THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill starring Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody and Bernard Cribbins, directed by Richard Lester is in Fine- condition. Movie Poster and...
THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill starring Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody and Bernard Cribbins, directed by Richard Lester is in Fine- condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Fine- condition with 2 Daybill folds as issued, 4 neat pin holes, a small hole on the right hand side middle, 5 cm length paper loss above the 1st fold. This authentic Original Australian Daybill movie poster for THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) remains a highly desirable collectible from the golden era of British comedy cinema. Despite the noted signs of age and cinema use, the poster still displays very well and retains strong visual appeal, making it an excellent addition for collectors of vintage movie posters, classic British films, and science-fiction comedy memorabilia. Australian Daybill posters are particularly sought after internationally due to their unique format and comparatively limited survival rate, especially for cult comedy titles from the 1960s.
Movie Synopsis
THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) is a charming and wonderfully eccentric British comedy directed by acclaimed filmmaker Richard Lester, best known for later directing A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965) starring The Beatles. The film is the third entry in the popular “Mouse” trilogy, following The Mouse That Roared (1959) and The Mouse on the Moon continues the satirical adventures of the tiny fictional European nation of Grand Fenwick.
Set during the height of the Cold War and the international space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the story follows the impoverished Duchy of Grand Fenwick as it unexpectedly becomes involved in the race to the moon. When Grand Fenwick discovers that foreign aid funding is being distributed to nations with active space programs, the tiny country decides to launch its own ambitious lunar mission despite having almost no scientific resources, modern technology, or realistic chance of success.
What follows is a hilarious series of misunderstandings, political satire, and absurd situations as the tiny nation somehow manages to compete against the world’s superpowers. Using improvised technology and plenty of determination, the people of Grand Fenwick stumble their way toward an unlikely place in history. The film cleverly satirises Cold War politics, bureaucracy, and the intense media frenzy surrounding the real-life race to space during the early 1960s.
The movie features an outstanding ensemble cast led by legendary British actress Margaret Rutherford, whose distinctive comedic style made her one of Britain’s most beloved performers. The cast also includes Ron Moody, famous for his unforgettable portrayal of Fagin in Oliver! (1968), alongside popular British actor and comedian Bernard Cribbins, whose long career later included appearances in Doctor Who. Their performances contribute enormously to the film’s quirky humour and enduring cult appeal.
Director Richard Lester brought an energetic and unconventional visual style to the production, helping distinguish the film from more traditional British comedies of the period. His fast-paced editing, inventive camera work, and playful sense of humour would later become highly influential in both comedy and music filmmaking. THE MOUSE ON THE MOON perfectly captures Lester’s early creative style while delivering clever satire that remains entertaining decades later.
Released at a time when public fascination with space exploration was at an all-time high, the film successfully blended science-fiction comedy with political parody. Audiences of the era were captivated by stories involving rockets, astronauts, and lunar exploration, and the film cleverly used these themes to create a light-hearted and uniquely British comedy adventure. Today, it is fondly remembered by fans of classic cinema for its wit, charm, and nostalgic depiction of 1960s space-race optimism.
Original cinema posters for THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963), particularly Australian Daybills, are increasingly difficult to locate and are highly prized among collectors of classic British comedy movie posters, vintage science-fiction memorabilia, and Richard Lester film collectibles. This genuine theatrical poster represents a wonderful opportunity to own an authentic piece of cinema history from one of the most entertaining satirical comedies of the 1960s.
To find out more about THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (1963) 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.