There have certainly been some strange looking movie advertisements
and posters over the decades, but this one recently sent to me by one of
administrators Davy Triumph, really is a curiosity.
This is an original flyer from the Shadyside Drive-in
theatre situated in Albertville, Alabama. Sadly, there is no year for this
great triple bill, but the drive in was opened on June 7, 1951. Car capacity
was listed at 400. Owners/operators were Thomas Orr, Martin Theatres then from
1975 until closing in the early-1980’s was United Amusements. However, one
giveaway is the artwork, which suggests it couldn’t of been earlier than 1970…
Which brings us to the artwork? So, the triple bill showing
(which took place for four days, one summer in June) consisted of A Fistful of
Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and Hang ‘em High. There’s certainly no problem
with that line-up.
But the artwork used
on this flyer is confusing to say the least? A Fistful of Dollars uses artwork
which has no association at all with the film? It took a good, educated eye
(our other administrator, Kevin Wilkinson) to spot that this was in fact, an
altered piece of art (left) from Tony Anthony’s ‘Stranger’ western trilogy, more
specifically, The Stranger Returns (1967). Like Clint’s ‘man with no name’ character,
Tony Anthony’s character was also cast simply as a ‘stranger’ - a man with no
name. This raises the question as if there was some degree of confusion from
the team who put this flyer together, and is enhanced further by the next film,
For a Few Dollars More. Here it gets even stranger. The artwork used here is
from Clint’s Universal film Two Mules for Sister Sara! One is left asking the
question – if the team responsible had even heard of the Dollar trilogy?
Finally, order is restored when it comes to the movie
Hang ‘em high – which at least uses some correct artwork. It’s also interesting
that the flyer also includes the tagline ‘Try a little tenderness’ a tagline
that was originally used to promote the double bill showing of The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly / Hang ‘em high. One thing is for sure, it’s certainly a mixed
bag and has to be one of the strangest forms of Eastwood advertising we’ve come
across. I guess it takes all sorts.
