Collection: Pam Grier

Welcome to the official Film/Art Gallery collection of vintage original Pam Grier movie posters from her critically acclaimed catalog of timeless cinematic performances.

Pam Grier, born May 26th, 1949, is one of the most well-loved and recognizable African-American actresses that Hollywood has ever seen. Since her debut appearance in the film Big Doll House (1971), Grier has amassed a hoard of loyal fans and followers.

From action to comedy, thriller to crime, she has a versatile repertoire of film works that are stand-out pieces from the era in which they were created.

Grier was scouted by Jack Hill to star in his staple ‘women-in-prison’ films, where she quickly built a reputation as a strong, black female lead. After her success in The Big Doll House and The Big Birdcage, Grier went on to be at the forefront of the blaxploitation movement.

Our archive houses a bold German poster for Drum (1976), the sequel to the 1975 film Mandingo. Visually provocative, the artwork is explicitly sexual; a white woman in a corset, affectionately caressed by a black man - this would have been extremely taboo at the time of release.

Also found in the collection is the poster for Big Doll House (1971). A large bamboo cage serves as a metaphor for this prison-drama film starring Judy Brown and Roberta Collins alongside Grier. Two pin-up style, gun-toting women stand under the prison, shadowed by a whip-bearing prison warden in a hand-drawn, engaging and exciting poster. With both racial and sexual themes, the poster thoroughly captures everything that the iconic classic has to offer.

George Akimoto designed the action-packed poster for Coffy (1973). Another hand-drawn print, it features a revealing image of Pam Grier holding a shotgun as the centerpiece. Surrounding her is an assortment of high-octane images; a speeding car, wrestling men, a flaming police vehicle and two martini glasses; this is one iconic poster that managed to define a whole genre of unique film-art.

The French release for Quentin Tarantino’s action hit Jackie Brown features the star-studded cast in a v-formation behind Grier, who is haphazardly pointing a gun directly at the viewer.

Film/Art Gallery’s Pam Grier collection of vintage original movie posters includes works from the hits Foxy Brown and Hit Man.