TITLE: Cross of Iron
YEAR OF MOVIE RELEASE: 1977
PRODUCTION: A Winitsky–Sellers / Rapid Film Production; an Anglo-German co-production
DISTRIBUTION: EMI Film Distributors Limited; Australian poster also carries the GU Film Distributors emblem
TAGLINE: “On the Eastern front in 1943 the German soldiers no longer had any ideals. They were not fighting for their Party — but for their lives!”
DIRECTOR: Sam Peckinpah
CAST: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner and Senta Berger
PRODUCER: Wolf C. Hartwig
CINEMATOGRAPHY: John Coquillon
SCREENPLAY CREDIT ON POSTER: Julius J. Epstein
BASED ON: The novel by Willi Heinrich
MUSIC: Ernest Gold
POSTER PRINTER: Robert Burton Printers Pty. Ltd.
FORMAT: Australian One Sheet
GENRE: War / Drama
COLLECTOR’S NOTE
Set on the Eastern Front in 1943, Cross of Iron centres on the conflict between the battle-hardened Sergeant Steiner, played by James Coburn, and Captain Stransky, played by Maximilian Schell. Stransky’s determination to obtain the Iron Cross turns a military decoration into the focus of a bitter struggle over ambition, courage and survival.
The poster translates that conflict into a stark visual metaphor: a soldier reaches through barbed wire towards a damaged medal. Its prominent “A Sam Peckinpah Film” credit also makes the director’s name a central part of the advertising, alongside the distinguished international cast.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES
Large white Gothic-style Cross of Iron lettering dominates a red upper panel, with black outlines giving the title a heavy, angular appearance. Below it, tanks and advancing infantry establish the wartime setting.
The central illustration shows a helmeted soldier in a green uniform sprawled across barbed wire, one hand reaching towards a broken Iron Cross decoration. The exaggerated perspective draws attention to the outstretched hand, connecting the film’s title with the physical cost of pursuing military glory.
Red, black, grey and olive green create a restrained military palette against the pale background. Five red illustrated cast portraits run along the bottom, identifying James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner and Senta Berger with their characters. A double rectangular border encloses the composition, and the Australian R classification appears beside the title.