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National Film and Sound Archive of AustraliaNational Film and Sound Archive
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Articles

International posters for four Australian films

How Priscilla, Wake in Fright and more were promoted overseas

The NFSA has been collecting local and international posters of Australian feature films for years. See how The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wake in Fright, Sons of Matthew and On the Beach were promoted overseas.

Written by Belinda Hunt
01 June, 2016
2 minute read

The NFSA has been collecting local and international posters of Australian feature films for many years. When making posters to appeal to specific markets, film producers and distributors vary their selection of key images, colour, text and graphics. You can see from the examples below how countries may choose to focus on different themes and ideas to uniquely represent a film to their audience.

1. Sons of Matthew

Director: Charles Chauvel (1949)

Re-titled as The Rugged O’Riordans in the United States, it is clear that US marketers were keen to play up the adventurous elements of the film, even stating that it was 'actually filmed in Australia’s jungle wilderness!’. Sons of Matthew was shot near Beaudesert, Queensland, during the wettest season for 80 years. The Australian and Italian posters instead highlight the film’s romantic sub-plot.

Australian poster: Sons of Matthew
Australian one-sheet poster for Sons of Matthew, 1949.
US poster: Sons of Matthew
US poster for Sons of Matthew (AKA The Rugged O'Riordans), 1950.
Italian daybill: Sons of Matthew
Italian daybill poster for Sons of Matthew (AKA'Terra di Giganti'), 1949.
Australian daybill: Sons of Matthew
Australian daybill poster for Sons of Matthew, 1949.
Australian daybill poster (second version): Sons of Matthew
Australian daybill poster (second version) for Sons of Matthew 1949.

2. On The Beach

Director: Stanley Kramer (1959)

The common theme in On The Beach’s promotion is the stark depiction of nuclear war and its aftermath. The US Department of Defense did not cooperate in the making of the film, refusing to give the production access to nuclear-powered submarines. They argued that there were not then enough weapons in existence to make extinction from nuclear war a realistic scenario.

US one-sheet teaser poster: On the Beach
This poster intentionally mimics a newspaper hoarding, as if the movie is a dramatic breaking news story. American one-sheet teaser poster for On the Beach, 1959.
Argentinian poster: On the Beach
The impassive profiles of Peck and Gardner stare blankly at the inevitability of their fate in this poster from Argentina, The Final Hour, 1959.
US one-sheet poster: On the Beach
The menacing, red toxic cloud dwarfs all other design elements and is successful in visually representing the central plot of the film. American one-sheet poster for On the Beach, 1959.
US half-sheet poster: On the Beach
The actors' names are privileged over other information in this poster for promotional reasons but the bold red font also emphasises the drama of the film. American half-sheet poster for On the Beach, 1959.
UK quad poster: On the Beach
A very sparse poster that nevertheless draws our attention with the words, 'The biggest story of our time!'. UK quad poster for On the Beach, 1959.
Polish poster: On the Beach
The central motif may be an atomic mushroom cloud but the incorporation of text gives the design an almost strangely playful psychedelic feel, pre-dating designs from the late 1960s. Polish one-sheet poster for On the Beach, 1959.
French poster: On the Beach
The Last Shore, the French poster for the film, highlights the dramatic conflict between the main protagonists. French daybill poster for On the Beach, 1959.
Belgium poster: On the Beach
Human relationships are emphasised in the almost wistful expressions on this poster, as if the film is a romance. Belgian one-sheet poster for On the Beach, 1959.
Australian daybill: On the Beach
A very stark, two-colour poster adds drama. The line, 'Not suitable for children' adds a sense of danger and threat. Australian daybill poster for On the Beach, 1959.
Swedish poster: On the Beach
Interesting use of American West typeface, black cactus-like motif and a submarine mimicking the hills in the Arizona landscape all suggest post-apocalyptic desolation. Swedish one-sheet poster for On the Beach, 1959.
German poster: On the Beach
In this German poster, The Last Bank, all of the faces look away from the viewer as if each person has to come to terms with their individual fate. German poster for On the Beach, 1959.

3. Wake in Fright

Director: Ted Kotcheff (1971)

The European posters for Wake In Fright play up the horror elements of the film. In Belgium it was titled The Terrible Awakening and Czechoslovakia translated Outback (the US title) to Backwater. The Polish poster for At the End of the World is particularly striking. 'Polish movie posters are distinguished by their artistry and unique design elements … they are usually impressionistic and painterly’ (Michael Organ, Australian Film Posters: Polish Posters). You can see other examples of Polish film art elsewhere on this page.

Polish poster: Wake in Fright
Na Krańcuświata (At the End of the World). Polish poster for Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971). Artist: Wiktor Górka. Year of print: 1971.
Australian poster: Wake in Fright
Australian one-sheet poster for Wake in Fright, 2009 (re-release).
Belgian poster: Wake In Fright
Belgian poster for Wake in Fright, 1971.
Czech poster: Wake in Fright
Zapadákov(One-horse Town). Czech poster for Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971). Artist: Zdeněk Vlach. Year of print: 1976.
Australian poster: Wake in Fright
Australian one-sheet poster for Wake in Fright, 1971. The film also screened as Outback in the US and UK.

4. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Director: Stephan Elliott (1994)

Posters for The Adventures of Priscilla all depict the flamboyant quirkiness of the film with Poland again being the least traditional. Tom O’Regan quotes director Stephan Elliott on the film carrying different meanings for different nationalities and subcultural groups: gay, lesbian and transgender Americans saw Priscilla as 'the big one that will bring gay lifestyles into the mainstream’, while Australians tended to 'embrace it as just another successful Australian film’.

Australian poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Australian one-sheet poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert autographed by Stephan Elliott, Rebel Penfold-Russell and Tim Chappel.
Australian daybill: Australian daybill poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Australian daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. Note: credit block in bottom-right corner is for 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' instead of 'Priscilla'.
Australian daybill poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Australian daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994.
Polish one-sheet poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Priscilla,królowapustyni(Queen of the Desert). Polish poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994). Artist: Justyna Niedzińska. Year of print: 2010.
Daybill teaser poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Daybill teaser poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994.
Alternative daybill poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Alternative daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. Note: credit block along bottom is for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues instead of 'Priscilla'.
Alternative daybill poster: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Alternative daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. Note: credit block along bottom is for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues instead of 'Priscilla'.

Main image: detail from Priscilla, królowapustyni(Queen of the Desert). Polish poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994). Artist: Justyna Niedzińska. NFSA title: 1012717

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