PAY OR DIE (1960) Movie Poster, Original Daybill, Ernest Borgnine
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
PAY OR DIE (1960) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Ernest Borgnine, Zohra Lampert, Alan Austin, Directed by Richard Wilson is in Fine+ condition. Movie Poster and Condition. Condition: This poster...
PAY OR DIE (1960) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Ernest Borgnine, Zohra Lampert, Alan Austin, Directed by Richard Wilson is in Fine+ condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Fine+ condition with 2 Daybill Folds as issued, pin holes in each corner and extra pin holes above the 1st fold, paper crumpling left hand side, 2 small 5mm tears on left hand side middle, theres some edgewear on the left and right hand side with a couple of foxing spots on the right hand side. This authentic Original Vintage Australian Daybill for PAY OR DIE (1960) remains a highly desirable piece of classic crime cinema memorabilia. Despite the noted signs of age and theatrical use, the poster still presents very well and displays strong visual appeal for collectors of vintage movie posters, gangster films, and fans of Academy Award-winning actor Ernest Borgnine. Australian Daybill posters are especially sought after due to their unique format and comparatively limited survival rate, making this an excellent collectible investment for lovers of classic Hollywood crime dramas.
Movie Synopsis
PAY OR DIE (1960) is a gripping American crime drama based on true events surrounding the early fight against organised crime and extortion rackets in New York’s Italian immigrant communities during the early 20th century. Directed by Richard Wilson and starring the immensely talented Ernest Borgnine, the film combines elements of historical drama, police procedural, and gangster cinema to deliver a tense and compelling story inspired by real-life events.
Ernest Borgnine stars as Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, a determined New York police detective dedicated to dismantling the notorious “Black Hand” extortion syndicates terrorising Italian-American neighbourhoods. At a time when many immigrants feared both criminals and authorities, Petrosino becomes one of the first officers willing to challenge the powerful criminal organisations exploiting vulnerable families and business owners through threats, intimidation, and violence.
The story follows Petrosino’s relentless investigation as he works undercover and navigates dangerous criminal networks in an attempt to bring justice to the streets of New York City. Borgnine delivers a powerful and authentic performance, portraying Petrosino as both courageous and deeply human. His portrayal captures the emotional strain of battling organised crime while also dealing with prejudice and mistrust within the broader community.
Supporting performances from Zohra Lampert, Alan Austin, and David Opatoshu help enrich the film’s realistic atmosphere. The screenplay focuses not only on the criminal investigations themselves, but also on the social conditions faced by immigrant communities during this turbulent era. This gives PAY OR DIE a strong historical dimension that separates it from many standard crime thrillers of the period.
An interesting aspect of the production is the film’s commitment to historical authenticity. Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was a real NYPD detective who became legendary for his pioneering efforts against organised crime. Often regarded as one of America’s earliest anti-Mafia investigators, Petrosino’s story has remained influential in both law enforcement history and cinematic portrayals of crime fighting. The film reflects many genuine historical details, adding extra depth for audiences interested in true crime history and vintage police dramas.
Director Richard Wilson, who previously collaborated with legendary filmmaker Orson Welles, brought a semi-documentary style to the movie, giving the film a grounded and realistic tone. Combined with atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, the result is a suspenseful and emotionally engaging crime film that still resonates with audiences today.
Today, PAY OR DIE (1960) is appreciated by collectors and film enthusiasts as an underrated classic of the crime genre. Original cinema posters from the film are increasingly scarce, particularly Australian Daybill editions, making this poster an attractive collectible for fans of classic gangster films, true crime cinema, and vintage Hollywood memorabilia.
To find out more about Pay or Die (1960) 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.