SAUL BASS (1920-1996) [ANATOMY OF A MURDER.] 1959.
45 1/4x58 3/4 inches, 115x149 1/4 cm.
Condition B+: small losses, tears and creases at edges; discoloration in image; vertical and horizontal folds. Paper.
Saul Bass became famous in the 1950s, thanks to his collaboration with Otto Preminger and Alfred Hitchcock, for each of whom he designed movie posters and title sequences. During his 40-year career, Bass worked for some of Hollywood's other most renowned filmmakers as well - Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. He revolutionized film poster design, thanks to his dropping the "big head" theory, prevalent in movie poster advertising throughout that decade, and the latter by redefining film's visual language. Whether using graphics or photography, his work is always highly symbolic and minimal, living up to his credo, "symbolize and summarize." The most recognizable iteration of this poster is a vertical format, devised of a yellow square and a red square, and the title of the film inside the silhouette of the body. This horizontal version with a white background is also seen with additional text around the image and in the bottom margin. This rare variant is absent of all text except for at the top margin; on the verso, it is stamped 'Design A' and bears handwritten notations that say 'Columbia Pictures / 2 Sheet / Teaser Campaign.'