The Wayward Bus Australian Daybill Original or Reissue

The Wayward Bus Australian Daybill Original or Reissue

 

There are two versions of The Wayward Bus Australian Daybill. One full colour and one with just two colours. Collectors and dealers have generally assumed that the full colour daybill is the original release but that may not be the case.

 

 

In the last few years, a collector has been doing painstaking and meticulous research on the origins of Australian daybills. L.Bailey has turned up some surprising results, with some posters that have been thought to be original proving to be reissues. In the case of The Wayward Bus (1957) he has the following thoughts …

 

"An interesting question is which daybill for The Wayward Bus ( 1957 ) was printed first? They are both from the Australian first release. The colour daybill printed by Robert Burton and the duotone printed by W.E. Smith. The film was released in Sydney on September the 26th, 1957. The last daybills printed by W.E. Smith for 20th Century Fox were released in mid 1958. Robert Burton printed daybills for 20th Century Fox started appearing in the market face in early 1957. There was a period from early 1957 until mid 1958 both W.E. Smith & Robert Burton were sharing the printing of Fox daybills. If W.E. Smith printed the second print run it would have been done not long before they ceased to print Fox titles.

 

One would think the colour daybill was the first to be printed but in this case it is possible the duotone was printed first. It is also possible the two daybills were printed around the same period but I doubt this to be true. Why would this be done? Interesting and we’ll most likely never know."

 

I certainly agree with him and it illustrates how difficult it can be to accurately date some Australian Daybills. The important point to make in this case is that the daybill printed by W.E.Smith is not a reissue as many have claimed.

 

Footnote: I have yet to see the film but it sounds interesting. Jayne Mansfield plays a stripper, Joan Collins an alcoholic wife and Dan Dailey is a travelling Salesman. They all embark on a fateful bus ride. Sounds like one to put on the list of movies to see.

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