1959 Black Orpheus Italian Locandino Movie Ercole Brini Marcel Camus

Date: 1959
Artist: Brini, Ercole      
Size (in): 23.5” x 17.675”
Size (cm): 59.7 x 44.9
Condition: B
Linen backed: No

This is a vintage original Italian Locandino poster for the acclaimed 1959 romantic tragedy film Black Orpheus shown here with the Italian title Orfeo Negro.  The film was an international co-production between Brazil, France and Italy.  The movie was directed by French filmmaker Marcel Camus and starred Marpessa Dawn and Breno Mello.

Black Orpheus is based on the play Orfeu da Conceição by Vinicius de Moraes, which set the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice in a contemporary favela in Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval.  The film is particularly noted for its soundtrack Brazilian composers Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá.  Black Orpheus won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and both the Oscar Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  Artwork for this poster was created by celebrated Italian movie poster designer Ercole Brini whose name is signed in print in the upper right corner of the image area.   

This vintage original poster shows moderate handling wear and two lateral creases from having been folded.  There is also a slight vertical crease at the bottom and a short tear without paper loss on the right edge a couple inches below the upper corner.  The poster has a pinhole on each of the lower corners and at the bottom center and two pinholes on both the right and left edges.  This poster measures 24” x 12” and appears to have had the blank margin at the top trimmed down slightly which doesn’t affect the image area. Overall condition is very good.