The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1963): Starring Rod Taylor (1930–2015), b. Lidcombe, NSW

In one of his most famous roles, Rod Taylor starred alongside Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock’s thriller, The Birds.

After winning an airline ticket to Los Angeles in a 1954 radio talent competition, Taylor’s career steadily progressed. His big television break came with the series Hong Kong, after which he was approached by Hitchcock to play the dashing hero Mitch Brenner. 

The Birds was revolutionary for its techniques. The film had no musical score; instead, Hitchcock adopted a new electronic sound system to unnervingly emulate the sound of flapping wings.

Additionally, much to the chagrin of ornithophobes, Hitchcock insisted on using live birds, rather than props, for close-ups.

His portrait was so identifiable and such a draw for audiences that it was added to this poster, despite undercutting the dramatic image of Tippi Hedren being menaced by birds.  

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, US, 1959): Costume design by Orry-Kelly (1897–1964), b. Kiama, NSW

Costume designer Orry-Kelly won his third Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Some Like It Hot (1959).

However, as described in his memoir Women I’ve Undressed, working with lead actress Marilyn Monroe wasn’t always easy. She was frequently late to fittings, difficult to appease and easily offended.

Centre stage in this poster, Monroe is wearing a black chiffon nightgown, a controversial costume choice for 1959. To avoid censorship, Orry-Kelly added conveniently positioned lace embellishments and a black chiffon and feather robe.

Compared to American one-sheet posters, the star likenesses on this Australian poster are unfortunately less than flattering, the result of differing printing methods.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

On the Beach (Stanley Kramer, USA, 1959): Starring John Meillon (1934–1989), b. Mosman, NSW

Starring alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood, 24-year-old John Meillon made his film debut as Ralph Swain in this post-apocalyptic drama.

Filming took place around Victoria with the Royal Australian Navy providing support and access to the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and submarine HMS Andrew.

His second film role, in The Sundowners (1960), took Meillon to London. While his career flourished abroad, he returned to Australia in 1964.

Two decades later he was cast in arguably his most recognisable role as Walter ‘Wally’ Reilly, Mick Dundee’s sidekick in Crocodile Dundee (1986).

The stark portraits of the actors on this poster effectively reinforce the serious theme of the movie, while the red and yellow colour scheme suggests danger and the invisible, yet looming threat of nuclear fallout.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

The Master of Ballantrae (William Keighley, UK, 1953): Starring Errol Flynn (1909–1959), b. Battery Point, Tas

Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn starred as Jamie Durie in his archetypal role as a romantic swashbuckler.

Based on the 1889 novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, this was Flynn’s last film with Warner Bros, the end of a nearly 20-year association which yielded 35 films.

Flynn came to acting by accident, reputedly making his film debut in Charles Chauvel’s In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) after actor John Warwick brought him to a casting session.

Flynn achieved worldwide fame during Hollywood’s golden age but gained a shocking reputation for a life clouded by scandal, drink, sex, and drugs.

This dynamic poster serves up romance, drama, and a hint of flesh. The central shield motif on the poster projects power and royalty, a theme central to the film’s narrative.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

To Catch a Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1955): Co-written by Alec Coppel (1907–1972), b. Melbourne, Vic

While uncredited, screenwriter, novelist and playwright Alec Coppel assisted with writing Hitchcock’s romantic thriller To Catch a Thief.

Paid US$1,250 for a week’s worth of work to assist with rewrites, dialogue, and inserts, it was the beginning of a collaboration between the two creatives.

In 1956, Coppel worked with the Master of Suspense to write Vertigo (1958). His draft of the script was rejected by Hitchcock in favour of Samuel A Taylor’s later version. However, Coppel protested to the Screen Writers Guild, which determined that both writers were entitled to a credit.

He was the first Australian to be recognised by the American Academy for writing, with an Oscar nomination for Best Writing (Motion Picture Story) for The Captain’s Paradise (1953).

