Saul Bass at the Movies

bass goldenarm

“The Man with the Golden Arm” (Otto Preminger, 1955). Based on the novel by Nelson Algren.

Film.com recently paid tribute to legendary graphic designer Saul Bass by featuring the graphic work he did for the movies.

Remembered for his incredible skill and seemingly unending creativity, a man who cared deeply about making things beautiful, even if no one else did. His work exists as a testament to the idea that good design can exist even in the most monetarily concerned places. From the late 1940’s until the early 1990’s, he created more than a dozen campaigns for films, with an even higher number dedicated to title sequences.

Here is a selection of his posters for films with bookish origins:

bass stormcenterposter

“Storm Center” (Daniel Taradash, 1956).  A small-town librarian is branded as a Communist by local politicians when she refuses to withdraw a controversial book from the library’s shelves. Some say best film featuring a librarian ever made.

bass stjoan

“Saint Joan” (Otto Preminger, 1957) film adapted from the George Bernard Shaw play

bass love

“Love in the Afternoon” (Billy Wilder, 1957) based on the Claude Anet novel  Ariane, jeune fille russe (trans., Ariane, Young Russian Girl)

anatomy_bass

“Anatomy of a Murder” (Otto Preminger, 1959). Based on the novel by Robert Traver

bass exodus

“Exodus” (Otto Preminger, 1960).  Based on the novel by Leon Uris. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo.

 bass advise consent“Advise & Consent” (Otto Preminger, 1962). Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Allen Drury.

 

 bass rama“Nine Hours to Rama” (Mark Robson, 1963). Based on the book by Stanley Wolpert.

 

bass bunnylake

“Bunny Lake Is Missing” (Otto Preminger, 1965). Based on the novel by Evelyn Piper

_bass shining“The Shining” (Stanley Kubrick, 1980). Based on the Stephen King novel.