EXCALIBUR (1981) Movie Poster, Vintage Original Daybill, FANTASY
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
EXCALIBUR (1981) Movie Poster, Vintage Original Daybill, FANTASY starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson, directed by John Boorman is in Very Fine- condition. Movie Poster and Condition. Condition:...
EXCALIBUR (1981) Movie Poster, Vintage Original Daybill, FANTASY starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson, directed by John Boorman is in Very Fine- condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This double sided poster is presented in Very Fine- condition, 2 Daybill folds, edgewear on top left side and bottom right side, with a small 1cm tear on 2nd fold on the right hand side. Featuring captivating imagery that captures the dark, enchanting essence of medieval myth, this double-sided original Australian Daybill poster is an exceptional piece of vintage cinema history. Printed in limited quantities for Australian cinema halls during the film's initial theatrical run, it boasts rich tones and striking visuals that showcase the majestic grandeur of Arthurian legend. Highly sought after by vintage movie poster collectors and fantasy cinema enthusiasts, this original vintage Excalibur movie poster is a rare and striking collectible perfect for framing.
Movie Synopsis
Director John Boorman’s epic masterpiece EXCALIBUR (1981) is widely celebrated as the definitive cinematic adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Arthurian text, Le Morte d'Arthur. This dark, spellbinding fantasy adventure chronicles the mythic life of King Arthur and the rise and ultimate fall of Camelot. The legendary saga begins as the mystical sorcerer Merlin (portrayed in a brilliant performance by Nicol Williamson) aids Uther Pendragon in securing the throne of England and siring an heir. Upon Uther's death, his sword of power, Excalibur, is embedded deep within a stone, waiting for the rightful king to claim it. Years later, the young, naive Arthur (played by Nigel Terry) effortlessly draws the magical blade from the rock, unifying a war-torn nation and establishing a legendary golden age of chivalry, justice, and prosperity alongside the Knights of the Round Table.
However, tranquility is shattered by complex personal betrayal and dark sorcery. Arthur’s brave champion, Lancelot (Nicholas Clay), falls deeply in love with Queen Guinevere (Cherie Lunghi), creating an emotional rift that fractures the unity of the kingdom. Simultaneously, Arthur’s villainous half-sister, the sorceress Morgana Le Fay (portrayed with sinister brilliance by Helen Mirren), uses dark magic to manipulate Arthur, birthing the treacherous Mordred (Robert Addie). As plague and famine ravage the blighted land, the noble knights embark upon a perilous quest to retrieve the Holy Grail, the only sacred relic capable of restoring King Arthur’s strength and healing the kingdom. The narrative culminates in a dramatic, bloody final battle at Camlann where fate, loyalty, and destiny collide on a legendary scale.
Helmed by visionary auteur John Boorman, who co-wrote the sweeping screenplay alongside Rospo Paskenberg, the motion picture features a phenomenal cast including early career performances by Liam Neeson as Sir Gawain, Patrick Stewart as King Leodegrance, and Gabriel Byrne as Uther Pendragon. Production designer Anthony Pratt created an immersive medieval visual environment, highlighted by brilliant armor crafted by master armorer Terry English and gorgeous photography by Alex Thomson, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. The epic soundscape combines dramatic original classical orchestrations with iconic classical compositions by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Fascinating production trivia underscores the film's extraordinary craftsmanship. Shot entirely on location in Ireland, the production utilized vivid green landscapes and gleaming metallic suits of armor that reflected the brilliant natural Irish light. The real-life tension between Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson, who had previously clashed during a stage play, was expertly harnessed by Boorman on set to create incredible on-screen chemistry between Morgana and Merlin. Additionally, many of Boorman's own children appeared in the movie, making it a true family affair behind the camera. Acquiring an original 1981 vintage daybill movie poster gives collectors an authentic piece of timeless fantasy film history.
To find out more about EXCALIBUR (1981), click here to visit 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.