Many collectors are not aware that three different Australian Daybill Movie Posters were printed for the original release of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is difficult to provide absolutely definitive proof about the order in which the three were printed but it is reasonable to rely on experience and research to make a best guess about when each daybill was printed.
Logically, the daybill pictured to the left of the three was issued first and this is the most sought after of the three. The reasoning is that the daybill carries the notation “Distributed by Cinema International Corporation”. The other two daybills both carry the notation “Distributed by United International Pictures”. UIP replaced CIC in 1981 so logically, the UIC posters were printed slightly later that the CIC daybills.
To further complicate matters, the third daybill is smaller than the other two, measuring 26 3/4″ in length while the other two measure 28″ inches in length. The shorter length daybill would most likely have been printed later than the other two.
It follows then that the daybill on the left distibuted by CIC is the most desirable of the three. Interestingly, the paper quality is also superior on the CIC printed daybill. The timeline for the other two UIC daybills is anyone’s guess but it is likely that they would have been printed for the original release as additional printings due to the popularity of the film.
All three daybills are highly sought after by collectors of the genre and they have become hard to find over the years.
