Customer Reviews

Starstruck: Vintage Movie Posters from Classic Hollywood

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Mr Resnick's passion has created a collection of movie posters that reflect the creativity and quality prevalent in marketing movies in the golden era. The collection has been carefully thought out and the narrative brings us insight into a time when studios, writers, directors and stars brought us high quality entertainment of infinite variety. The graphic artists who created the marketing materials should also be lauded for their exceptional work. I appreciate Mr. Resnick's recognition of this work as an art form.

Ira Resnick has - according to his own text in this large and beautifully produced coffee-table-size book - been collecting classic movie posters for over 30 years. When it became more of an obsession he opened the only private art gallery devoted to movie posters. He also found himself on the Board of Trustees of Film Society of Lincoln Center, which allowed him to meet many of the still-living stars of films he loved.

Though his collection numbers in the thousands, he has chosen 285 posters, lobby cards and publicity photos to present in this book. I expected to find the usual images I see in the many movie history books and at collectors' shows. Not so! The usual lobby card from the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup isn't here. In its place is one I've never seen. The same goes for films like It Happened on Night, The Lady Eve, and My Man Godfrey. The posters in the book cover the period from the silents (in this case 1912) through Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1962 - though the late 50s and early 1960s are not highly represented. The first 40 pages, or so, contain essays on how Resnick began collecting, illustrated by some of his favorites. The following two chapters are presented chronologically with The Silents first and then separate chapters for the men an women of the later films. Each image is identified by size, date and country of origin (the graphic designers are not provided). And Resnick provides brief essays on the stars. Then we move on to posters grouped by Director and one on the most famous films. Finally there is a small grouping of beautiful posters for lesser-known (and in y cases "Lost") films. A bibliography and index complete the book.

Since these images are being published - in most cases - for the first time, there will be many new discoveries for vintage film poster collectors, and film lovers in general. And, while not a reference book for theater facts - Resnick admits that he is is not a film scholar - the text is lively and entertaining.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"