Boris Karloff rare lobby card auctions in Dallas Texas movie posters sale

Fresh to market, this lobby card from one of Boris Karloff's best films, 1935's The Black Room, is for sale

You have a chance to own a "holy grail" rare poster of the gangster film genre. It is being offered in an online auction based in Dallas, Texas.

The piece in question is a poster for Warner Bros' 1931 film Little Caesar. The film made Hollywood legend Edward G. Robinson a star, thanks to his scene-stealing performance as Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandetto, alias "Little Caesar".

The rare poster should easily match its $20,000-$40,000 presale estimate, given Little Caesar's legacy as the gangster film which set the standards for all that followed. Bids, which opened on March 1, currently stand at $11,000. The gavel will fall on March 23.

The "holy grail" rare movie poster for Little Caesar

Also starring in the same auction is the title lobby card from arguably one of Boris Karloff's best films, 1935's The Black Room. This lobby card is fresh to market and carries a presale estimate of $6,000-12,000.

The macabre gothic tale about an ancient family curse stars Karloff as twin brothers Anton and Gregor de Bergmann. One brother is fated to die by the sword, the other to perish in the Black Room. The card depicts Hollywood beauty Marian Marsh escaping Gregor's evil clutches.

According to the auctioneer, this card has been professionally restored to fix pinholes in its borders and a very tiny hole in its upper right border. Despite "some soiling", this card has been precisely corrected and is "beautiful" piece of movie memorabilia.

The rare title lobby card from 1935's The Black Room

Collectors can't get enough of Boris Karloff. Past posthumous auction successes for the star include a sale of a rare poster for 1935's iconic Bride of Frankenstein which starred Boris Karloff and Valerie Hobson, otherwise known as the "Bride of the Profumo Scandal".

The original Bride of Frankenstein one sheet 27" by 41" poster sold for $334,600 in 2007.

Given the value of that poster, this very rare and fresh to market lobby card for The Black Room will surely be one to watch. Watch this space to find out if the card matches - or even exceeds - its $6,000-12,000 presale estimate.

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