The Old Masters
of Classic Movie Art What are investors and collectors REALLY putting their money on? .
Unlike the world of traditional fine art, movie poster art has rarely highlighted or even identified the Artist. .
With the exception of “Jaws” and “Star Wars” few people could name the artist of a movie poster. Yet, it was often the poster artists that were responsible for luring customers into movie theatres in the 20th century. Before the internet, movie poster art was about 40-50% of a film’s advertising campaign. One of the most prolific and talented artists in the 1930s/40s was William Rose. His fascinating Wiki page exhibits some of his classic cinema masterpieces, like the one above “Isle of the Dead”. But, here is a brief excerpt: . William F. Rose (September 16, 1909 – May 29, 1972) was an American illustrator and film poster artist active in the 1930s and 1940s. He is recognized as one of the most distinctive poster artists of the Classical Hollywood era, a time when most film posters featured painted illustrations rather than photography. Rose painted dozens of poster illustrations for RKO Radio Pictures and other studios. As one of the leading designers in RKO's art department, he helped to define the studio's bold visual aesthetic. Although he was prolific, only a fraction of his poster designs have been individually attributed to him. Most of his output remains unidentified. His artwork is prized by collectors, and original prints of his posters have fetched high prices at auction. . One of his most iconic posters is the alternate "Style B" design for Citizen Kane (1941), which pitched the film as a more conventional romance than it actually was. The poster failed as a marketing ploy but, in hindsight, has been considered superior to the primary "Style A" design. In posters for films like Out of the Past (1947), Rose made significant contributions to the film noir aesthetic. He also illustrated all the promotional artwork for producer Val Lewton's series of low-budget B movies at RKO, most notably the horror film Cat People (1942). . Two William Rose pieces we currently have in stock is this breath-taking one sheet you see above, "Isle of the Dead" and a Title Card from “Body Snatchers”. Both released in 1945. . NOTE: Say the title "Isle of the Dead" to yourself and try to solve the puzzle, "what does it sound like you're saying?" . See the Boris KARLOFF Collection HERE
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