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Daring Heroes and Dastardly Villains from Superman to Darth Vader

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From James Bond, Mary Poppins and Indiana Jones to Vito Corleone, Lex Luthor and Darth Vader, Original Film Posters Online (11-21 March) includes films featuring the greatest movie heroes and most merciless villains from the big screen. Click above to view incredibly rare vintage posters featuring some of the most iconic film characters of all time.

Daring Heroes and Dastardly Villains from Superman to Darth Vader

  • Mary Poppins (1964) Poster, US
    Estimate £800–1,200
    In 1964 Mary Poppins first appeared on the silver screen and was an instant hit with the public and critics, despite Dick Van Dyke's dreadful English accent! The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney. The memorable songs were written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. It was Julie Andrew's feature film acting debut. The film received a total of thirteen Academy Award nominations and won five. It is rare to find a signed poster on this title. As well as being signed by Julie Andrews this piece is also signed by two of the film's animators.
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  • Crime And Punishment/Raskolnikov (1935) Poster, Swedish
    Estimate £1,400–2,600
    This film was directed by Josef von Sternberg, whose illustrious career spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era. He is best known for his work with Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s. Crime and Punishment was adapted from the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The film stars Peter Lorre in the title role. Moje Aslund's artwork menacingly captures the suspense of the film. The Swedish title of the film, Raskolnikov, is the name of the main character played by Peter Lorre. Exceptionally rare and has surfaced only a few times.
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  • To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Lobby Card, US
    Estimate £800–1,200
    Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (1960) was adapted into this landmark courtroom drama. The film was directed by Robert Mulligan, and stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout. It is very rare to find signed lobby cards.
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  • The Phantom of the Opera (1962) Poster, British
    Estimate £1,000–1,600
    This British horror was directed by Terence Fisher, and was made by Hammer Film Productions. This was the third time that this film had been made - the first featured Lon Chaney in 1925 and the second Claude Rains in 1943. In this adaptation Herbert Lom plays The Phantom of the Opera. Hammer Horror posters form a sub-genre in collecting and are some of the most sought-after British posters.
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  • Batman (1966) Poster, Japanese
    Estimate £800–1,200
    This film was based on the popular Batman television series, and was the first full-length feature film of the DC Comics character Batman. Batman was played by Adam West, and Burt Ward played Robin. This is one of the coolest posters on this 1966 Batman film.
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  • Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950) Poster, US
    Estimate £10,000–15,000
    This was the second Superman film to be directed by Spencer Bennet. As with the first Superman film in 1948, Kirk Alyn again played the cultural icon Superman, who saves the entire city of Metropolis from being destroyed by Lex Luthor, in his new identity as Atom Man. This is one of the best science fiction posters of the 50s. Its striking artwork truly captures the superhero Superman hard at work. It was printed in two sheets, and designed to be pasted onto billboards, which at the time would have been a very powerful image to lure people to the cinema. One of the rarest science fiction posters of the decade, it has only surfaced a few times over the past twenty-five years.
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  • Barbarella (1968) Poster, Italian
    Estimate £1,200–1,800
    This 60s science fiction film was directed by Roger Vadim and was based on the comic series of the same name by Jean-Claude Forest. Vadim tried to cast various actors in the title role, including Virna Lisi, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren, before casting his then-wife Jane Fonda as the space-traveller Barbarella. The artwork on this piece is unique to this size Italian poster and was not used in any other advertising campaign for the film. It is exceptionally rare and has surfaced only a few times.
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  • Goldfinger (1964) Poster, French
    Estimate £800–1,200
    This was the third time that Sean Connery would play James Bond 007, and the first of four Bond films that Guy Hamilton would direct. It is a hugely popular film in the Bond series, with the unforgettable line 'Do you expect me to talk?' 'No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die'. The artist Jean Mascii chose to focus on the fight scene between James Bond and Oddjob. No other poster in the advertising campaign took this approach.
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  • The Godfather (1972) Poster, British
    Estimate £800–1,200
    This is the original British poster for Francis Ford Coppola's gangster masterpiece starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall. This is considered one of the greatest films of the 20th century. It picked up seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Brando. The American poster only used the puppeteer artwork under Brando's face. This size British poster was used for display throughout the Commonwealth.
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  • A Clockwork Orange (1971) Poster, British
    Estimate £800–1,200
    Although Stanley Kubrick's disturbing film was released uncut in the UK in 1972, the film was then withdrawn in 1973 at the request of Kubrick. The film had been linked to a couple of horrific copycat crimes, and during the trials A Clockwork Orange was cited by one of the prosecutors. There were also protests outside Kubrick's home, and he and his wife had received threats. The film did not get a further theatrical release until 2000, which was the year after Kubrick's death.
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  • The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Poster, US
    Estimate £800–1,200
    This is the second film in the original Star Wars trilogy, which is now also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Although George Lucas did not direct this film, he wrote the story and served as executive producer. This special foil poster, known as Mylar, was produced by Kilian Enterprise to celebrate the 10th anniversary re-release of the film. It was not used in cinemas and was sold directly to fans.
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  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Poster, British
    Estimate £400–600
    This action adventure film was directed by Steven Spielberg. It was written by Lawrence Kasdan from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It was the first instalment of the hugely popular Indiana Jones film franchise, which stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones.
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  • The Seven Samurai (1954) Poster, US
    Estimate £800–1,200
    Akira Kurosawa was one of the most celebrated and influential film directors of the 20th century. He is probably best known for invigorating the Japanese tradition of chambara (sword fight) films: highly energetic samurai films structured around sprawling and intensely violent battles. The Seven Samurai is Kurosawa's most famous film and has inspired western filmmakers for generations.
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