A new auction record for a movie poster sold at auction has been set by a unique one sheet for lost film London After Midnight, at Heritage Auctions' November 22-23 auction in Dallas.
 Chaney's performance is said to have terrified audiences at the time, with one man claiming he was driven to murder after watching the film |
Starring Lon Chaney, the silent film was released in 1927, but the last known copy was lost in the famous 1967 MGM vault fire, which destroyed much of the company's collectibles. The film holds an almost mythical status among collectors, with any memorabilia highly sought after.
This was the first time a poster for London After Midnight has been offered at auction. Estimated at just $60,000-80,000, it sold for $478,000.
Turner Classic Movies has recently managed to reconstruct London After Midnight using old stills and the original script.
There were actually two different versions of the poster made, this example and another in the rotogravure style. The second version has yet to be seen at auction.
Also starring was a one sheet poster for The Unknown, another 1927 film starring Lon Chaney, which sold for $38,837.
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