Original 1963 - This Sporting Life - US One Sheet Poster

🎬 THIS SPORTING LIFE (1963)

Original U.S. One Sheet Poster
Starring: Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts
Director: Lindsay Anderson
Studio: Rank Organisation / Walter Reade–Sterling
Format: U.S. One Sheet
Dimensions: 27 x 41 in. (approx.)
Country: USA
Year: 1963

🖼️ Poster Description

This is an original U.S. one-sheet for This Sporting Life, the landmark British New Wave drama starring Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts, both Oscar-nominated for their roles. The poster beautifully encapsulates the raw, uncompromising tone of the film.

Design & Layout

• Dominant Colour Scheme:
  A striking orange and white duotone design contrasted with gritty black-and-white photo stills.

• Top Image:
  A high-contrast monochrome photograph of Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts, tinted against a bold orange background. The scene captures emotional tension, echoing the film’s themes of brutality, intimacy, and working-class struggle.

• Tagline:
  “NEVER BEFORE HAS THE SCREEN EXPLODED WITH SUCH RAW EMOTIONS!”
  A perfect representation of the film’s position within the British New Wave movement.

Mid-Section

• Strong block typography listing the stars:
  RICHARD HARRIS
  “THIS SPORTING LIFE”
  RACHEL ROBERTS

• A secondary still image at centre-right shows a powerful, intimate scene between Harris and Roberts, reinforcing the film’s emotional and physical intensity.

Awards Call-Outs

Large red type promotes the film’s major accolades:

• “Best Picture” for 1963 – International Film Critics

• “Best Actor” for 1963 – Cannes Film Festival (Richard Harris)

Credits Block

Includes:

• Screenplay by David Storey

• Produced by Karel Reisz

• Directed by Lindsay Anderson

• Presented by The Rank Organisation

• U.S. distribution by Walter Reade–Sterling

Printed lower right with NSS code 63/179, confirming it as an original 1963 theatrical issue.

⭐ Film Significance

This Sporting Life is considered a defining title of the British New Wave / Kitchen Sink Realism period. Richard Harris’s performance is widely regarded as one of the greatest British screen performances of the decade.

U.S. posters for the film were printed in much smaller quantities than the U.K. quad, making them substantially harder to find.

📜 Condition Assessment 

• Bright, crisp colours with no fading

• Very faint fold lines.

• No tears, edge wear, stains, or significant paper loss visible

• Clean borders and strong printing

• Exceptionally well-preserved for a 1963 one sheet

• Linen-backed, and sympathetically restored.

• Listed in Near Mint condition.