2 Daybill folds as issued, dog ear on bottom right corner which has been flattened, some paper crumpling on the 1st fold and a triangular fold, a small 1mm tear, pin and ripped pin holes in each corner, this original, unrestored vintage poster still retains a vibrant 3 colour gradient, other than the rips it has a clean presentation, and very minor handling wear.
This authentic Australian release original vintage movie poster captures the bright tropical energy and unmistakable visual appeal associated with one of Elvis Presley’s most popular early 1960s films. The striking three-colour gradient design creates excellent display presence and remains highly desirable among collectors of music memorabilia, Elvis Presley posters, and classic cinema artwork. As an unrestored example, this piece retains its original character and period authenticity.
Movie Synopsis
Blue Hawaii (1961) is one of the most recognisable musical romantic comedies of the early 1960s and remains one of the defining films in Elvis Presley’s acting career. Directed by Norman Taurog and written by Hal Kanter from a story by Allan Weiss, the film blends music, comedy, romance and spectacular island scenery into a light-hearted entertainment experience that helped cement Elvis as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars during the period.
The story follows Chadwick Gates, played by Elvis Presley, a young man returning home to Hawaii after leaving the United States Army. Rather than following the expectations of his wealthy family and entering the family business, Chad chooses a different path. Seeking independence and wanting to experience life on his own terms, he takes a job as a tour guide with his girlfriend Maile Duval, portrayed by Joan Blackman.
What follows is a colourful and entertaining journey through the islands as Chad guides visiting tourists while navigating family expectations, romance and his own ambitions. The film combines scenic Hawaiian locations with numerous musical performances that became synonymous with Elvis’s on-screen persona. Themes of freedom, identity and youthful optimism run throughout the story while maintaining the easy-going charm that made the film such a commercial success.
The supporting cast adds considerable strength to the production. Angela Lansbury appears as Chad’s mother in a memorable performance, while Nancy Walters, Roland Winters and Howard McNear contribute to the film’s broad appeal and comedic rhythm. Joan Blackman’s chemistry with Presley helped make their pairing one of the more memorable collaborations of his film career.
A major reason for the film’s enduring popularity is its soundtrack. Blue Hawaii produced several well-known songs including the enormously successful “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, which became one of Elvis Presley’s signature recordings and remains iconic decades later. The soundtrack album itself became one of the biggest-selling releases of Presley’s career and stayed on music charts for an extended period.
Production took place on location across Hawaii, giving audiences vivid scenery that elevated the film’s escapist appeal. Released during a period when Hawaiian culture and travel were capturing international attention, the film successfully combined tourism imagery with musical entertainment. Its colourful cinematography and relaxed atmosphere helped define the visual style of many of Presley’s later films.
Today, Blue Hawaii (1961) continues to attract collectors, movie enthusiasts and Elvis fans alike. Original cinema posters from the period are increasingly sought after due to their historical significance, attractive graphic design and connection to one of the world’s most enduring entertainment icons. This original vintage release represents an excellent opportunity to own a genuine piece of movie and music history.
To find out more about Blue Hawaii (1961) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes.
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).
FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.