Reel Art: Great Posters from the Golden Age of the Silver Screen (Tiny Folio) - Softcover

Rebello, Stephen; Allen, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1558594035 ISBN 13: 9781558594036

Publisher: Abbeville Press, 1992

Synopsis

The decades between 1910 and 1950 were the golden age of the American movie poster, an era when films were promoted through the talents of illustrators like Thomas Hart Benton and Norman Rockwell. A selection of these posters, many never before published, is presented in this miniature volume.

About this title

Review:

Packed between the covers of this undersized volume are classic film posters drawn by the likes of Norman Rockwell, Thomas Hart Benton, and many unknown illustrators. Bambi, Gone with the Wind, The Phantom of the Opera, Casablanca, The Thin Man, and King Kong are just a few of the film titles readers will recognize from Hollywood's heyday. The exaggerated lettering, the dramatic rendering of the movie stars' faces, the bright colors, the sensational slogans, and the overall layout of the posters have all but disappeared from contemporary movie advertising. The wide selection of posters promises to please movie buffs and design fans alike.

From Library Journal:

The value of old movie posters has soared, and the numerous stunning examples in this book show why. At their best, posters conveyed (and often surpassed) a film's promise of excitement to eager moviegoers. In their lively, intelligent survey of poster art from the early days to the end of the 1940s, the authors effectively demonstrate how the poster combined with other elements (promotional gimmicks, theater lobby design) to lure patrons to the box office. They go on to discuss different approaches to poster design, the working methods of the various artists, and the history of the early studios, also offering brief biographies of the major poster artists. Movie buffs will love this book for its glorious illustrations, and students of popular culture will also be intrigued. Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 1558594035
• ISBN 13: 9781558594036
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288