HOME BEFORE DARK (1958) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
HOME BEFORE DARK (1958) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Starring Jean Simmons, Dan O'Herlihy, Rhonda Fleming & Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is in Very Fine+ condition. Movie...
HOME BEFORE DARK (1958) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Starring Jean Simmons, Dan O'Herlihy, Rhonda Fleming & Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is in Very Fine+ condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This original, vintage, unrestored Daybill Movie Poster with vibrant colours and a clean presentation is in Near Mint Condition with 2 Daybill folds as issued, with minor edgewear on the right hand bottom side towards the corner and on the 2nd fold. This highly collectible Australian Daybill cinema poster presents beautifully with rich colour and sharp detail, making it an exceptional example of 1950s theatrical movie advertising. Australian Daybill posters are especially sought after by collectors due to their unique size and distinctive design compared to their international counterparts. This authentic piece of vintage Hollywood film memorabilia is ideal for collectors of classic cinema, psychological dramas, and fans of mid-century movie poster artwork.
Movie Synopsis
Home Before Dark (1958) is a powerful and emotionally charged psychological drama directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mervyn LeRoy, known for his work on numerous classic Hollywood productions. The film stars the talented Jean Simmons in one of her most compelling dramatic performances, supported by Dan O'Herlihy, Rhonda Fleming, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.. Adapted from the novel by Eileen Bassing, the story explores themes of mental health, social expectations, and the struggles faced by women in post-war America.
The film follows Charlotte Bronn, portrayed by Jean Simmons, who returns home after spending a year in a mental institution following a nervous breakdown. Hoping to rebuild her life and marriage, Charlotte returns to her comfortable suburban home and her husband Arnold, played by Dan O'Herlihy. However, her attempt to reclaim normality quickly becomes complicated as she discovers that life has moved on without her.
Charlotte’s younger sister Joan, played by Rhonda Fleming, has grown closer to Arnold during Charlotte’s absence, creating an undercurrent of tension and suspicion. Meanwhile, Charlotte must deal with the lingering stigma of her illness and the expectations placed upon her by family and society. As she tries to prove her stability and independence, she begins to question the motives and loyalties of those around her.
Adding another dimension to the story is the sympathetic psychiatrist Dr. David Nelson, played by Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who encourages Charlotte to trust her instincts and rebuild her confidence. Through his guidance, Charlotte slowly learns to assert control over her life and confront the emotional manipulation and misunderstandings that contributed to her breakdown.
Directed with sensitivity and dramatic tension by Mervyn LeRoy, the film was notable for addressing mental health and psychological trauma at a time when such subjects were rarely portrayed with seriousness in mainstream Hollywood cinema. Jean Simmons received widespread praise for her nuanced performance, capturing both vulnerability and resilience in a character struggling to reclaim her identity.
Produced by Warner Bros., the film blends elements of domestic drama, suspense and psychological character study. Its sophisticated storytelling and mature themes helped distinguish it from many melodramas of the era, offering audiences a thoughtful exploration of recovery, trust and personal empowerment.
Today, Home Before Dark remains a fascinating entry in late-1950s Hollywood cinema, remembered for its strong performances, sensitive direction, and willingness to explore complex emotional issues. For collectors of classic film memorabilia, an original poster from this era represents a tangible connection to a period when Hollywood was beginning to tackle deeper psychological themes on screen.
To find out more about Home Before Dark (1958) 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.