One-Sheet (27" x 41")
Very Good on Linen; Artist Frederic C. Madan
RKO, 1931

This magnificent one-sheet with art by illustrator Frederic C. Madan is widely regarded as one of the most significant pieces of movie poster art ever produced. This poster is one of only four known surviving copies, three of which came from the legendary Berwick Pennsylvania collection. In 2012, a group of posters was found in an attic crawl space mounted to a series of boards for theatrical display.

This poster's top border has been replaced just into the yellow field, with restored paper loss extending one inch into the art on the right side. Small chips and tears in the bottom border extending into the image. The edges have been airbrushed, and the restoration has left the poster as beautiful as the day printed.

In an era when most Westerns were made for cheap, Cimarron, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, emerged as a big budget prestige picture from RKO. Based on the best-selling novel by Edna Ferber, it earned the Best Picture Oscar in 1931, and Best Actor and Best Actress nominations for its stars. Cimarron is one of, if not the first, big-budget Westerns of the sound period. This sweeping film tells the 40-year journey of a newspaper editor (Dix) who takes part in the Oklahoma land rush of 1889 with his reluctant young wife (Dunne).

Estimate: $50,000 - 100,000

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Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, May 17th. Lots will begin closing at 9:00am PST. Each lot has a countdown clock (as seen above) indicating when the lot will close. Any bid placed in the last five (5) minutes of the countdown clock will result in five (5) additional minutes being added to the clock. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, May 18th.