AbeBooks sells books but we also sell paper-based ephemera.  One of the more unusual items of ephemera on the site is this vomit bag. It was issued to American cinema audiences watching a controversial 1970 West German movie called Mark of the Devil.

Mark of the Devil starred Herbert Lom, whose death was announced earlier today. Lom is famous for his role in the Pink Panther movies but he was a versatile actor. Mark of the Devil is still banned in Germany today because of its violent content which includes medieval torture techniques. In West Germany, the film was known as Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält, which translates as Witches Are Tortured to Death.

The movie is set in 18th century Austria and Lom plays a witchfinder. In the US, the film’s marketing crew played up the violence with slogans (“Rated V for Violence”) about its horrifying nature. The vomit bags were, of course, a rather smart marketing ploy that generated even more publicity.

The vomit bag for sale (for £28) is unused… thankfully.