In a recent issue of a monthly newspaper dedicated to movie poster collecting, five of seven dealers used the one-sheet from 1957′s “Forbidden Planet” showing Robbie the Robot cradling sexy Anne Francis in his metallic arms as a prominent part of their ad.

The 1957 MGM film is often cited as a precursor to “Star Trek,” and featured, among other wonders, a Disney animated monster from the “ID.” It had all the MGM trimmings, stars, a big special effects budget, and a plot derived from Shakespeare’s “Tempest” set on the planet Altair IV.

About 25 years ago, I bought a “Forbidden Planet” 1-sheet at a science fiction convention for $30. It was perfect and I had it framed in my home for years.

Then during a time of financial need, I sold it at another science fiction convention. We were on the steps leading to the convention dealer’s room, which had not yet opened.

I should have known something was fishy when the dealer who bought it made sure it was original, then almost broke his hand reaching for his wallet.

He peeled off four bills and said, “I’ll give you $350 for it right now.”

At the time, I thought, great profit, took the money and handed over the poster.

Recently, I saw one offered at a fixed price from a dealer for $30,000.

That seems excessive to me, but it has regularly sold for $3,500 or more in recent years. All the movie paper from “Forbidden Planet” sells at high prices. Even single lobby cards can sell for hundreds of dollars.

But that one-sheet of Robbie the Robot holding Anne Francis (which he never does in the movie), has been described as the single most desired science fiction film movie poster.

It was a better investment than stocks and bonds, even with the profit I made then, let alone what it would bring now.

I say to myself, who knew?

But that’s part of the value of a site such as Worthpoint, I think.

You’ll know.

I collect in a number of specific areas. Rather than randomly collecting movie art, I enjoy building wider collections that include toys, trading cards, ties, comix, magazines and books and so on.

I’ll collect anything from a movie or TV show in which aliens play a prominent role.
I’ll collect anything to do with any of the four films based on “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” for instance, or “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,” or either version of “The Thing.”

Then little sub-collections develop. Somewhere along the line, I realized that I could probably collect everything to do with Saturday Night Live’s “The Coneheads,” for instance. Meep, meep…

At least five different posters advertised the film and I bought them all at reasonable prices ($20 or so). A poster from the TV show recently showed up on eBay and I bought that. I have the comic book version of the film, 50 35mm film cells (see the photos), all the trading cards based on the film, a Beldar tie, all the action figure toys, a TV guide with Beldar and Star Trek’s Captain Picard, a coffee mug showing the original threesome (Dan Akroyd, Jane Curtin, and in the Saturday Night Live sketches), a publicity book issued at the film’s release). There are a few more items, although none extremely rare and I’m sure I’ll eventually have anything ever connected with the Coneheads.

Do you think they somehow used their wily alien technology to make me CONSUME MASS QUANTITIES?

Quite a few movies about invading aliens scared us during the collision of the Atomic Era with the Space Age in the 1950s.

Only one, however, transforms like some space creature to fit the zeitgeist of each new generation. Several of those original 50s films about aliens have been remade once.

The original 1956 “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” directed by Don Seigel, who would later do the first Dirty Harry film with Clint Eastwood, demonstrated a certain plastic ability to fit the viewers perceptions right away. Some saw the unfeeling pod people as commentary on the regimented thinking expected of communists, while others saw it as commentary on the regimented thinking of McCarthyism.

Many film buffs still think this is the best of the films. Its collectibles certainly bring the highest prices, with lobby cards in good condition selling for $150 and more each and one-sheets going for more than $1,000. I bought one 20 years ago for $30 and a couple of lobby cards I still have in absolutely perfect condition for about $5 each then.

Phil Kauffman’s “Body Snatchers”

In 1978, Phil Kauffman, who also directed “The Right Stuff,” another film I like quite a lot, helmed the second version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It parodied the psycho-babble of the era, San Francisco acceptance of wonkiness, and political paranoia left over from the Nixon years .

Personally, I think this version is the best (so far). Its collectibles sell for decent if not excessive prices. I recently bought a French set of lobby cards from this version for under $30. I buy almost anything from this version and have American color stills, a German lobby card set, a pressbook and the one-sheet. Altogether they did not cost more than about $100.

”Body Snatchers” for the 90s and beyond

The 1993 version takes on the Army and paranoia about environmental pollution. It’s well directed by Abel Ferrara and delivers more than a few chills. I picked up the one-sheet from this version for $20 plus postage.

The latest version, starring the Queen of the Remakes, Nicole Kidman (who is often the best thing about them), is, Roger Ebert correctly opines, least of the lot. It focuses on paranoia about an out-of-control epidemic. The one-sheet, a nice shot of Kidman, remains inexpensive.

Tbe going rate for most recent posters such as this one still hover in the $20 to $25 range for really desirable items.You won’t get a poster from the most recent version of “Blade Runner” at that price, though.