''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'', 1954 - art by Guy Gerard Noel
by Movie World Posters
Title
''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'', 1954 - art by Guy Gerard Noel
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage French movie poster of ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'', a 1954 American horror film directed by Roy Del Ruth and produced by Warner Bros. It is a loose adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," but it takes significant liberties with the source material to create a more traditional horror film.
The film is set in 19th-century Paris and revolves around the character of Dr. Marais (played by Karl Malden), a brilliant but eccentric scientist who is conducting experiments involving the transplantation of animal brains into human bodies. His experiments lead to the creation of a mysterious and grotesque man-beast (played by Charles Gemora), who escapes from the laboratory and begins a reign of terror in the dark alleys of the city.
As the murders pile up, the authorities and the local press become obsessed with solving the gruesome crimes. Meanwhile, Dr. Marais becomes increasingly desperate to capture his creation and continue his experiments. The film also introduces a romantic subplot involving the doctor's assistant (played by Patricia Medina) and a police detective (played by Steve Forrest) who is determined to catch the elusive killer.
"Phantom of the Rue Morgue" is notable for its use of 3D technology, which was a popular cinematic gimmick in the 1950s. The film features several scenes designed to take advantage of the 3D effect, including shots of objects and creatures lunging toward the audience.
While the film deviates significantly from Poe's original story, it is a product of its time and is best enjoyed as a classic example of 1950s horror cinema. It combines elements of science fiction, horror, and romance to create a unique and entertaining take on the tale of the Rue Morgue murders.
About the poster artist:
Guy Gerard Noël (1912 - 1994) was a prolific French movie poster artist who produced hundreds of posters during the 1950s and 1960s.
There is in Noël's movie posters a special emphasis on shapes and contours. His scenes unravel in mixed ways: sometimes they are neatly placed in borders and frames, in other cases, they move along curved lines, obtained through the arrangement of titles, banners, and other graphic devices. Noël outlines the characters by combining his realistic portraits with precise, sharp contour lines.
The French designer's posters are also characterized by the frequent use of black silhouettes: character profiles, trees, and cliffs come to life through their mere shape and shadows. Noel posters manage to communicate the mystery and desire to discover the unknown, in the darkness of the movie theater.
He retired to the French countryside in the late 1960s where he stayed active as an artist by illustrating books and record album covers. Noël died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 82.
Search "Noel" to see more of his posters.
Uploaded
February 6th, 2022
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