Even the concept of a film such as Fifty Shades of Grey would have been unthinkable to cinema-goers in 1960s Ireland, but one of that decade's popular films would likely be regarded as quite unacceptable today. Whyte's auction of Rock, Pop & Movie Memorabilia in Dublin next month includes a vintage poster for McLintock, a 1963 Western "comedy" starring John Wayne, his son Patrick Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Stefanie Powers.
Stuart Purcell of Whyte's said: "The poster gives a fascinating look at the differences between social attitudes at the beginning of the 1960s and today. In the time of Fifty Shades of Grey the main image of the poster has an entirely different connotation than it did then!"
The poster reflects a key scene in the film in which the cattle-rancher McLintock (John Wayne) delivers a sound spanking to his estranged wife Katherine (Maureen O'Hara). The film was based, loosely, on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Wayne and O'Hara got up to similar shenanigans in an earlier film they had starred in together, the rather more famous The Quiet Man (1952).
The poster for McLintock! – estimated at €100-€150 – is one of dozens of vintage posters in the auction and is signed by Michael Wayne, John's son, who produced the film. The catalogue for the auction, on March 15th in Dublin, will be available shortly.
See whytes.ie
