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Pressbooks (Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy)

She (1965) Pressbook

H. Rider Haggard's novel did get a lot of movie versions. According to Wikipedia, Ursula Andress's accent irritated the studio enough to do a re-dubbing by Nikki van der Zyl. Financed through MGM, the budget for this Hammer film was "triple" the usual for a Hammer movie. Not one of my Hammer favorites, but with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee along for the ride, it's definitely worthwhile viewing.

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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Pressbook

I've always wanted a Baby Jane doll. She would make a nice display along with Chucky and Billy the puppet from Saw. I've been hankering to grab this pressbook for some time, as I'm a huge fan of the movie. Each time it came up for auction, the price would reach triple digits, which is crazy. Sure, it has the cool Charles Adams cartoon, and it is a creepy movie, but at those prices, I'd rather wait and hope to get lucky. And I did. I found a dealer/collector, in the Netherlands of all places, selling it for 40 bucks plus 20 for postage. I ordered it, got it in less than two weeks (from the Netherlands, no less), and the copy arrived in fine condition. Sometimes, waiting pays off.

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War of the Worlds (1953) Pressbook

Another George Pal movie that inspired genre-lovers everywhere. And still the most visually impressive, with its Martian spaceship and creature designs. And those sound effects! You can feel the searing heat of those death rays by just hearing them shoot forth from those serpentine, metallic stalks sweeping in all directions. I bet you didn't know the key Martian words mentioned in this pressbook (page 19). Or that Paramount cartoons were part of the complete theater package (page 17). And maybe it's just me, but that Outer Space Background Paper is to die for. So are the impressive theater promotional items to dress up the marquee and the lobby.

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When Worlds Collide (1951) Pressbook

This planetary-sized pressbook for When Worlds Collide (1951) is by special request of ZC reader, pressbook nut, and George Pal fan, Terry Michitsch.  His other request, the pressbook for War of the Worlds (1953), will land tomorrow. (And whoever the bozo who made the small clipping on the color page, a pox on you.)

2024 update: Terry provided new images for some pages, now included. One of these days I’ll rescan the pressbook for better images overall. Thanks Terry!

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Captive Wild Woman (1943) Pressbook

Another great find courtesy of pressbook (and Acquanetta) lover Tony Rivers. And what a pressbook it is for a quality B-lister: the ape's face on the color cover flips over to reveal catchy "Again!" promotion blurbs. Red text highlights throughout the pressbook entice the theater owner, while the promotion items for the theater lobby make this a must-see movie. Thanks Tony!

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The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)
British Pressbook

One of my guilty pleasures growing up. I was completely terrified by first Boris Karloff's Fu Manchu (The Mask of Fu Manchu), then by Christopher Lee's portrayal. Of course today it is mostly stereotypical claptrap, but a fun nonsense, nonetheless. The pulp fiction of Sax Rohmer is still unique and worth a read , and Nigel Green's Sir Denis Nayland Smith is perfect. This is the first movie in the series of five and is the best. 

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