''The Caine Mutiny'', 1954 - art by Anselmo Ballester
by Movie World Posters
Title
''The Caine Mutiny'', 1954 - art by Anselmo Ballester
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''The Caine Mutiny'', a classic American film released in 1954, directed by Edward Dmytryk and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Herman Wouk. The film stars Humphrey Bogart in one of his iconic roles and features a talented ensemble cast that includes Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, Robert Francis, and José Ferrer.
The story is set during World War II and primarily takes place aboard the USS Caine, a fictional naval destroyer-minesweeper. The film follows the experiences of the ship's crew, particularly the young and inexperienced Ensign Willie Keith (played by Robert Francis), as they endure the hardships of war in the Pacific Theater.
The central conflict of the film arises when the Caine's officers and crew become increasingly frustrated with their commanding officer, Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). Queeg exhibits erratic and paranoid behavior, which raises concerns among his subordinates about his ability to lead effectively. As tensions mount, a group of officers led by Lieutenant Stephen Maryk (Van Johnson) eventually decide to take matters into their own hands and relieve Captain Queeg of his command, fearing that his actions may jeopardize the safety of the ship and its crew.
The subsequent court-martial of the officers who mutinied becomes a major focus of the film. Lieutenant Barney Greenwald (played by José Ferrer) is assigned as the defense attorney for the accused officers, and the trial serves as a tense and gripping climax to the story.
"The Caine Mutiny" explores themes of leadership, loyalty, and the moral dilemmas faced by those in positions of authority during wartime. Humphrey Bogart delivers a memorable performance as Captain Queeg, portraying his character's descent into paranoia and insecurity. The film was well-received by both audiences and critics upon its release and is considered a classic in the genre of military drama. It also earned Humphrey Bogart an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in the film.
About the artist:
Anselmo Ballester (1897–1974) was a noted Italian painter and film poster designer from Rome. He was the son of Federico Ballester (Rome, 1868–1926), a painter of Spanish origins. Inspired by his father's artistic endeavors growing up, Anselmo completed his first works at 15.
After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he specialized in film advertising for the most important silent film production houses. He created posters and other advertising material for CINES, Caesar Film, and numerous other studios.
In his studio in Rome, via della Croce 50a (then via della Passeggiata Ripetta 19), he spent almost 50 years creating thousands of sketches for playbills and paintings for film posters. He went on to form the design company BCM along with two other prominent Italian poster artists, Alfredo Capitani and Luigi Martinati
The movie posters Ballester created between the 1930s and 1950s showcased his unique painting style using tempera medium and bold colors. They typically featured one or two significant characters. His style is reminiscent of pulp fiction covers and, like the best cinema advertisements, were infused with intrigue, conflict, and passion. His works were uncomplicated yet rich in detail, a techniqe and style he himself describes:
"To become a creator of film posters ... it is necessary to study passionately, always to draw and paint everything from the truth. Then you can let your imagination run free. Whether you are creating a work of art, or a more humble advertising poster, you must be able to attract the interest of the public, to satisfy both the most refined people and the roughest, who are the majority."
From a stylistic and compositional point of view, Alfredo Ballester began by drawing inspiration from the advertising posters of Art Nouveau, and then he defined his personal code. The painter exhibited a common layout in his movie posters: the actor or actress beautifully portrayed in the foreground, and one or two scenes from the film in the background.
To achieve this result, he used a methodical technique, making numerous sketches of the project only after having the best two selected by the client, he devoted himself to the final painting, strictly handmade.
Ballester's color palette, however, was his greatest talent. The artist used colors expressively, as a tool to convey emotions. The portraits of the stars were extremely realistic but often colored with unnatural hues such as pinks or intense light blues. Ballester illustrated his characters with colors capable of conveying the range of feelings transmitted by the film.
He was written about in "Anselmo Ballester: the Origins of the Film Poster," published by the University of Parma, Study Center and Communication Archive in 1981. In addition, Dave Kerr made extensive use of his images in his 2003 book, "Italian Film Posters, "published by The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Permanent collections of his work are displayed at the University of Parma, Communication Studies Center and Archive (CSAC) and the Cinema Museum in Brush, Montecosaro.
To see more of his posters search by his last name.
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January 29th, 2022
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