''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', 1958 - art by Silvano Campeggi
by Movie World Posters
Title
''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', 1958 - art by Silvano Campeggi
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', a classic American film released in 1958, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Lawrence Weingarten, the film is known for its powerful performances and exploration of complex family dynamics.
The story revolves around the dysfunctional Pollitt family, primarily focusing on the patriarch, Big Daddy Pollitt (played by Burl Ives), and his troubled son, Brick Pollitt (played by Paul Newman). Big Daddy is a wealthy Mississippi plantation owner, and the family has gathered at their sprawling estate to celebrate his 65th birthday, though they are unaware that he is dying of cancer. Big Mama (played by Judith Anderson) is his devoted but clueless wife, who desperately wants to secure the family's future.
Brick, a former football star, has descended into a spiral of alcoholism and depression following the death of his close friend and teammate, Skipper. His marriage to Maggie "Maggie the Cat" Pollitt (played by Elizabeth Taylor) is strained, and the couple's inability to conceive a child adds to their marital problems. Maggie is determined to win back her husband's love and secure her place in the family's inheritance, which is in jeopardy due to Big Daddy's health.
The film explores themes of love, desire, family dysfunction, mendacity, and the pursuit of truth. Brick's troubled past, his strained relationship with his father, and his own internal struggles with guilt and sexuality are central to the narrative. Meanwhile, Maggie is a forceful and charismatic character who desperately seeks to assert herself within the family and win back Brick's affection.
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is celebrated for its exceptional performances, particularly those of Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Their on-screen chemistry and emotionally charged portrayals of Maggie and Brick are among the film's standout features. The movie was also notable for tackling taboo subjects like homosexuality, albeit indirectly, given the social constraints of the time.
The film received critical acclaim upon its release and was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Paul Newman). It won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Burl Ives, who played Big Daddy. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" remains a significant work in American cinema and theater, known for its compelling characters, intense family drama, and exploration of the human condition.
About the poster artist:
Campeggi, nicknamed "Nano," has a unique style characterized by a sharp simplicity. The line of his drawings is distinct and thick, with few colors and elements. This essentiality is not an obstacle as it led him to create endless scenarios and combinations.
The style is vaguely reminiscent of Japanese prints and etchings: there is the same pursuit of cleanliness, balance, and graphic directness. Campeggi in some movie posters even reaches the conceptual style, choosing for the representation of the film just iconic objects, a face, an expression, a title. There is truly essential modernity in Campeggi's posters.
Silvano "Nano" Campeggi (1923–2018), born in Florence, Italy, was a painter and poster designer, today considered one of the most influential graphic artists in the history of American cinema. While living in Hollywood, he designed and produced the posters for many classic Hollywood films. As a result, he became known as "The Artist to the Stars".
Campeggi returned to Florence in the late 1990s after a long career in the United States, where he had created cinematic billboards for historical films such as 'Gone with the Wind," "Casablanca," "Singing in the Rain," "An American in Paris," "West Side Story," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Winners and Losers," "Exodus," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
His father, a printer and typesetter, introduced him to the world of graphics and design at an early age. Campeggi attended the Art School at Porta Romana, studying under accomplished painters such as Ottone Rosai and Ardengo Soffici.
Campeggi's first career breakthrough arrived in the form of a World War II commission from the American Red Cross to paint the portraits of American soldiers before they returned home. After the war, he moved to Rome, where he was engaged by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Following, he produced the poster for "Gone with the Wind," featuring a painting of Clark Gable holding Vivien Leigh in a passionate embrace.
Over the course of his career, Campeggi designed posters and advertising graphics for over 3000 films, designing for the likes of MGM, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Columbia Pictures, United Artists, RKO, 20th Century Fox, and several other movie studios. Sixty-four of the films he illustrated for won Oscars.
By the 1970s, film poster illustrations packed less of a punch due to the emergence of television and newspaper advertising. In response, Campeggi returned to Florence, Italy around that time. Various private and public organizations soon commissioned him to do paintings, including a postage stamp in 1975.
In 2008, for the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s birth, Campeggi was commissioned to produce a special tribute titled "The Girls of Puccini." The same year, he began working on a Napoleon series to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the emperor's association with the island of Elba. The "Napoleon at Elba" exhibition opened in September 2008 at Portoferraio.
Search "Campeggi" to see his other posters.
Uploaded
February 5th, 2022
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