''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', 1958, movie poster painting by Reynold Brown
by Movie World Posters
Title
''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', 1958, movie poster painting by Reynold Brown
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Painting - Movie Posters
Description
Base painting for the vintage movie poster ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', a 1958 drama film directed by Richard Brooks, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. Starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, the film is a powerful exploration of family, desire, and the complexities of human relationships.
Set in the sultry heat of a Mississippi plantation, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" revolves around the dysfunctional Pollitt family as they gather to celebrate the birthday of patriarch Big Daddy Pollitt, played by Burl Ives. Paul Newman stars as Brick Pollitt, Big Daddy's troubled son and former football star, who is drowning his sorrows in alcohol following the death of his best friend. Elizabeth Taylor plays Maggie "the Cat" Pollitt, Brick's determined and passionate wife, who is desperate to rekindle their failing marriage.
Paul Newman delivers a mesmerizing performance as Brick, capturing the character's brooding intensity and inner turmoil with subtlety and depth. Elizabeth Taylor is equally compelling as Maggie, exuding a fiery charisma and vulnerability as she battles for Brick's affections amidst the family's simmering tensions.
The film delves into themes of mendacity, greed, and the search for truth, as the Pollitt family grapples with their own insecurities and secrets. As the night unfolds, long-buried resentments and desires come to the surface, leading to explosive confrontations and emotional revelations.
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is renowned for its powerful dialogue, complex characters, and evocative Southern Gothic atmosphere. Richard Brooks' direction, combined with the lush cinematography and haunting score, creates a richly textured world that immerses viewers in the drama and intensity of the Pollitt family's struggles.
With its stellar cast, provocative themes, and gripping storyline, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" remains a timeless classic of American cinema. Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor's electrifying performances, along with the film's enduring exploration of love, identity, and family dynamics, have solidified its status as a masterpiece of dramatic filmmaking.
Base art is the poster artwork after the text has been digitally removed.
About the artist:
William Reynold Brown (October 18, 1917 – August 24, 1991) was an American realist artist who painted around 250 Hollywood film posters. He was also briefly active as a comics artist and he worked as a technical artist at North American Aviation during World War II.
Following the war, Brown drew paperback book covers along with advertisements and illustrations for numerous magazines including Argosy, Popular Science, Saturday Evening Post, Boys' Life, Outdoor Life, and Popular Aviation.
Brown taught at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles before he started creating film posters. Among the dozens he designed was an original painting for The Alamo, which hung for years at the actual Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Some of his other well-known posters at the time included How the West Was Won, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Dr. Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Today, he is best remembered for his posters for The Creature From the Black Lagoon and the cult classic Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.
Brown's posters imparted a sense of cinematic adventure to movie theater lobbies across the country. The posters became popular due to his ability to portray movie scenes using a dramatic collage effect. Unlike earlier poster designers, he based his illustrations and compositions not on traditional graphic design but on the dynamic nature of popular filmmaking.
Although his posters were widely recognized and contributed to the success of many popular films, Brown, like other movie poster artists, was contracted to maintain his anonymity and could not sign his work.
In 1953, Brown cofounded the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. He suffered a stroke in 1976, after which he spent the remaining years of his life on a 180-acre plot of land in Nebraska.
In 1994, a documentary about Brown was broadcast on television, titled The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters. In addition, a book with many of his artworks was published in 2009, “Reynold Brown: A Life in Pictures.” According to a movie reviewer in Nebraska, as a result of the documentary, Brown and his colleagues are beginning to get the recognition they deserve, not only as talented artists but for their broader impact on popular culture.
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October 16th, 2022
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