A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House [Hardcover]

Emily King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2003

Film buffs, graphic designers, and art students will relish this beautifully produced and strikingly illustrated volume. Arranged in roughly chronological order, it brings together movie posters from around the world, starting with Charlie Chaplin film ads and the Russian Revolutionary movie posters of the 1910s, then spanning the century to show posters publicizing hits of the 1990s, including The Silence of the Lambs, Spike Lee films, and many more. The book's 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 represented--musicals, 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are treated to examples of movie posters not only from the United States, Britain, and France, but also to previously unpublished examples from countries as diverse as Poland, China, and Cuba. For instance, fans of Orson Welles might be surprised to see the previously unpublished Italian poster advertising Citizen Kane under its Italian title, Quarto Potere (The Fourth Estate).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.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The film noir revival is still booming, so Eddie Muller's glossy Art of Noir [BKL D 15 02] won't immediately yield to this far more comprehensive poster survey in movie buffs' hearts. Graphic design specialist King's album isn't to be sniffed at, though. She presents hundreds of posters essentially chronologically in four chapters: "The Birth of Cinema," "The Rise and Fall of the Studios," "New Wave and Blockbusters," and "The Dawn of the Multiplex." If those titles seem to emphasize commercialism, well, this is advertising art, Bunkie! Each chapter contains, after a brief sketch of relevant film-industry history, two- to four-page subchapters grouping posters by style, director, studio, actor, nationality, or, rarely, poster artist. The color throughout seems true to the source posters, a few of which are faded. King's commentary is always intelligent (if, a few times, factually awry), though movie buffs may differ with her about how well certain posters express their movies' themes. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"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 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764155997
• ISBN-13: 978-0764155994
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 1 x 11.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #641,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Covers movie poster art from silent to art house works June 6, 2004

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

Emily King's Century Of Movie Posters, in contrast, covers movie poster art from silent to art house works, following the development of the movie poster as an art form from its roots in the 1900s to modern times. A chronological arrangement in Century Of Movie Posters examines four key areas of cinema history and highlights the most influential posters and designers of their times. Packed with color photos throughout, this is eye candy at its best.

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars - decent overview January 24, 2010

By Douglas Tricarico

Format:Hardcover

Nothing really new for cinephiles, but a nice overview of global poster design. It's not a "best of" compilation but rather more of a sampling of typical designs throughout the decades of cinema. Sprinkled with tidbits of information and notes about design and the poster artists.

When referring to the poster for the movie GUMMO, King does make the mistake of calling Xenia, Ohio, a "fictional" town. I'm sure the residents of Xenia would be surprised to hear they're imaginary. Minor quibbles like this aside, it's a pretty good book.