Amazing collection of vintage movie posters set for auction

I picked the wrong week to be a broke-ass journalist.

Invaluable has a huge assortment of vintage movie posters scheduled for auction in June, almost all of which are out of my price range. It's certainly amazing collection, though. It's an auction guaranteed to quicken the pulse of even the most hardened film buff.

It's all part of Morris Everett, Jr. The Auction Part I, which takes place June 29 and June 30, 2015. The auction is made up of more than 1,400 lots from the collection of Morris Everett Jr., who began selling his treasure trove of movie memorabilia late last year. The first phase of this auction features posters and lobby cards from such movies as THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, the John Barymore version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE and many, many more.

Below are a few highlights of the collection. You can browse the entire auction through these links: DAY 1 and DAY 2.

Lot 394: Dracula lobby card. Estimated Price: $8,000 - $12,000

Apart from nearly invisible pinhole repair at left corners, the card is entirely original and unrestored. In very fine condition.

Lot 416: Frankenstein lobby card. Estimated Price: $10,000 - $15,000

Boris Karloff lobby card for Frankenstein. (Universal, 1931) Color lobby card for Boris Karloff in Frankenstein. Professionally cleaned with marginal repairs. Now presents as fine condition.

Lot 464: A rare color lobby card for King Kong. Estimated Price: $6,000 - $8,000

King Kong Empire State Building lobby card. (RKO, 1933) Color lobby card for King Kong. In very fine unrestored condition.

Lot 425: The Bride of Frankestein lobby card. Estimated Price: $10,000 - $15,000

Color lobby card for Boris Karloff in The Bride of Frankenstein. Professionally cleaned with corner pinhole repair. Generally in fine condition.

Presenting the winners of THE MORGUE's coloring contest

A few weeks back, I offered up the Blu-ray edition of the original KING KONG as a way of promoting a new feature here at the CHS, "The Morgue." It was an easy task: All you had to do was complete a 1933 coloring contest from 1933 to enter. It seemed like a better use of my meager marketing budget than just dumping my hard-earned dollars on a Facebook promotion. Or, worse, spending no money and relying on a sleazy "Like and Share" campaign.

There weren't many entries. In fact, the three you see above represented the entire contest pool ... and they're from the same household. While I'm a little disappointed in the quantity of entries, this family more than made up for it in quality.

The Morgue: KING KONG coloring contest, 1933

I love KING KONG. Hyperbole aside, it really is one of the greatest films ever made. It has a dreamlike quality that still manages to attract audiences almost a century after it's release in 1933. So, it seemed appropriate that I launch this new Sunday feature (which will focus on horror-themed newspaper clippings) with the 8th Wonder of the World, himself.

The first installment is a clipping that dates back to the year KING KONG was released. It comes from a California newspaper that was hosting a coloring contest for children, giving away tickets and puzzles to five winners. The blank contest entry is above. The news clipping is below, as well as a short transcript. Make sure you read this post to the end, because I'm giving away a Kong-related prize, myself.

Free Tickets to See "King Kong" at the Fox Redondo Theatre
The Torrance Herald, Torrance, Calif., June 1, 1933

For the first five school children who turn in the best jobs coloring the above picture of King Kong, the Fox Redondo Theatre will give each a ticket to see “King Kong,” which starts a four-day engagement at the Fox Redondo Theatre at the midnight show, Saturday, June 3, and continues Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition to the free tickets, each of the first five children will be given a puzzle of King Kong, free of charge.

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But wait! There's More!

To commemorate the opening of THE MORGUE, the Collinsport Historical Society is giving away a copy of the original KING KONG on Blu-ray. Much like the children in Torrence, Calif., back in 1933, though, you're going to have to earn it.

All you have to do is color the vintage contest entry at the top of this post. You can use whatever medium you like: Crayons, markers, paint, Photoshop ... go nuts. E-mail me your entry by noon Saturday, Jan, 24, 2015. You can find my address in the top left corner of this page.