#1 THE CENSORSHIP VISA ON FRENCH MOVIE POSTERS This new series of articles aims to help the uninitiated or beginner collector identify a movie poster. Is it an original from the first theatrical release? A re-release? But from which year? Is it a reproduction? You may have already noticed, on certain vintage posters, a small mention printed discreetly on the edge, sometimes barely legible: "Visa de Contrôle n°...", "visa de censure..." or simply "visa..." followed by a number. This seemingly trivial detail is actually a goldmine of information for the experienced collector. And that is exactly what we are going to explore today. A Brief History French cinema has not always been free from censorship. From 1895 to 1916, the distribution of films was entirely unrestricted. It was in 1916 that the first control commission was established, tasked with granting or refusing exploitation visas — which are distinct from the censorship visa. The exploitation visa is attributed to the film itself; the censorship visa, on the other hand, is attributed to the graphic work that is the movie poster. It is this latter that concerns us here, and more specifically one particular date: 1961. Indeed, it was in 1961, in the midst of the Algerian War, that a new censorship code was introduced — one that applied notably to movie posters. The decree of 18 January 1961, enacted under Prime Minister Michel Debré, established a film control commission that was no longer bipartite but quadripartite, ostensibly designed to "safeguard the moral health of an endangered youth" and appease pressure from family associations. From this point onwards, movie posters were required to carry the control visa mention — a sequential number assigned by the commission, applying to both the film itself and its promotional materials. This 1961 decree also defined a first classification scale comprising four levels: all audiences, banned for under-13s, banned for under-18s, and total prohibition. What the Visa Tells Us The visa number is chronological — the lower it is, the older the poster. It is a first dating tool, admittedly imperfect, but valuable. A word of caution, however: when a film is re-released with the same artwork as its original theatrical run, it may retain the same visa number. In this case, the visa alone cannot distinguish an original poster from a re-release. This is where the collector must dig deeper. If the visa is identical on two posters with a similar visual, one must then look at the printer — whose mention generally appears at the bottom of the poster, close to the visa. This will be the subject of our next article. The End of the Visa on Posters It was the decree of 3 October 2008 that put an end to the obligation of the censorship visa on movie posters — 47 years after the Debré decree that had introduced it. Simultaneously, the Bureau de Vérification de la Publicité (BVP) was transformed into the ARPP (Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité), marking the shift from State control to professional self-regulation of cinema advertising. Concrete examples? Visa n°151 corresponds to an attribution in 1961, while n°9301 corresponds to 1981. If you would like the full list of visas with their chronological correspondences — which is not an exact science, as it is the result of several years of personal research and cataloguing — let me know in the comments! A Special Case: X-Rated Films The mid-1970s saw an explosion of pornographic production in France. To curb this wave, the decree of 31 October 1975 — known as the X law — introduced a new category: films of a pornographic nature or inciting violence. These films were subject to particularly dissuasive fiscal measures — increased VAT, a 20% levy on profits — and were confined to specialist cinemas, excluded from any public subsidy. In total, nearly one thousand films would be affected by this law. Two distinct categories coexisted: the X classification for pornography — of which Gorge Profonde (Deep Throat) was one of the first recipients in 1975 — and the X classification for incitement to violence, which would notably apply to Lucio Fulci's Zombie in 1980. Also worth noting is the case of Emmanuelle (1974): released just before the X law, it escaped classification but contributed directly to the emergence of this legislation. The most high-profile case remains that of Baise-moi (Despentes, 2000): initially authorised for under-18s, its visa was annulled by the Conseil d'État before being finally reclassified as banned for under-18s, without an X classification. For the collector, this translates very concretely onto the poster itself: the mention "film X" or "banned for under-18s — X-rated film" was mandatory. It is an immediately identifiable visual marker, dating the poster to after 1975 and indicating a parallel distribution circuit. Reference Works For further reading on this period: Christophe Bier — Censure-moi : histoire du classement X en France, Éditions L'Esprit Frappeur, 2000, 201 p. — the film historian retraces for the first time the complete history of this system, including the censorship committee's own commentary and the full list of X-rated films (with titles that are an absolute delight!). For further reading on dating and authenticating posters, two essential references: Stanislas Choko 100 ans d'affiches de cinéma, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, 1995, 394 p. — the collector's bible, somewhat dated, but still reliable. Affiches de cinéma, Trésors de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1896-1960, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, 1995, 295 p. René Chateau Le Cinéma français sous l'Occupation : 1940-1944, Éditions René Chateau, 1996, 528 p. Les plus belles affiches de la Mémoire du Cinéma Français, Éditions René Château, 2004, 280 p. Les plus belles affiches du cinéma français des années 50, Éditions René Château, 1999, 450 p. In the next article, we take a close look at printer mentions! Quelques sources CNC — Les dates-clés du CNC — cnc.fr CNC — Protéger sans censurer : la classification des œuvres cinématographiques — cnc.fr Wikipedia — Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP) — fr.wikipedia.org Légifrance — Code du cinéma et de l'image animée, articles R211-1 à R211-51 — legifrance.gouv.fr Ciné-club de Caen — La censure au cinéma en France — cineclubdecaen.com Antonis Kechris — Étude historique sur la censure des films en France — marenostrum.pm Jean-Luc Douin — Dictionnaire de la censure au cinéma, PUF, 1998 Albert Montagne — Histoire juridique des interdits cinématographiques (1909-2001), L'Harmattan, 2007

