MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
TITLE: Midnight Express
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YEAR: 1978
FILM STUDIO: Columbia Pictures / Casablanca FilmWorks
DIRECTOR: Alan Parker
CAST: Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, John Hurt, Randy Quaid, Paul L. Smith
TAGLINE: “Walk into the incredible true experience of Billy Hayes. And bring all the courage you can.”
GENRE: Drama — AFI classifies the film officially as Drama. AFI Catalog
POSTER PRINTER: Robert Burton Printers Pty. Ltd.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES:
Original Australian Daybill built around a stark passport-and-travel-document concept. A large passport bearing Billy Hayes’ details is stamped “CANCELLED”, with Brad Davis pictured beneath with his hands raised. The predominantly charcoal, cream and muted gold palette gives the poster a serious, documentary-like tone, while the handwritten-style red Midnight Express title provides the strongest colour accent. The lower section contains the production credits, including director Alan Parker, screenwriter Oliver Stone and composer Giorgio Moroder. The supplied poster clearly carries the Robert Burton Printers Pty. Ltd. credit along the lower edge.
COLLECTOR’S NOTES:
Midnight Express was adapted from Billy Hayes’ account of his imprisonment in Turkey after being arrested for attempting to smuggle hashish. The film was directed by Alan Parker, with a screenplay by Oliver Stone, and was based on the book by Billy Hayes and William Hoffer. AFI Catalog
It became a major awards title, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning two: Best Adapted Screenplay for Oliver Stone and Best Original Score for Giorgio Moroder. John Hurt was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor. AFI Catalog
For collectors, this Australian Daybill has strong crossover appeal across 1970s prestige cinema, Alan Parker, Oliver Stone, true-story films and Giorgio Moroder music memorabilia. The passport-based artwork also gives the Australian campaign a strong visual identity directly tied to Billy Hayes’ story.
PROVENANCE:
This original Australian cinema poster is being sold directly by the family of its original collector, a projectionist who screened films during their Australian theatrical release. It is supplied with documented provenance and a Certificate of Authenticity confirming its originality and collection history, providing a direct connection between the poster and its working Australian cinema past.