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139
THE WICKER MAN (British Lion 1973)
British One Sheet 40" x 27" (1015mm x 685mm)
Limited Release: 6th Dec 1973

The troubled release of The Wicker Man, both here in the UK and
internationally, has become the stuff of legend, with all sorts of
accusations and stories being bandied about over the years. After a trade

screening on 3rd Dec 1973, the film had one week of test screenings at
the Metropole Cinema, London, from the 6th Dec 1973. A copy of the full
102 mins print had been sent to Roger Corman in the USA around June
73, who advised cuts, taking it down to 87 mins, and it was this version
that finally found its way out on UK release by the end of Dec 73, being
tagged on as a support feature to the then current run of Nicholas Roeg's
'Don't Look Now' (which had gone on general release on the 18th Nov
73). Snipes were initially pasted onto the existing quads for 'Don't Look
Now', though as The Wicker Man started to gain traction in its own right

from March/April 1974, a hastily prepared standalone quad was created
using rudimentary black block artwork on yellow paper stock. There was
also a double crown on white which used the same basic artwork. In mid-
late 74 a new international campaign to push the film overseas was
created, which included the British one sheet (left) as the main poster, but
as with all one sheets, this was never used in the UK.

Original snipe pasted to quads of 'Don't Look Now'
(image courtesy of Richard Golen)
Trade ad from the double bill first release

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