Bring on the opening credits

I was totally defeated by my entry yesterday. I wrote it and rewrote it and still wasn't happy with it so I have decided to shelve it and start a-fresh. I couldn't decide what to write but as luck would have it the answer presented itself this evening. I decided to watch one of the films we have recorded and never got round to watching - Dr Zhivago. I've heard so much about it and so have always wanted to see it. In the end I haven't paid it much attention as I was blown away by the beautiful opening credits and started writing!

I love the opening credits in old movies. Its so nice seeing something that has been made lovingly by hand. They are real works of art. Below are some stills from the opening sequence, I hope you will agree that they really are incredibly beautiful.

I can't find who the artist was who painted them, so if anyone happens to know I'd be very interested to find out. They really remind me of the 'Birch Forest' paintings by Gustav Klimt. These particular paintings are the complete antithesis to Klimt's for famous gilded and bejewelled society spectacles by the remain incredibly beautiful in their simplicity.





I'm such a fan of the incredible art that was created by the film studios before the advent of computers saw the end of many hand drawn credits and posters. I've put some of my favourites below.













The poster for the Ipcress file is particularly brilliant. There are so many more I wanted to share, I could go on forever. I think I will have to revisit these great posters another time. For me they really are some of the greatest art of the Twentieth Century. The way that image, colour, font and texture is used to create the feel of the movie is incredible.

Well back to Dr Zhivago - I missed most of it now!