by Daniel Zimmer and David J. Hornung
Reynold Brown seldom received credit for his artwork on hundreds of movie posters in the 1950s and 60s, yet he created some of the most memorable images of that era, from the title characters in Creature from the Black Lagoon and Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman to remarkable portraits of such stars as Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Jane Wyman, and Kirk Douglas.
He had a productive career before he started working on Hollywood movies (doing magazine illustrations and paperback covers) and after (as a fine artist who became renowned for his western paintings). This handsomely produced book provides an informative, personal biography of the man as well as a thorough chronicle of his work, including photos he used as reference, early sketches and layouts and finished pieces. Interviews with colleagues and family members provide a surprisingly personal view of a freelance artist’s life, with all of its slings and arrows. The pièce de resistance for movie buffs is a generous sampling of original artwork created for his movie campaigns, ranging from Audie Murphy westerns to Spartacus. Photographed directly from Brown’s meticulously detailed paintings (which, the authors point out, were usually degraded in the printing process) they are absolutely eye-popping and well worth the price. Order from the publisher's website.(Illustration Press)
