Original Davis, Ossie Movie Posters

Ossie Davis movie posters span a body of work at the intersection of African American cinema, mainstream Hollywood drama, and the blaxploitation cycle — authentic original prints for the actor-writer-director whose Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) helped launch the genre that defined Black American commercial cinema for the following decade. Find original Ossie Davis campaign materials from his acting and directorial work. Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) — Davis's directorial debut with Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques — generated a United Artists campaign that has become one of the most collected items in the blaxploitation poster market; genuine first-release one-sheets in fine flat condition are genuinely scarce and command strong prices at specialist auction. Lobby card sets from the original theatrical run capture the film's Harlem location photography and ensemble cast in the standard eight-card format. His acting work in The Hill (1965) with Sean Connery — a Sydney Lumet production for MGM — generated British and US campaign materials of quite different character, reflecting the film's UK production origins. His later appearances in Spike Lee's productions connect his career to a second generation of Black American filmmaking. Insert cards and window cards from the Cotton Comes to Harlem campaign are the most accessible surviving paper. Browse alongside our Desmond Davis, Jules Dassin, and Dazed and Confused collections for related American cinema material. All Film/Art Gallery movie posters and items are authenticated originals.