Category: Saul Bass

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Film Tiles & Poster Design Saul Bass

To Saul, With Love

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That’s my intent.”

On the subject of film titles & poster design, one name looms majestically above all others, Mr. Saul Bass!***

*And his collaborator and wife, Elaine Bass. **With admiration and recognition of Pablo Ferro, who takes a very respectable second place.

Saul Bass stands before some of his work.

Saul Bass is probably best known for his collaborations with Hitchcock, Preminger, and Scorsese, but his iconic work is featured in so many excellent pictures (all the more excellent for his contribution), which, taken in their totality, have left a distinctive mark on the history of cinema and represent a peerless legacy, not just as a designer of titles and posters, but also as a one-of-kind filmmaker in his own right.

Below are just a few samples of his work, some personal favourites, that make the argument for Saul Bass’ reputation as the best to ever do it. Naturally, this is not an exhaustive collection, as that would require a book, not a post. For that, I can recommend no greater source than Jennifer Bass’ and Pat Kirkham’s “Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design,” featuring a forward by Martin Scorsese.

Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design.
Title sequence for Otto Preminger’s “The Man With The Golden Arm” (1955).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-man-with-the-golden-arm

Album art for Duke Ellington’s soundtrack to Preminger’s “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959).
Stills from title sequence to “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/anatomy-of-a-murder

Poster for “Exodus” (1960). More Preminger.

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/exodus

“Advise & Consent” (1962), another Preminger poster.
Sketches for “Advise & Consent” (1962).
Another sketch for Preminger’s “Advise & Consent” (1962).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/advise-consent

Sketch for Preminger’s “The Cardinal” (1963).
Also for Preminger’s “The Cardinal” (1963).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-cardinal

Two sketches for Preminger’s “In Harm’s Way” (1965).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/in-harms-way

Poster design for Martin Ritt’s “Edge of The City” (1957).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/edge-of-the-city

Poster (detail) for William Wyler’s “The Big Country” (1958).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-big-country

Poster for Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958).
Poster (detail) for “Vertigo” (1958).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/vertigo

Titles for Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” (1959).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest

Title sequence for Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960).
Saul Bass’ titles for “Psycho” are legendary, but lesser known is his contribution to the infamous shower scene, as evidenced by his storyboards above.
Title sequence to “Psycho” (1960).
The iconic shower scene from “Psycho” (1960).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/psycho

Simple but powerful poster design for John Sturges’ “The Magnificent Seven” (1960).
Poster design for John Frankenheimer’s “Seconds” (1966).
Sketch for “Seconds” (1966).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/seconds

Stills from the simple, but evocative titles to Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” (1990).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/goodfellas

Title sequence from Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” (1991).
Also from the “Cape Fear” titles, red-infused negative image of Juliette Lewis’ eyes.
Complimentary to the red imagery above, this green and black silhouette “cut out” imagery recalls the plummeting Jimmy Stewart figure from “Vertigo.”

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/cape-fear

Still from title sequence to Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” (1995), also recalling “Vertigo.”

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/casino

For more on the best of film titles, please visit (and consider donating to) the authority at its source: The Art of The Title website, which boasts a breathtaking collection, and is currently (and entirely coincidentally!) featuring a tribute to none other than (you guessed it!) Saul Bass! Prepare to enter a rabbit hole!

Screenshot of site (as of this writing).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/the-title-design-of-saul-and-elaine-bass/#

Saul’s signature style.