TITLE: Magnum Force
YEAR OF MOVIE RELEASE: 1973
FILM STUDIO / PRODUCTION COMPANY: The Malpaso Company
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros.
POSTER HEADLINE: “Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force”
DIRECTOR: Ted Post
CAST: Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan, David Soul, Felton Perry, Robert Urich and Tim Matheson
PRODUCER: Robert Daley
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Frank Stanley
STORY: John Milius
SCREENPLAY: John Milius and Michael Cimino
BASED ON: Characters created by Harry Julian Fink and R. M. Fink
MUSIC: Lalo Schifrin
POSTER DESIGN: Bill Gold
FORMAT: US International One Sheet
COLLECTOR’S NOTE
Magnum Force is the second Dirty Harry film, returning Clint Eastwood to the role of San Francisco detective Harry Callahan. Its screenplay pairs John Milius and Michael Cimino, two writers who would also establish substantial directing careers.
Bill Gold’s campaign design makes Harry’s revolver the dominant visual element through exaggerated perspective. This international version adds an orange background behind the monochrome figure and oversized holster, distinguishing it from the predominantly white-background campaign design. The absence of a US audience-rating box is consistent with its overseas advertising purpose.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES
A black-and-white image of Clint Eastwood shows Harry Callahan crouching and aiming his revolver towards the viewer. The dramatically enlarged barrel projects into the left foreground, creating a forceful sense of depth.
An oversized black shoulder holster rises behind him against an orange-red rectangular panel with rounded corners. Broad white margins isolate the central composition, while the headline above combines dark lettering with an orange-red Magnum Force title.
A separate rounded panel beneath the main image contains a warm-toned montage of action and character scenes, including a motorcycle sequence, a kiss and police imagery. Fine production credits run along the bottom, with the film title repeated at the lower-right edge.