Reynold Brown (1917-1991)

Posted on February 3, 2010 by russ

Ever wondered who created the posters for Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Ben Hur? Reynold Brown, that’s who! Most people remember him as one of Roger Corman’s go-to-guys doing cheesy monster movie posters for AIP back in the day — but this fella drew more than just teenage werewolves and killer sea creatures. From Cat On A Hot Tin Roof to Spartacus to, yes, Love Slaves of the Amazon, this popular artist will be remembered for many years to come.

You can preview his book here at The Illustrated Press…

And here’s part 2 from his PBS documentary, The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters (you can watch the whole thing on YouTube, but I started at part 2 when he arrives in Hollywood)…

Grinsson Remake!

Posted on January 21, 2010 by russ

Boris Grinsson also did the original art for Bedtime Story (1964) — but if you haven’t heard of that one, you might remember the 1988 remake, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Grinsson and Bear It

Posted on January 21, 2010 by russ

The world tour of movie posters takes us back to 1950’s France and the home of legendary French artist, Boris Grinsson. This guy must be pretty good as his work will be on display this weekend at the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

Check out his rich, colorful renditions of such classics as The Hustler, Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, and From Russia With Love. And if you really enjoy his stuff, go buy the book at Posteritati.

Polish Sausage

Posted on January 21, 2010 by russ

Ever since I read The Art of the Modern Movie Poster (Chronicle Books, 2009), I’ve been fascinated with European artists — especially Jerzy Flisak, an amazing Polish artist who died in 2008. Not much is known about his personal life, but his beautifully abstract work is unforgettable. Down below, check out his takes on the following movies: El Dorado, The Great Gatsby, Roman Holiday, Two For The Road, Young Frankenstein, and The Conversation.

The Great McGinnis

Posted on January 19, 2010 by russ

You know you must be pretty good if they make a documentary about you. And that’s exactly what they did with Robert McGinnis.

Famous for his iconic James Bond movie posters, McGinnis was also great at drawing the ladies. Apparently, he was so detailed that he once even requested Sophia Loren’s dress be sent to his studio to complete the poster for Arabesque.

Check out the trailer for Painting the Last Rose of Summer…

Terp-erific!

Posted on January 11, 2010 by russ

Once called by The New York Times as “the most successful living American artist you’ve never heard of”, Howard Terpning illustrated many of the biggest Hollywood classics of the 60’s and 70’s. Like Robert Tanenbaum, he eventually moved on from movie posters to focus exclusively on portraits of Native Americans, cowboys, and the American West.

Check out the rest of his ter-pelicious portfolio here.

The Greatest Movie Posters of the Decade(s)

Posted on December 8, 2009 by russ

Another solid series of poster books was published by Graham Marsh and Tony Nourmand, owner of The Reel Poster Gallery in London. Each edition covers the best one-sheets of its respective decade and unearths some real finds.

Bob Peak, Movie Poster Artist Legend

Posted on December 7, 2009 by russ

Meet Bob Peak, the man who is at the pinnacle of movie poster design and decorated theatre marquees throughout the ’60s and ’70s and introduced cinema lovers to everything from Apocalypse Now to Star Trek to My Fair Lady to Superman. That’s called range!