This lot will be auctioned on Friday, March 7th. The auction will begin at 9:30am PST and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close as part of the Day 2 Online auction on Saturday, March 8th.

Australian One Sheet (28" x 40")
Very Fine- on Linen
RKO, 1943

This poster from director Sam Wood's moving biopic starring Gary Cooper as the legendary first baseman has been professionally linen-backed and exhibits airbrush work throughout the white field. It now displays wonderfully.

Typically, movie poster collectors prize original-release paper above all else, often looking askance at material issued in support of a re-release. But there are exceptions, and this exquisite poster is one of them. This striking one sheet for The Pride of the Yankees is from the 1949 re-release of the title, and is much preferred over the original release one sheet, which was issued in a much less vibrant duotone format on a plain white background. For this release, the key art of Gary Cooper and Theresa Wright was adapted and rendered in color, and the image of Babe Ruth swinging his bat was added, as Ruth appears as himself in this movie and RKO very likely realized they had made a huge mistake by not including him on any of the original paper. The result is a poster that nearly leaps off the wall with its eye-catching design and brilliant colors, perfectly capturing the excitement of the movie itself. Gehrig's star had not dimmed one bit between releases, and he continues to be a legendary name, and a true measure of greatness, to this day, a measure few have equaled since his retirement and passing. If you're a fan of baseball in general, of Gehrig in specific, or just of great movies and outstanding poster art, you're going to want to bid on this beauty, as it's sure to be the pride of any collection.

Estimate: $600 - 1,200