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James Bond UK Marler Haley posters
WRITTEN & COMPILED BY KEVIN HARPER

From 1971-1987 the Wellingborough based marketing company Marler Haley supplied special posters exclusively to ODEON cinemas across the UK for promotion of the James Bond films coming soon (or then playing) at a particular venue. The company produced a simple two-colour quad-crown (30" X 40") and four double-crown (20" X 30") posters for every film from Diamonds Are Forever (1971) up to and including The Living Daylights (1987). The company also provided similar sets of posters for many other high-profile films that played in ODEON cinemas including Star Wars (1977) and Alien (1979).

Marler Haley Live And Let Die display stand

Marler Haley also supplied a custom-made display stand to house the set of five special posters alongside the full-colour general release quad-crown poster produced by the National Screen Service. Later posters had white spaces where cinemas would display a selection of front-of-house stills (10" X 8") that were also issued by The National Screen Service, the company that controlled the distribution of theatrical advertising materials to cinemas in the UK. Selected front-of-house stills were sometimes displayed alongside the general release quad-crown poster in light boxes outside cinemas. Marler Haley posters were produced in much smaller numbers than the general release posters and were only available during the original theatrical run of each film they were promoting. Typically, only displayed in larger ODEON cinemas, these special posters are very hard to find on the collectors’ market today. Marler Haley posters were not advertised in the Exhibitors’ Campaign Books for each film, although the displays did feature in separate marketing manuals supplied to ODEON cinemas by the distributor The Rank Organisation, and later, United International Pictures.

Pictured below are surviving examples of the Marler Haley quad-crown and double-crown sets from the James Bond films 1971-1987.

Original release Marler Haley quad-crown & double-crown posters

  Marler Haley Diamonds Are Forever quad-crown poster  
Marler Haley Diamonds Are Forever double-crown poster Marler Haley Diamonds Are Forever double-crown poster Marler Haley Diamonds Are Forever double-crown poster Marler Haley Diamonds Are Forever double-crown poster
 

Marler Haley Live And Let Die quad-crown poster

 
       
Marler Haley Live And Let Die double-crown poster Marler Haley Live And Let Die double-crown poster

Marler Haley Live And Let Die double-crown poster

Marler Haley Live And Let Die double-crown poster

ODEON Middlesbrough September 1973

ODEON Ealing March 1975

ABOVE: (left) A speedboat formed part of the cinema foyer display at the ODEON Middlesbrough in September 1973. A Marler Haley display stand featuring the Live And Let Die quad-crown & double-crown posters can be seen behind the manager as the speedboat is manoeuvred into the cinema. (right) Christopher Lee at the ODEON Ealing in March 1975 as part of a promotional tour he undertook during the general release of The Man With The Golden Gun. A Marler Haley display stand can be seen behind the manager as Lee shows off the ‘Golden Gun’ which accompanied him on tour.

Marler Haley The Man With The Golden Gun quad-crown poster
Marler Haley The Man With The Golden Gun double-crown poster

Marler Haley The Man With The Golden Gun double-crown poster

Marler Haley The Man With The Golden Gun double-crown poster

Marler Haley The Spy Who Loved Me quad-crown poster
Marler Haley The Spy Who Loved Me double-crown poster Marler Haley The Spy Who Loved Me double-crown poster Marler Haley The Spy Who Loved Me double-crown poster

Marler Haley The Spy Who Loved Me double-crown poster

Marler Haley Moonraker double-crown poster Marler Haley Moonraker double-crown poster Marler Haley Moonraker double-crown poster Marler Haley Moonraker double-crown poster
Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only quad-crown poster
Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only double-crown poster Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only double-crown poster

Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only double-crown poster

Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only double-crown poster

Marler Haley For Your Eyes Only display stand

Marler Haley Octopussy quad-crown poster
Marler Haley Octopussy double-crown poster Marler Haley Octopussy double-crown poster Marler Haley Octopussy double-crown poster

Two of the Octopussy Marler Haley double-crowns (one of which is pictured left) had a white space [also present on the quad-crown poster above] where cinema managers could display one of the eight colour front-of-house stills (10" X 8") supplied by the National Screen Service, the company that controlled the distribution of theatrical advertising materials.

Two similar double-crowns were produced for A View To A Kill (1985) pictured below. All four of the double-crowns produced for The Living Daylights (1987) had white space for stills.

Marler Haley A View To A Kill quad-crown poster
Marler Haley A View To A Kill double-crown poster Marler Haley A View To A Kill double-crown poster Marler Haley A View To A Kill double-crown poster Marler Haley A View To A Kill double-crown poster
Marler Haley The Living Daylights quad-crown poster
Marler Haley The Living Daylights double-crown poster Marler Haley The Living Daylights double-crown poster Marler Haley The Living Daylights double-crown poster Marler Haley The Living Daylights double-crown poster

By the late 1980s with many cinemas converted to multi-screen venues advertising space was at a premium, and it was not always practical to promote individual forthcoming attractions with large foyer displays. With release patterns now standardized across the UK, many ODEON cinemas produced a free monthly magazine to alert cinemagoers to upcoming releases.

Movie Goer was a generic A5-sized 18-page publication that would be customized by managers to include advertisements for local traders, and available in cinema foyers alongside confectionery, popcorn and the long-running commercially produced magazine Film Review.

Moviegoer ODEON magazine July 1987
 

STILL AVAILABLE:
007 MAGAZINE ARCHIVE FILES James Bond Promotional Posters & Artwork File #1

007 MAGAZINE ARCHIVE FILES James Bond Promotional Posters & Artwork File #1


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