Hollywood Film Poster Collection Heads to Auction: Rare "King Kong" and "Casablanca" Posters Up for Sale

A remarkable collection of vintage film posters, amassed over nearly five decades by American Dwight Cleveland, is set to go under the hammer. The auction, featuring 500 posters and lobby cards, will take place in Dallas on March 27th and 28th, hosted by Heritage Auctions. Cleveland, a 65-year-old real estate agent, began his passion for collecting after being captivated by a lobby card from the 1929 film "The Wolf Song." Among the highlights of the collection is a rare Czech poster for the 1933 film "King Kong," estimated to fetch between $40,000 and $80,000. Another prized piece is an Italian poster from the 1953 release of "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Most of the items have estimates ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, with the entire auction expected to bring in around $1 million. Cleveland, who has owned approximately 150,000 pieces over the years, says he's selling because it's become increasingly difficult to find new additions to his collection.