Fantastic Film Posters #3

Designed by Luigi Martinati

Released post-war in Italy, and somehow this shows in the faces of Bogart and Bergman.

Fantastic Film Posters #2

Designed by Anselmo Ballester.

For my money, the best Classical Hollywood era posters came out of Italy. And here's a great example, for On the Waterfront. Needless to say, I don't need to extoll the virtues of this film, or more particularly, Brando's performance. That cab scene was probably the first time that acting ever moved me.

These posters are so vastly different to what is produced today and so much more compelling. It's easy to see how they could work as advertising (whilst still being artfully made), but it is unimaginable these days, that anyone would be compelled to see a film by a poster.

Fantastic Film Posters #1

Designed by Leopoldo Metlicovitz (1868-1944)
Here is a wonderful Art Nouveau style poster for the awe-inducing epic of 1914, Cabiria.
It's available on dvd from Kino, so if you haven't seen it, get a copy and be amazed by the moving camera, and just generally sublime pre Griffith epicness of it all.

It was great when posters didn't carry slogans, quotes, and cast and crew lists. So much more effective and beautiful. It's interesting to note that the screenwriter Gabriele D'Annunzio is given top and sole billing.