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Auction History Result

2w005 DOWNSTAIRS white style 1/2sh '32 romantic close up of John Gilbert & pretty Virginia Bruce!

Date Sold 6/16/2011
Sold For: Login or Register to see sold price.


An Original Vintage Theatrical Paperbacked Half-Sheet Movie Poster (1/2sh; measures 22" x 28") (Learn More)

Downstairs, the 1932 Monta Bell Germany servant romantic love triangle melodrama ("The return of the Gilbert of 'Merry Widow' and 'Big Parade'!"; about a group of servants in the household of a German Baron, and the butler marries another servant, and then a new chauffeur is hired, and he is a ne'er-do-well who disrupts the entire household and tries to seduce the butler's wife) starring John Gilbert (as the ne'er-do-well chauffeur), Paul Lukas, Virginia Bruce, Hedda Hopper, and Reginald Owen. Note that the "downstairs" of the title refers to the servants' living quarters (much as the later English series "Upstairs, Downstairs" used the term in the same way). Also note that this John Gilbert sound movie, like all his sound movies, completely dispels the myth that he had a high-pitched speaking voice, which ended his career! Actually, he had a fine speaking voice, and there is much speculation as to what it was that actually ended his career, and that can be found in various places on the Internet, but it was definitely not his voice! This movie had an interesting genesis. John Gilbert was having trouble getting parts, and he wrote the original story this movie was based on, and he sold the rights to MGM for $1.00, with the provision that he played the lead role (much as Sylvester Stallone did decades later!). Also, after the movie was done filming, Gilbert married the leading lady, Virginia Bruce, which led MGM to advertise the stars of the movie as "Mr. and Mrs. John Gilbert".
NOTE: Click on linked names to see a biography.
If you know who did the art (if any), please let us know.
Important Added Info: Note that this poster has been paperbacked. Note that because this poster was paperbacked onto a thicker paper backing, it CAN'T be sent rolled (someone could conceivably roll it or try to do so, but we think it would almost certainly damage it, so we will only send it in a large flat package, unless the buyer insists, and then they would be responsible for any damage).

What IS paperbacking? Learn More

Overall Condition and Pre-Restoration Defects with Quality of Restoration: good. Prior to paperbacking, the poster had stains and paper loss in the top and left blank borders. There was a stain in Bruce's forehead and one in a small part of Gilbert's hand. There were some creases scattered in the image, including a prominent one in Gilbert's nose. Overall, the poster was in good condition prior to paperbacking. The poster was pretty well backed, but you can see signs of the above defects and the restoration of the above defects.
Learn More about condition grades

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