Image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Dinosaur film posters can bring monster prices in the movie memorabilia field. A standard 1993 Jurassic Park one sheet poster is valued at $45 while a 1933 King Kong one sheet poster could be worth over $100,000.

Dinosaur Movie History

Dinosaur movies have been around since the earliest days of the motion picture industry. The first dinosaur film may have been The Prehistoric Man, a silent short made by the United Kingdom’s Urban Trading Company in 1908.

Since then, dinosaur movies have occupied every decade in film history. Their cinematic footprint is indeed huge, delivering such fare as The Lost World (1925), Unknown Island (1948), King Dinosaur (1955), Dinosaurus! (1960) and the Jurassic Park series.

Dinosaur Movie Poster Values

Although it’s a matter of personal taste, collectors can’t go wrong in pursuing the following ten standard 27×41-inch one sheet dinosaur movie posters. Some are super rare and very expensive, while others remain in the affordable column.

1. Jurassic Park (Universal, 1993)

Michael Crichton’s tale of an island amusement park where dinosaurs run amok was brought to the big screen by Steven Spielberg. Jurassic Park was the #1 box-office draw for 1993, grossing $357,067,947.

Poster tagline/auction result: “An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making”/$45

2. The Land That Time Forgot (American International, 1975)

Doug McClure stars in this fantastic dinosaur yarn based on the novel by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Poster tagline/auction result: “The Adventure You Will Never Forget!”/$131.45

3. King Kong (RKO, 1933)

This landmark film stars Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray in one of Hollywood’s greatest cinematic triumphs. Who could forget the mighty Kong atop the Empire State Building, swatting at a squadron of marauding biplanes?

Poster tagline/auction result: None needed, as Kong is enough/$97,100

4. Godzilla (Trans World, 1956)

Raymond Burr stars in this classic Japanese import where a reanimated Godzilla trashes Tokyo because he can.

Poster tagline/auction result: “Incredible, Unstoppable Titan Of Terror!”/$1,792.50

5. One Million Years B.C. (20th Century-Fox, 1966)

Special effects by sci-fi maestro Ray Harryhausen and Raquel Welch in an itsy bitsy fur bikini are the highlights in this popular remake of One Million B.C. (1940).

Poster tagline/auction result: “Travel Back Through Time And Space To The Edge Of Man’s Beginnings…Discover A Strange World Whose Only Law Was Lust!”/$310.70

6. Son of Kong (RKO, 1933)

Robert Armstrong and Helen Mack return in this mellow sequel to 1933’s smash hit King Kong.

Poster tagline/auction result: None/$69,000 (style B)

7. The Lost World (20th Century-Fox, 1960)

Michael Rennie, Jill St. John and company meet up with some nasty dinosaurs on a lost South American plateau.

Poster tagline/auction result: “150,000,000 Years Ago Or Today?”/$21

8. Gorgo (MGM, 1961)

Bill Travers and William Sylvester head the cast of this dinosaur-run-amok movie directed by Eugene Lourie.

Poster tagline/auction result: “Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen Before!”/$113.53

9. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (Warner Bros., 1953)

Nuclear testing awakens a prehistoric beast who then attacks New York City.

Poster tagline/auction result: “They Couldn’t Believe Their Eyes! They Couldn’t Escape The Terror! And Neither Will You!”/$1,314.50

10. King Dinosaur (Lippert, 1955)

Planet Nova is the setting for this low-budget entry that features plenty of phony dinosaur action. Bill Bryant, Wanda Curtis and Douglas Henderson head the cast in a movie shot at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

Poster tagline/auction result: “You’ll Be Shocked! You’ll Be Stunned! You’ll Be Thrilled!”/$31

Sources

• Heritage Auction Galleries, Dallas, Texas
• Movie Collector’s World