A touchstone of the American counterculture movement, Dennis Hopper's 1969 revolutionary road drama Easy Rider defined a generation of disillusioned youth, marking a turning point as the idealism of the 1960s began to sour. Director Hopper and producer Peter Fonda co-wrote the screenplay and co-starred as bikers Billy and Wyatt who hit the road with the proceeds of a successful cocaine deal, travelling through the American South from Los Angeles to New Orleans to the beat of a rock and roll soundtrack, navigating the societal tensions of the 1960s and meeting hippies, prostitutes and Jack Nicholson in a standout performance as drunken lawyer George along the way. The film and its self-indulgent filmmakers were notorious for using real drugs, predominantly marijuana, in a number of scenes. A blockbuster success, the film helped to usher in the New Hollywood era which saw the major studios financing a wave of low-budget pictures by new avant-garde directors.

Featuring an illustrated profile of Peter Fonda on a bright yellow background, this striking Style C US One Sheet is a rare example from the original release that was printed on matte paper rather than the glossy paper that was more frequently used for movie posters from the late 1960s onwards. Although very similar to the Style A One Sheet, the Style C presents a stronger, less cluttered design with a smaller credits portion and larger image area, making it the most attractive American movie poster for this title.

Condition

Very Good to Excellent (B+/A-)

Conservation backed on linen. Backing and light colour touching have smoothed and diminished one vertical and three horizontal machine folds (as issued) and minor edge wear. Prior to backing the left margin was folded back by an eighth of an inch. Small black printer's ink smudge to yellow ground and some printer's ink residue to margins. Image and colours otherwise excellent.