RED PSALM

Original British 30 inch x 40 inch Quad Poster for the 1971 Miklós Jancsó Hungarian Drama RED PSALM starring Lajos Balázsovits, András Bálint, Györgi Bürös, Andrea Drahota, József Madoras, Tibor Molnár, Tibor Orbán and Bertalan Solti.

In this experimental envisioning of a peasant revolt in 1890s Hungary, hundreds of farmworkers rebel against landowners in hopes of receiving improved working conditions. Socialists continually recite manifestos, labourers play protest songs and beautiful country girls liberate themselves of their clothing. Even soldiers sent to stop the revolt are swept up in the joyous rebellion. But, when the peasants push their politics, violence erupts.

The poster art is by Peter Strausfeld. Strausfeld was interned in the Isle of Man at the Onchan Internment Camp during the War where he met the Austrian producer George Hoellering. In 1947 Hoellering opened the Academy Cinema on Oxford Street and invited Strausfeld to produce some posters for the cinema which he did in wood and lino-cuts till his death in 1980.

The Academy Cinema, built in 1913, was saved from conversion to a shopping arcade in 1928 by Elsie Cohen of the original Film Society, who proceeded to run it as an arthouse which is how it was ran till it’s closure in 1986.

The posters became a London landmark, in fact very few were used outside of London, resulting in very small print runs of 3-500.

Printed by Ward & Foxlow Ltd., 19 Harcourt Street, London W1H 2AX

The poster is in fine unfolded (rolled) condition.