FILM & TELEVISION






Underworld,


Paramount, 1927,U.S. one-sheet poster (Style B), paper-backed, 41in x 27in (104cm x 69cm)
|Underworld is an American silent crime film directed by Josef von Sternberg and written by Ben Hecht, who won the Academy Award for Best Story at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. Starring George Bancroft, Evelyn Brent and Clive Brook, the film is regarded as one of the earliest gangster films as it established the fundamental elements of a gangster movie: a hoodlum hero; ominous, night-shrouded city streets; seductive women; and a heated finale to catch the protagonist. Apparently based on Ben Hecht's own experiences as a crime reporter in Chicago, he commented "Crooks and hop-heads toting machine guns became the national idols."Underworld is an extraordinary piece of cinema. This is the first time this rare 'Style B' has come on the auction market, and truly captures the mood, atmosphere and almost noir of the film.Literature:Nourmand, Tony, The 100 Movie Posters: The Essential Collection, (Reel Art Press), 2013Provenance:From a private collection