SEEKERS

Original British 11 inch x 17 inch Trade Advertisement from Kinematograph Weekly for the 1954 Ken Annakin Adventure THE SEEKERS, based on the novel by John Guthrie starring Jack Hawkins, Glynis Johns, Noel Purcell, Inia Te Wiata Kenneth Williams, Laya Raki, Thomas Heathcote, James Copeland and Francis De Wolff.

Famous for being the first ever colour film to be made in New Zealand, this Rank 1954 feature is overflowing with beautiful scenery, colour and set pieces. In 1821, British settler Phillip Wayne (Jack Hawkins) and assistant Paddy Clarke (Noel Purcell) arrive in New Zealand to explore the Bay of Plenty. Stumbling upon a Maori burial cave, they are captured and sentenced to death by the Maori for desecrating the resting place of their ancestors. Wayne’s prowess impresses the Maori chief, Hongi Tepe (Inia Te Wiata), and he offers Wayne a chance to save his life by enduring a trial by challenge. When Wayne succeeds the chief adopts him as his honorary son. Wayne then heads home and convinces his fiancée, Marion (Glynis Johns), to start a new life with him in New Zealand. Upon their return, Wayne introduces the Maori to Christianity while falling for the tribe leader’s wife.

Advert art by Eric Pulford (1915 – 2005). Having taken life classes at Leeds College of Art for 5 years Pulford was apprenticed as a commercial artist in 1931 to Gilchrist Bros a process house of 24 staff. Leslie Whitchurch, a partner in a Leicester based agency and also a part-time publicity manager for Rank, became aware of Pulford’s work and asked him to do some freelance work for him. Then in 1943 Rank invited Pulford to start a publicity department for them in London resulting in posters for “Henry V”, “Odd Man Out” and “Oliver Twist”. When the head of Downtons advertising agency, Charles Collins, died, Pulford was asked to take over. He became chairman and managing director but still spent most of his time designing posters. He retired in 1986. Pulford is responsible, either through his own artwork or design, for several hundred posters, some for classic films such as the ones already mentioned plus “Edge of the World”, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “Genevieve”, “Reach for the Sky” and “A Night to Remember”. He is, without doubt, the most important force in British film poster design from the mid-1940s to the early 1980s.

The trade advert is in very good condition with one vertical fold.