 |
| Image: The Ferris File |
Seen in FBDO
One of the best looks at the Charlie Sexton poster comes at 01:06:51 in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as Jeanie returns home to prove that her brother is skipping school. The poster can be seen on the wall over the far corner of Ferris’s bed.
 |
| Image: Paramount Pictures |
Description
Charlie Sexton is a musician known for his guitar work with a wide range of artists including long stints as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band. He also co-founded the blues-rock band Arc Angels and has released several solo albums. Among those albums, his first came at the age of 16 with the 1985 release Pictures for Pleasure.
 |
| Image: eBay (edited) |
This album showcases Sexton’s blend of blues-rock with the popular new wave sound of the 1980s. Pictures for Pleasure includes the Top-20 hit single Beat’s So Lonely which was also featured in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful.
Based on the dimensions of the Bryan Ferry poster to the right of this one on Ferris’s bedroom wall (known to be 60”x40”), this Charlie Sexton poster measures approximately 20” wide.
Finding This Item
As seen above, the LP release of Pictures for Pleasure does not include any text on the cover; however, others (such as the UK release) include Sexton’s name in red as well as the album title in smaller white text.
 |
| Image: Discogs |
Without a direct view, it was somewhat difficult to determine if the poster in Ferris’s room reflected the version with text or was based more on the photo-only design of the traditional LP release. Based on what can be seen in the film, it appears that no next is present, but with the camera angle and poster position, I knew there was a slight possibility that there could be some text covered by the Blancmange poster above this one on the wall.
 |
| Image: Paramount Pictures (edited) |
Luckily, a shot from a deleted scene gives a more direct look at this section of Ferris’s bedroom wall and confirms that this poster includes no text – although it does include a photo of Sloane slapped square on Charlie Sexton’s cheek.
 |
| Image: Paramount Pictures |
To further confirm this detail, it is clear by overlaying the UK release cover on the poster that the album title would be covered by the Blancmange poster, but a small amount of Sexton’s name would be peeking out in the top corner. Since this red text cannot be seen in the film, I’m confident that this poster reflects the text-less LP cover.
.jpg) |
| Image: Paramount Pictures (edited) |
That said, I do realize that this is a promotional poster much like many of the others in Ferris’s bedroom. It is possible that there could be more on the poster than the LP cover image as there are areas potentially obstructed by the nightstand or the Blancmange poster.
Notes
If anyone owns this poster or has a full image to confirm its complete contents, please reach out. I’d certainly be interested to know if we’re seeing the full poster in the film.
Also, if you’re not familiar with Pictures for Pleasure and you have any appreciation for this era of music, I can encourage you enough to check it out! While I didn’t give this album a proper listen until I was an adult, it has become one of my absolute favorite albums from the mid-80s – the title track, especially, is a regular on my playlists.
Find Your Own
- Check eBay for a copy of Charlie Sexton’s Pictures for Pleasure LP or (maybe) even a poster just like the one in Ferris’s room!
The Ferris File participates in the Amazon Associates program and the eBay Partner Network -- affiliate advertising opportunities which provides the possibility to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon and eBay.
Learn More
- Stream, download or pick up a physical copy of Charlie Sexton’s Pictures for Pleasure on Amazon.
- Take a listen to Charlie Sexton’s full discography.