eMoviePoster.com

What are the objects in the corners of some images? Learn More

Motion Picture Herald, the leading trade magazine sent to movie theater owners in the 1930s to the 1960s (we don't know exactly when it started publication, but we think it was in 1931, and we know it continued until at least 1967). Each magazine measures approximately 9" x 12", and each contained around 70-100 pages. Each weekly issue would be filled with illustrated articles about upcoming movies, statistics about box office grosses of current releases, and sometimes articles about coming developments in motion picture technology, and sometimes sections illustrating how theaters advertised current movies. Of greatest interest to collectors are the advertisements (some full-page) from all of the major studios! A few of these ads were full-color. Note that these exhibitor magazines were ONLY sent to theater owners, and the general public never had a chance to buy them. But most theater owners treated them like old newspapers, throwing them away after the movies had played. Consequently, they are extremely rare, especially those from the 1920s and 1930s! Note that we do not have the time to list the contents of each magazine we are selling (this magazine does not have a "table of contents", and of course, the most interesting part of the magazine is the great illustrated ads), but we have pictured the cover, and one or more interior 2-page spreads. We tried to pick out some of the more interesting interior pages, but we did not spend much time doing so! Each of these magazines, which were NOT printed on newsprint, and were printed on quality paper, is packed with very interesting visual and written material, almost all of which has not been seen since the date the magazine was published. We doubt anyone who buys these magazines will be disappointed by the content! Note that this magazine continued to be published into the 1970s, but it slowly lost page count and quality over the years. The issues in the 1950s-1970s were generally around 30-50 pages, and at some point during those years, the magazine became first bi-weekly, and finally, monthly.

Important Added Info: Note that this is a very special magazine, for more than one reason! The first is that it includes a great 12-page full-color supplement on quality paper that is for Warner Bros. 1934-35. This may be a condensed version of their studio yearbook for that year, but we have never auctioned such a studio yearbook, and given that it was the height of the Depression, it is possible that this 12-page supplement is all they ever made that year. It includes ads for Gold Diggers of 1935, Captain Blood, Al Jolson in Casino de Paree, and other movies, some of which were never made. There is also a cool page near the end that has two pictures of theaters that made unbelievable displays for "Tarzan and His Mate", and stories about how other cities made their displays. There is also a great back cover ad for "Little Miss Marker", and how well it is doing at the box office. Also note that we have provided a picture of the front cover of the magazine, and also pictures of one or more interior two-page spreads (but we didn't make much effort to find the best ones!). These images should greatly help you judge the overall condition of the magazine. Please realize that sometimes there were only a few ads in each magazine, and sometimes quite a few, but that often the bulk of each magazine is taken up by stories about current productions and other information of interest to theater owners (and I don't know that this information can be found anywhere else or that it has been reproduced in any book since its first publication!). Please know that these magazines are sealed in bags and are ready for shipping, and we cannot answer any questions about them or look through them for you, so please bid (or do not bid) based on the images we have provided.

Our address for UPS or FedEx only is:
Bruce Hershenson,
306 Washington Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775