April 9th, 2026 — Salle VV, 3 rue Rossini, 75009 PARIS I followed the sale live, from 11am to nearly 10pm… And I can tell you, it was quite a show. Yesterday at Millon, in Paris's Drouot district, the first part of the René Château collection sale — La Mémoire du Cinéma  — took place, and to say that bidders spared no expense to own a piece of this extraordinary history would be an understatement. René Château (1939-2024), the "king of VHS", visionary distributor, obsessive collector, had built over his lifetime a collection that was truly unique in the world. Unique — and that's not a word I use lightly. Over 650 lots in total: French and international posters, silver gelatin photographs, promotional materials, books, DVDs, VHS tapes, vinyl records… A breathtaking panorama of 20th century cinema. I tried to make a Bonne Impression  on the bidders, but the competition was fierce 😅. I did, however, come away with a beautiful find: a 1932 Belgian poster  for the film "Tout s'arrange"  by Henri Diamant-Berger, which will soon be joining my collection. 🎉 But let's talk about the highlights of this sale, because some of these figures deserve a closer look. The posters that broke records As expected, the major French posters and international rarities sparked some memorable bidding battles. M  (Fritz Lang, 1931) — the German linen-backed poster featuring that iconic red hand against a black background, one of the most powerful images in cinema history — sold for €32,000 . A sum that perfectly reflects the rarity and graphic strength of the piece. La Grande Illusion  (Jean Renoir, 1937), in its French version illustrated by Bernard Lancy, went for €23,000 . A price that speaks volumes about the market value of pre-war French cinema classics, from a time when the movie poster was still a genuine work of art. Bride of Frankenstein  (James Whale, 1935), the French poster illustrated by René Lefebvre, reached €21,000  — well above its high estimate. French versions of American horror and fantasy posters remain among the most sought-after pieces on the market, and this sale confirmed it brilliantly. King Kong  (Schoedsack & Cooper, 1933), in the beautiful French version illustrated by René Péron, soared to €19,000 , despite some fold marks. René Péron, whose work appeared in several lots throughout the sale, is clearly a blue-chip name. Martin Roumagnac  (Georges Lacombe, 1946), also signed by René Péron and featuring the exceptional pairing of Gabin and Dietrich, found a buyer at €1,700 , at the top of its estimate. M. LE MAUDIT, de Fritz Lang, 1931, affiche allemande entoilée, 140x92cm. Adjugée à 32000€. © photo Millon Auction LA GRANDE ILLUSION, de Jean Renoir, 1937, affiche française entoilée, signée Bernard Lancy, 60x80cm. Adjugée à 23000€. © photo Millon Auction LA FIANCÉE DE FRANKENSTEIN, de James Whale, 1935, affiche française entoilée, signée René Lefebvre, 60x80cm. Adjugée à 21000€. © photo Millon Auction KING KONG, de E. Schoedsack, 1933, affiche française entoilée, signée René Péron, 120x160cm. Adjugée à 19000€. © photo Millon Auction The Pagnol effect, or the loyalty of true aficionados The series of posters from the Marseille trilogy, illustrated by the brilliant Albert Dubout , confirmed collectors' enduring attachment to this universe: Marius : €2,100 César : €900 Fanny : €950 La Femme du boulanger : €750 Solid results, at or slightly above estimate, reflecting a steady demand for Pagnol's cinema — and for Dubout in particular, whose instantly recognisable style never goes out of fashion. The surprise of the sale: the collectibles It's hard not to mention one of the most entertaining moments of the day — and one of the earliest: certain lots of promotional merchandise — t-shirts, sweatshirts, metal trays featuring Belmondo or Bruce Lee — reached prices that would have made René Château himself smile. Promotional items estimated at between €40 and €80 went for several hundred euros, some even exceeding €2,000 . The market for ephemeral promotional items clearly still has a few surprises up its sleeve. What this sale tells us about the market This first part of the René Château collection confirms several trends I have been observing for years: Major French posters from the 1930s-1950s , in good condition and signed by recognised illustrators (Péron, Soubie, Dubout, Bonneaud…), continue to rise in value. The rarity of these documents is real — print runs were limited, the paper has aged poorly, and serious collectors know it. French versions of horror and fantasy film posters  are safe-haven assets for international collectors, who often consider them graphically superior to their American originals. Finally, provenance  now plays an essential role: knowing that a poster once belonged to René Château, that it was part of a collection built with passion and expertise over decades, adds a certain soul to the piece — and evidently, a certain value. Part 2 is coming… In the meantime, browse the full Bonne Impression  collection — rare, vintage and more recent posters — at www.bonneimpression.shop