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Scarce original-period promotional display for the 1941 Universal Pictures comedy “Keep ’Em Flying,” starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, with Martha Raye, Carol Bruce, William Gargan, Dick Foran and Charles Lang.
This impressive advertising piece measures approximately 11 × 17 inches and is printed directly on heavy cardboard/cardstock. It is not a paper advertisement glued or mounted onto cardboard.
The dramatic blue-and-cream artwork features Abbott and Costello surrounded by Army Air Corps airplanes, along with portraits of the supporting cast. The headline reads:
“They’ve Got the Army Air Corps in a Sky Hi-Larious Uproar—Their Newest Fun!”
The exact production and distribution format is unknown. Its 11 × 17-inch size does not correspond with the standard lobby-card or window-card formats, so it is best described as an original theater promotional display or showcard. We have been unable to locate another example of this exact cardboard design, although its precise rarity and surviving population are unknown.
CONDITION:
Displays age toning, scattered discoloration and spotting, wrinkles and creases, edge and corner wear, and small edge imperfections consistent with its age and original promotional use. The reverse is blank except for a lightly penciled “5” near the upper edge. Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition.
A very unusual piece of original Abbott and Costello, classic Hollywood, Universal Pictures, Army Air Corps and World War II-era movie advertising memorabilia.
The item will be shipped flat, securely protected between rigid boards. It will not be folded or rolled.
