A Century of Movie Posters : From Silent to Art House

The books sections focus on renowned individual designers, directors, movies, and genres. Important poster designers such as Saul Bass, Jan Lenica, and Juan Gatti receive particular attention, as do great directors who had strong opinions about how their films should be represented. Among the latter are Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, and Otto Preminger. All major film genres are representedmusicals, Kung Fu movies,films noir,westerns (including so-called spaghetti westerns filmed in Italy), science fiction classics, and others. Readers are treated to examples of movie posters not only from the United States, Britain, and France, but also to previously unpublished examples from countries as diverse as Poland, China, and Cuba. For instance, fans of Orson Welles might be surprised to see the previously unpublished Italian poster advertisingCitizen Kaneunder its Italian title,Quarto Potere (The Fourth Estate).This handsome volume will be valued by graphic designers, poster collectors, and anyone sharing the popular passion for cinema._The posters represent a great collection of design styles, whether they ultimately advertised classic movies or more obscure films. The author does a good job of describing the artwork and typography so as to explain the intent of the designers. Her level of knowledge of the subject matter is impressive and reflects considerable research. Overall, a well-written and informative book but the visual imagery of the poster reproductions steals the show! Summing Up: Highly recommended._ CHOICE, April 2004 _Looking at the evolution of the film industry and the most influential directors, graphic design expert Emily King has gathered some of the most significant and influential movie posters to invade our collective consciousness._ Gotham, November 2003 _King_s commentary is always intelligent. _ A good resource for studying practical and commercial art._ Ray Olson, Booklist, November 2003back coverBR An in-depth look at the fascinating history of the movie poster from the perspective of graphic design specialist Emily King, this book charts the development of posters that have adorned cinema walls for the last 100 years. It covers the most influential movies, genres, directors, and designers from around the world, including little-known posters from Poland and Cuba. With authoritative text and hundreds of illustrations," A Century of Movie Posters provides a unique and revealing exploration of this popular and intriguing area of design. BR front jacket flapBR The development of the movie poster shares a parallel history with the evolution of film, from its beginnings in the 1900s to the present day. This book charts 100 years in the visual development of the movie poster and brings together a unique collection of posters from around the world. BR Structured chronologically, "A Century of Movie Posters looks at four key eras in the history of cinema and illustrates the most important,movie posters of each time, focusing on influential designers, directors, movies, and genres. The book examines directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, and Spike Lee, who have been strongly influential in the design of their films' posters. It also focuses on designers, including Saul Bass and Bob Peak, who are recognized for poster styles that are inimitably their own. The book shows examples of different versions of posters for the international releases of films such as "Citizen Kane and "The Godfather. BR Featuring an insightful text by writer and design historian Emily King and reproductions of movie posters from around the world, this book is required readingfor designers, poster collectors, and anyone with a passion for the movies. BR back jacket flapBR Emily King is a writer and curator specializing in graphic design. She has an M.A. from the Royal College of Art in London,