GIGOT 1962 Jackie Gleason, Gene Kelly TOM CHANTRELL UK QUAD POSTER

Original British 30 inch x 40 inch Quad Poster for the 1962 Gene Kelly Comedy GIGOT starring Jackie Gleason, Katherine Kath, Gabrielle Dorziat, Jean Lefebvre, Jacques Marin and Albert Rémy.

Jackie Gleason plays a mute janitor who befriends Nicole, the little daughter of a prostitute.

Poster art by Tom William Chantrell (1916 - 2001). One of two giants of British film poster art from the 1950s to mid-1980s the other being the prolific Eric Pulford. Chantrell was born in Ardwick, Manchester, the last of nine children born to James and Emily. After a brief stint at Manchester Art College he secured a job at a local advertising agency, Rydales. In 1933 he moved to London and eventually began work with Bateman Artists who at some time in the 1930s acquired accounts with Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox. After his wartime spell with the Royal Engineers he returned to Batemans who in 1950 were bought out by one of their major clients Allardyce Palmer Ltd., eventually moving to Screen House in Wardour Street. Most of Chantrell’s work at this time was for Warners and Fox. In 1972 he went freelance working with many other smaller and independent film companies until his retirement in 1985 having produced a vast array of film posters and campaigns.

The poster is in very good folded condition with a 1 1/2 inch tear at the right end of the central horizontal fold. There is minor wear along the right hand quarter of the same fold.