MONKEY BUSINESS (1931) Movie Poster, Re-Release Vintage Daybill
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
MONKEY BUSINESS (1931) Movie Poster, Re-Release Vintage Daybill starring the Marx Brothers, Ginger Rogers, Thelma Todd and Harry Woods, directed by Norman Z. McLeod in Fine+ Condition. Movie Poster and...
MONKEY BUSINESS (1931) Movie Poster, Re-Release Vintage Daybill starring the Marx Brothers, Ginger Rogers, Thelma Todd and Harry Woods, directed by Norman Z. McLeod in Fine+ Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Fine+condition, 2 Daybill folds as issued, a small paper loss on the right bottom corner, a few black ink spots on the poster, fold paper wear on both fold lines and some minor edgewear and bumps. This authentic Australian re-release Daybill movie poster remains a highly desirable collectible for fans of classic comedy and vintage cinema memorabilia. The bright artwork, historical significance and original theatre-issued format make it an excellent addition to any collection featuring the Marx Brothers, pre-Code Hollywood films or rare Australian movie posters.
Movie Synopsis
Monkey Business (1931) is one of the most celebrated and energetic comedies from the legendary Marx Brothers, featuring Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx and Zeppo Marx at the peak of their creative powers. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by S.J. Perelman, Will B. Johnstone and Arthur Sheekman, the film perfectly captures the anarchic humour that made the brothers international comedy icons during Hollywood's Golden Age.
The story begins aboard a transatlantic ocean liner where the four Marx Brothers are discovered hiding as stowaways. Without tickets or money, they use every trick imaginable to evade the ship's crew, leading to a string of brilliantly choreographed comic sequences filled with disguises, mistaken identities and physical comedy. Their attempts to remain hidden become increasingly outrageous as they outwit security officers while causing complete chaos throughout the luxury vessel.
After reaching America, each brother becomes entangled in a fierce rivalry between competing gangsters. Wealthy businessman J. J. Bigelow, played by Harry Woods, finds himself caught between criminal factions while his daughter, portrayed by Thelma Todd, becomes involved in the unfolding mayhem. Meanwhile, Ginger Rogers, in one of her notable early screen performances before becoming a legendary dance partner to Fred Astaire, appears as Mary Helton, bringing charm and wit to the fast-paced story.
Unlike many films of its era, Monkey Business dispenses with elaborate musical numbers to focus almost entirely on rapid-fire dialogue, visual gags and relentless slapstick. Groucho delivers countless razor-sharp one-liners, Chico confuses everyone with his hilarious wordplay, Harpo performs his trademark silent mischief using props and expressive pantomime, while Zeppo serves as the comparatively straight-faced brother attempting to keep events under control.
Among the film's most memorable scenes is the famous passport sequence, where each brother impersonates Maurice Chevalier in increasingly absurd fashion to fool immigration officers. Another standout moment features an unforgettable baseball game that descends into complete pandemonium, showcasing the inventive physical comedy that became synonymous with the Marx Brothers' films.
Released during Hollywood's pre-Code era, the film benefited from fewer censorship restrictions than later productions, allowing its clever innuendo, satirical humour and fearless comic style to flourish. Produced by Paramount Pictures, the movie followed the success of The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, helping establish the Marx Brothers as some of the most influential comedians in cinema history. Their unique blend of sophisticated verbal wit, surreal humour and anarchic storytelling would inspire generations of performers, from Mel Brooks and Woody Allen to modern comedy writers.
This Australian re-release Daybill movie poster represents an outstanding opportunity to own memorabilia connected with one of the defining comedies of early Hollywood. Original Australian Daybills have become increasingly sought after by collectors worldwide due to their distinctive size, unique artwork and comparatively limited survival rate. Whether you're a passionate collector of vintage movie posters, classic Hollywood memorabilia or a lifelong admirer of the Marx Brothers, this poster is a wonderful piece celebrating one of cinema's greatest comedy classics.
To find out more about Monkey Business (1931) 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.