Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock, Texas
November 14, 1973
The world premiere of Italian-made Western movie called ‘Sartana’ will be today in Lubbock at the Continental Cinema.
Described by Cinema manager Wayne Vermillion as an action film from the mold of those Clint Eastwood Italian made motion pictures of several years back, ‘Sartana’ will play here for two weeks before being released for general showing. The film is classified as PG.
Audience reaction in Lubbock to the film will be measured, Vermillion said, and studied to provide clues on how to promote the film nationwide.
The Lubbock run is exclusive: ‘Satana,’ being distributed by Hallmark Releasing Corp. of Boston, will be shown only in Lubbock for the next two weeks. Feature times are 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday.
There are no “name” stars in the cast.
To help plug ‘Sartana’ locally, some original posters have been created by Lubbock businessman-artist-actor Robert John Allen. The artist also designed and constructed the glittering “World Premiere Nov. 14” sign which now decorates the Continental Cinema marquee.
The posters, Allen said, date back a few years for their inspiration, to that time in the ‘30s and ‘40s when every theater had its own postermaker, responsible for filling the glassed display cases with posters trumpeting “now showing” movies and “coming attractions.”
Of course, that was a time of lower labor and material costs; the hand-painted poster gave way to the mass-produced ones.
The poster artist, Allen said, would gleen a motion picture’s press kits to get ideas for his posters.
Allen’s posters for “Sartana” proclaim, “His gun shoots 4 bullets at a time,” and “If you meet Sartana, start saying prayers.”
Allen said he enjoys creating theater posters.
“It is an art,” he said. “You must know layout and colors. You can’t put lavender letters on a brown background.”
The thematic content of a motion picture determines what design a poster will be, Allen said, and even determines how the lettering will look.
A poster for “Rhapsody,” starring Elizabeth Taylor would be different from one for “Grand Prix,” a racing film, Allen said.
Allen learned about sign painting while still in high school, his teacher a left-handed sign painter in Corning, N.Y., who, according to Allen, is “one of the best artists I’ve known.”
The purpose of a poster is to catch the eye, and do it quickly, Allen said.
He seems to have accomplished his goal in the “Sartana” posters for not only do they attract and hold the eye, but also stir memories of at least one old-movie buff of Roy Rogers and Trigger imperiled by black-hatted villains, all in “Color by Trucolor.”
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