The dramatic scene at the top of this poster is wonderfully balanced by the romance below. The central text makes explicit that both the directorial work of Hitchcock and his lead actors are the big drawcard for audiences.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Do Not Disturb (Ralph Levy, USA, 1965): Starring Rod Taylor (1930–2015), b. Lidcombe, NSW

Looking through the keyhole, the viewer sees Rod Taylor, who starred in this romantic comedy alongside Doris Day, one of the biggest film stars of the 1950s and 1960s.

Filming started in January 1965 on Rod Taylor’s 35^th birthday. The trailer boasted of ‘a wardrobe costing a king’s ransom’ and was reported to total US$50,000.

Despite being set in London and Paris, the cast and crew never left the Hollywood studio backlot.

There were constant rewrites during shooting. Lucille Ball’s long-time writer Bob Carroll, who worked on the film, quipped that the title should have been Do Not Distribute.

This was the first film where Taylor shared the screen with Day; they reunited a year later for The Glass Bottom Boat (1966).

Combining bold text and geometric shapes, this poster invites viewers into an intimate scene, with a shocked expression on Doris Day’s face. 

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Botany Bay (John Farrow, USA, 1953): Directed by John Farrow (1904–1963), b. Sydney, NSW

John Farrow directed an impressive 50 films; however, Botany Bay was only the second (besides The Sea Chase, 1955) to have a connection to his native Australia.

Included in the film’s cast were 2 kangaroos and 4 koalas flown to America for filming, one of which features in this poster.

It’s jarring now to see the story of ‘Australia’s first settlers’ imagined as a ‘lusty’ and romantic adventure story. The pink hue is eye-catching and reflective of Australia’s warm and arid climate.

Farrow received an Academy Award for co-writing Best Picture winner Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and was nominated for directing Wake Island (1942).

As one of the few high-profile Australians working in Hollywood in the 1940s, Farrow accepted the Oscar awarded to the Cinesound Review newsreel Kokoda Front Line! (1942) on behalf of Ken G Hall and Damien Parer.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Limelight (Charlie Chaplin, USA, 1952): Starring Marjorie Bennett (1896–1982), b. York, WA

Marjorie Bennett commenced her career in Hollywood, like so many actors of her generation, as a silent film star.

Touted as a potential Oscar nominee for her role as Chaplin’s landlady in Limelight, her hopes were dashed when pressure from the American Legion affected the film’s opening during the McCarthy era. Chaplin’s alleged Communist connections meant that Limelight did not screen in Los Angeles for another 20 years. 

Written, produced, directed by, and starring Chaplin, it’s not surprising that his name and image dominate the poster, even if the design tells us little about the film itself. This was Bennett’s second collaboration with Chaplin, after Monsieur Verdoux (1947).

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Hondo (John Farrow, USA, 1953): Starring Michael Pate (1920–2008), b. Drummoyne, NSW

Michael Pate starred as Vittorio, a Chiricahua Apache chief, in the 3D Western film Hondo.

Despite having no Native American ancestry, Pate was offered the role by producer John Wayne after it was turned down by Gilbert Roland and Pedro Armendáriz, two Mexican American actors.

Pate gained a reputation in Hollywood for playing Native American roles – he later recalled that 25 of his 350 film roles were Native American.

Prior to his move abroad, Pate worked with Charles Chauvel on Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940) and Chips Rafferty in Horsemen and Bitter Springs (1950).

This poster clearly communicates one of cinema’s major recurring themes – the lone cowboy. The inclusion of a woman suggests romance, but she also appears as a barrier to his chosen life of freedom and solitude.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Passage Home (Roy Ward Baker, UK, 1955): Starring Diane Cilento (1932–2011), b. Mooloolaba, Qld

In her leading role debut in Passage Home, 21-year-old Diane Cilento stood out as the sole female actor among a cast of 30 men. She played British governess Ruth Elton, the only woman onboard a cargo ship.

Working alongside fellow Australian Peter Finch for the first time (they later acted together in I Thank a Fool, 1962), Cilento bravely performed her own stunts, rolling around on a deck in filthy water.

