Rare finished concept artwork for the Quad cinema poster "Play Misty for Me" (1971)

Rare finished concept artwork for the Quad cinema poster "Play Misty for Me" (1971)

As comparison with the printed Quad shows, this was the finished concept that was commissioned for illustration for the UK Quad for the first release of the film. Artist John Stockle's composition features a photo-mechanical print showing a rough drawn image of Clint Eastwood's head with a dagger shaped aperture. In the aperture is the hand-painted design which was subsequently re-painted for the Quad but the image of Clint Eastwood was carried over onto the Quad without further alteration. The Donna Mills image appears more smiley and happier in the finished version. Hand annotations indicate Stockle wanted the Quad printed with a "pea green" background. There is an acetate overlay that largely mimics the finished Quad though cast/credits information was later added. John Stockle worked alongside the artist Vic Fair & the juxtaposition of imagery in this design was clearly influenced by Fair's fondness for this device (commercial artists frequently "borrowed" & adapted ideas from each other). 

Below: With the clear acetate overlay

The artist John Stockle was particularly known for his caricature illustrations (the kind used often for British comedies in the 1950’s-60’s) but he also did some posters for Hammer (Terror of The Tongs, The Revenge of Frankenstein, Camp on Blood Island) & others like Cockleshell Heroes, Obsession, Squirm and Virgin Soldiers. In the 80’s Stockle went through a period of “black” background compositions. Stockle (1928-2000) was a commercial and film poster artist, who worked in Wardour Street, London, from the 1950 to the 1980s. He worked with fellow poster artist Brian Bysouth (b.1936) and joined the notable and prolific commercial artist Eric Pulford (1915-2005) at the top London film publicity agency Downton Pulford.

Original Clint Eastwood movie poster artwork is rare. In 2017 Heritage Auctions sold Enzo Nistri finished art for the Italian poster for "High Plains Drifter" (1973) for £7,100. This lovely piece of original artwork is approx. 15"x 22" . It’s interesting also that the acetate overlay has a slightly different tagline – ‘and his Nightmare began!’ as opposed to the finished quad version, ‘and his Nightmare begins!’

Anyway, I’m very pleased and happy to own this rare and unique piece. 

Above: The production shot from which the main artwork was based, this would also be used later on The Eiger Sanction UK artwork

Above: The finished UK quad poster for Play Misty for Me