Ambersons Lobby Cards
Lobby cards were placed in the lobbies of theaters to advertise movies that were playing there at the time. Most lobby cards came in sets of 8, each of which displayed a scene from the movie, usually with stars from the movie. The title card was distinct in that it had the most information about the movie, such as the names of the stars.
Lobby cards from The Magnificent Ambersons are really exceptional for the time. The design is very elegant, particularly the title card, in which characters emerge from the Tarkington novel.
These cards are extremely scarce. To my knowledge, this is the only public reference that shows the complete set.
Title card
Photobusta
Photobustas are Italian lobby cards and were made in sets of either 8 or 12. Unfortunately this is the only one I've ever seen, and I have no idea how many are in the Ambersons set.
This scene is from George and Isabel's return from their worldwide trip. Isabel is weak from illness, which was made worse by George's refusal to return home.
The photobusta has the following text: "Come tutto sembra diverso, Giorgio! Questa vecchia cittą e mutata assai da quando siamo partiti".
It translates to:
"How it all seems different, George. This old city has changed a lot from when we left".
(Thanks to Nicola Bais, a poster dealer in Italy, for the translation.)
Ambersons movie poster
The main poster (or one-sheet; 41 x 27 inches) for the Ambersons was designed by Norman Rockwell. Like the lobby cards, this poster is also quite scarce.
Ambersons insert
Inserts were movie posters that were smaller than the one-sheet but larger than lobby cards. Inserts generally measured 14 x 36 inches and often had a design that was different than the one-sheet.
Ambersons half sheet
As the name implies, the half sheet is about half the size of the one sheet poster (22 x 28 inches). The half sheet is one of the rarest of the Ambersons posters.
Spanish Ambersons Poster
This Spanish poster (approx. 45 x 30 inches) is the equivalent of the American one sheet, and even has the character's faces repainted to resemble the Norman Rockwell images.
"Soberbia" translates to several related words, like haughty, sovereign, and proud, rather than magnificent. Other Spanish Ambersons posters use "El Cuarto Mandamiento", which translates to "The Fourth Commandment". I don't know how this pertains to Ambersons.