Her performance was met with rave reviews. Evening Standard film critic Thomas Wiseman dubbed her the Audrey Hepburn of 1956. Pinewood Studios’ production chief Earl St John gushed, ‘She combines the sex appeal of a Lollobrigida with the cool sensitivity of a Grace Kelly. Within a year she will be one of the biggest stars in Britain.’

Within this poster Diane Cilento is emphasised as a ‘desirable woman’ and the leading lady, her image featuring prominently in the centre, surrounded by men shrouded in shadow.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

The Innocents (Jack Clayton, UK, 1961): Starring Clytie Jessop (1929–2017), b. Sydney, NSW

Clytie Jessop made her film debut as the ghost of Miss Jessel, while starring alongside Deborah Kerr, a 6-time Academy Award nominee.

While Jessop’s role was brief, the haunting image of her as the dead governess standing in the bulrushes left a lasting impression on viewers. Her ghostly face is highlighted in the centre of the poster.

Jessop carved a niche in horror, starring in 2 subsequent films directed by acclaimed cinematographer and director Freddie Francis.

In 1986, Jessop wrote, directed and produced the Australian film Emma’s War (1987).

A yellow-tinged and anxious Deborah Kerr, a wraith-like couple emerging from a candle flame, the tagline ‘You’ll get the shock of your life’ bordered by jagged red hatch marks – these design elements add up to a fitting poster for a psychological horror film.  

Notes by Michelle Davenport

Alexander the Great (Robert Rossen, USA, 1956): Cinematography by Robert Krasker (1913–1981), b. Perth, WA

Alexander the Great was the first of many epic films delivered by acclaimed cinematographer Robert (Bob) Krasker.

Known for favouring realism over glamour, as well as his high-contrast images and unconventional compositions, this dramatised biography is synonymous with his later work on spectacles like El Cid (1961) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964).

The epic genre was a far cry from Krasker’s earlier, and arguably most significant, work. For the iconic film noir masterpiece, The Third Man (1949), he was awarded an Oscar for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White), the first Australian to receive this distinction.

There is plenty of prominent bare flesh in the poster design for this sword and sandal epic. The two opposing figures, their shields pierced by spears, highlight the tension played out on screen between father and son, Philip II and Alexander the Great.

Notes by Michelle Davenport

The Long Arm (Charles Frend, UK, 1956): Starring Dorothy Alison (1925–1992), b. Broken Hill, NSW

Broken Hill native Dorothy Alison starred opposite Jack Hawkins in this crime film about Scotland Yard detectives investigating a series of burglaries.

After a promising start in London with a BAFTA nomination for Most Promising Newcomer in Mandy (1952), Alison struggled to find work and considered returning to Australia.

Her persistence paid off and she starred in over 70 films and television series. Alison was often typecast as the wholesome, selfless woman, but this was something she later said she accepted and enjoyed.

Her name features prominently on this cool-hued poster, possibly to appeal to Australian audiences. A pair of handcuffs frames a key scene, with others showing dimly-lit side alleys and back streets, all fitting the aesthetic of a film noir poster.  

Notes by Michelle Davenport

No Love for Johnnie (Ralph Thomas, UK, 1961): Starring Peter Finch (1916–1977), b. London, UK

Although born in London, multiple award-winning actor Peter Finch spent his formative years in Sydney.

He was discovered in 1948 by Sir Laurence Olivier while on tour in Australia. Olivier offered Finch a theatre contract in London after seeing his performance in Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid).

In No Love for Johnnie, Finch portrayed a cynical and disillusioned Labour MP seeking escape in a relationship with a younger woman.

To prepare for the role, Finch researched British law and visited the UK Houses of Parliament. His performance was widely admired and won him the BAFTA Award for Best British Actor and the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 11^th Berlin International Film Festival.

Peter Finch’s portrait dominates this poster, effectively inviting the viewer to understand that at the heart of this film is the main character’s inner conflict. The deep red background reflects the traditional colour associated with the British Labour Party.

Notes by Michelle Davenport