An original 10x8" vintage photo from a massive collection of original movie press photos from the estate of a movie critic and theater owner. This is a rare, original press photograph produced and sent by the corresponding studio. Professionally packaged in a rigid mailer for safe delivery.

Photo Overview

Embeth Davidtz, in period cloche hat, leans in close to Ben Chaplin during a tender outdoor scene from the British period drama “Feast of July,” captured on location in rural England in 1995. This glossy 8x10” Touchstone Pictures / Merchant Ivory publicity still is credited to photographer Stephen Moreley and includes the printed caption strip identifying characters Bella Ford and Con Wainwright as well as production details.

Based on the acclaimed H. E. Bates novel, Feast of July was Merchant Ivory’s first collaboration with Disney’s Touchstone label and marked an early breakthrough for Ben Chaplin, who would soon star in The Thin Red Line and The Truth About Cats & Dogs. Original studio stills from this limited-release romance are scarcer than typical ’90s blockbusters—add this evocative image to your collection before another period-film fan does!

Text Present

Front lower margin:
“FEAST OF JULY”
In the rich tradition of classic Merchant Ivory productions comes Touchstone Pictures’ sensitive drama “Feast of July,” an extraordinary story of love and tragedy, based upon the acclaimed novel by H. E. Bates. Embeth Davidtz (left) stars as Bella Ford, a young woman who sets forth in winter on an arduous journey to locate Arch Wilson (Greg Wise), the lover who has abandoned her. Suffering a grave personal devastation along the way, Bella finds shelter in the home of the Wainwright family whose three sons eventually battle among each other for the affections of their enchanting and mysterious guest. After much courtship Bella agrees to marry the youngest son, Con (Ben Chaplin, right). But misfortune strikes again when the man for whom she has been searching reappears, thus triggering an unforgettable series of dramatic events which forever change the lives of Bella, Arch and the Wainwrights. Gemma Jones, James Purefoy and Kenneth Anderson also star. Touchstone Pictures presents A Merchant Ivory Production in association with Peregrine Productions. “Feast of July,” based on the novel by H. E. Bates, directed by Christopher Menaul, from the screenplay by Christopher Neame. Producers are Henry Herbert and Christopher Neame. Executive producers are Ismail Merchant and Paul Bradley. Associate producers are Jane Cussons and Donald Rosenfeld. Buena Vista Pictures distributes.
FJBB-1
photo credit: STEPHEN MORELEY
Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and magazines to reproduce this picture on condition it is accompanied by “©1995 Touchstone Pictures. All Rights Reserved.”

Back, center in red grease pencil: editorial crop mark “??”

Print analysis: Contemporary studio-issued glossy with front-border caption, blank verso except editorial mark; produced same year as the film’s release, consistent with a Type 1 original press photo.

Condition: In very good to excellent vintage condition. Some of the movie photos in this collection have editorial markings from being used in actual press releases at the time of the movie release. Some photos may have some slight curling due to age. Please see photos for scans of the surface to get a sense of the precise condition.