OnMarch 27 and 28, Heritage offered the cream of a world-renowned Chicago-based movie poster collectionin a single-owner auction. The sale proved collector Dwight Clevelands acumen, enthusiasm and strategy for collecting cinemas greatest movie posters, from Golden-Age Hollywood classics such asKing Kongto international interpretations of familiar favorites like Cabaret and Barbarella. One-of-a-kind lobby cardsdating back to the early 1900s also helped land him at the top of the collector and philanthropic hierarchy. Clevelands storied collection,built over 50 years, grossed $1,448,180million over 540 lots with 1,561 bidders vying for a collection distinguished by a key factor: Cleveland collects his materials based on the impact of their imagery, artistry and history rather than the more usual practice of building a collection around a specific era, genre or movie star. As Cleveland told Heritage, The best posters in my mind are those that reduce the entire essence of a movie into a single, vivid sheet. My collection represents 125 years of film history and transcends global differences and even literacy through the deceptively simple universal language of the worlds most refined film art.Collectors, both veteran and new, evidently agreed with him as they competed for their favorites. Dwight Cleveland has single-handedly elevated movie posters from promotional materials to fine art, and this auction was a testament to his unparalleled vision. From Hollywoods Golden Age to avant-garde international interpretations, his collection captures the very essence of cinemas visual storytelling. This was more than an auction, it was a rare opportunity to reach for pieces that have shaped film history and inspired generations of collectors and cinephiles alike, explained Joe Maddalena, Heritages executive vice president. The sale set some Heritage auction records and saw many lots far outperforming their estimates. The top seller, thethree-sheet The Adventures of Robin Hood,sold for $47,500, the highest price the auction house has ever realized for a poster for that film, and surpasses the six-sheet Heritage sold in 2013 by more than four figures. The second top seller was the 1933 James Cagney vehicle Picture Snatcher, which brought $42,500, more than doubling its high estimate, and aone-sheet, The High Sign, which sold for $38,750, is the second-highest price Heritage has ever seen for a Buster Keaton poster. Other 1930s skyscraping figures in the auction include both Mickey Mouse and King Kong. Mickey Mouse in Building a Building,from 1933, climbed to $32,500, and, from the same year, a Czech iteration of King Kong, in all its roaring glory, brought $32,500. Some entertaining surprises came compliments of lots far outperforming their high estimates. A title lobby card for Gold Diggers of 1933, a movie marked by Busby Berkeley choreographyand a high estimate of $2,000, brought a whopping $13,750; a beautifully illustrated one sheet for the Mary Astor-starring 1928 movie Dry Martini, estimated at $2000, realized $10,000. But a real sleeper in the auction was the 1929 iteration of Wolf of Wall Street. Thestriking pre-Code financial drama, directed by Rowland V. Lee, was initially conceived as a silent film, but Paramount re-filmed the entire production with sound, marking George Bancrofts first talking picture.Despite the fact that the film no longer exists, athree-sheetWolfposterthat features Bancroft screaming into a telephone, with a high estimate of $2,000, sold for $30,000, anda title card for the movie, estimated at $800-$1600, went for $21,250. Heritage has never seen this concentration of movie poster treasures from around the world, especially ones signed by their artists, according to Zach Pogemiller, Heritages associate director of Movie Posters. We were incredibly proud to debut them here. Dwights keen eye and relentless pursuit have preserved a visual language that might have otherwise been lost, and this auction offered collectors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a piece of that legacy. To learn more, visit www.HA.com.