ROLLERBALL (1975) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, James Caan
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
ROLLERBALL (1975) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Starring James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams and Directed by Norman Jewison is in Very Fine Condition. Movie Poster and Condition. Condition: This...
ROLLERBALL (1975) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Starring James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams and Directed by Norman Jewison is in Very Fine Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This Original Daybill, Movie Poster is presented in Very Fine condition, 2 Daybill folds as issued, small bump/edgewear on the bottom left corner, also the distributor "Entertainment for Transamerica" has been marked out with texta, otherwise its in excellent condition with a colourful clean presentation. This original vintage Australian Rollerball movie poster is a great example of the promotional artwork produced for the Australian release of the classic 1975 science fiction sports film. The Daybill format is particularly desirable to collectors of original Australian movie posters, offering a compact and highly displayable piece of 1970s cinema history.
Movie Synopsis
Rollerball (1975) is a landmark science fiction film directed by Norman Jewison, starring James Caan as Jonathan E, a legendary athlete competing in a brutal futuristic sport known simply as Rollerball. Based on the short story “Roller Ball Murder” by William Harrison, the film presents a dystopian vision of the future in which corporations have replaced traditional governments and provide almost everything people need, while the violent sport of Rollerball serves as a powerful form of entertainment and social control.
Set in the year 2018, the world of Rollerball is outwardly prosperous and highly organised. Society has largely eliminated war, crime and personal hardship, but individual freedom has been sacrificed in the process. People are assigned comfortable lives by powerful corporations, and citizens are encouraged to accept their predetermined roles. Rollerball has become the ultimate spectator sport, combining speed, motorcycles, metal balls and physical combat inside a circular arena.
Jonathan E has become one of the sport's most celebrated players. His exceptional ability and popularity make him an important symbol of the corporations' success, but his growing independence becomes increasingly inconvenient to those who control the game. When Jonathan is encouraged to retire despite still being at the height of his abilities, he begins questioning why the decision has been made. His determination to continue playing leads him into direct conflict with the corporate system.
James Caan delivers a memorable performance as Jonathan, portraying a sportsman who gradually transforms from celebrated champion into an individual searching for answers about his own life and the society around him. The supporting cast includes John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn and Ralph Richardson, with Houseman playing the influential Mr Bartholomew, a senior corporate figure closely connected to Jonathan's career.
Norman Jewison's direction gives the film a distinctive combination of science fiction, sports action and social commentary. Rather than relying solely on futuristic technology, the production creates its unsettling vision through architecture, costumes, corporate environments and the spectacle of the Rollerball matches. The action sequences were designed to feel physically authentic, with the film's arena battles becoming one of its most recognisable features.
The production also became notable for its ambitious Rollerball sequences, which combine staged choreography with the speed and danger of motorcycle-based action. The sport itself was developed specifically for the film, giving Rollerball a distinctive visual identity that has remained influential in science fiction and sports cinema. The film's central themes surrounding corporate power, individuality, entertainment and social control have also helped it maintain a lasting reputation among fans of 1970s science fiction.
This original vintage Australian Daybill poster is therefore more than an attractive piece of film advertising. It represents the Australian theatrical release of a major 1970s science fiction classic and is an appealing addition to a collection of James Caan movie posters, Rollerball memorabilia, original vintage movie posters and Australian cinema collectibles.
To find out more about Rollerball (1975) 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.