The folder, itself, has Kevin Eastman's classic Book II graphic novel cover printed on the front with the logo of the cartoon series and the subtitle "Heroes in a half shell!" The back provides Golden Harvest's head office and world sales contact information, and states that the folder was distributed through Golden Communications. One of the inside flaps lists the movie's credits, which at that time were "preliminary and contractual."
The first set of documents in the folder contains 11 photocopied news clippings and magazine articles touting the Turtles' growing success. I didn't see much point in uploading these, since they don't contain any new information. The excerpts come from the following publications:
People, April 18, 1988
People, August 15, 1988
Toy and Hobby World's Toy Hit Parade, December 1988
The New York Times, December 25, 1988
Variety, December 28, 1988
The Hollywood Reporter, January 5, 1989
The Hollywood Reporter, March 6, 1989
South China Morning Post, March 17, 1989
The Hollywood Reporter, March 30, 1989
Los Angeles Daily News, April 21, 1989
Billboard Top Kid Video Sales, June 10, 1989
A seven-page list of what appears to be every North American licensee up until that point, from Konami to Colorforms, follows.
An undated "fact sheet" is next, which continues to drum up praise for the Turtles: the cartoon is the highest Neilsen-rated cartoon in the States, over 550,000 comic books are being distributed on a monthly basis, and the toys are the #1 boys' action figure line. The motion picture was then slated for a Christmas 1989 release.
After that is a February 23, 1989 press release from Flaherty/Winters & Partners, which announces Jim Henson's Creature Shop coming on board.
A May 1989 "Turtle Talk" two-page newsletter from Renay and Mark Freedman is the last of the publicity pieces. The film has now been pushed to the summer of 1990. According to the write-up, the producers claimed to have received frantic calls from the likes of Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Roseanne Barr, Pete Rose, and Sammy Davis Jr. who all wanted to "'PUT ON THE SHELL' and get a part."
The focus now shifts entirely on the movie, beginning with Golden Harvest Group's typed bios of director Steve Barron, producer Simon Fields, and producer David Chan.
A studio map is provided, which points out the various stage and backlot locations, as well as where the Creature Shop is situated.
A six-page "Welcome to Wilmington" guide, dated June 9, 1989, reveals that the crew stayed at the Holiday Inn on Market Street. Nearby restaurants are ranked based upon price, from expensive to moderate and "good value," the last of which lists a delivery-only Domino's Pizza. The production company also felt it worth noting that "this is North Carolina and service is slow. The sushi bar... is especially slow." Not as slow: the nightclubs listed at the end.
A hole-punched memorandum sent to all department heads on June 15, 1989 notifies that the principal production meeting schedule has been changed and will take place in the front dining room of the studio commissary. The memo is signed by first assistant director Michael Grossman.
Another hole-punched memorandum from the same day contains the numbers of rented beepers in case a crew member needs to be reached.
The last piece of paperwork explains how to use various telephone call features.
Finally, the folder includes three 8" x 10" glossy photographs. The first shows a group shot of the cast and crew posing outside on the studio lot with some of the pre-mutation Turtle props.
The second gives an eerily empty glimpse of the sewer lair set.
And the last shows the full-size Splinter puppet with his paws around some crew members inside the Foot Warehouse; a P.O. Box address label of the film's stills photographer, Alan Markfield, is affixed to the back.