Introduction: Fine art, folk art, or no art at all -- Silents to 1930s : daily survival of the fittest -- 1940s : business booms and ads peak -- 1950s : wide, wide worlds -- 1960s : a slow slide down.
Summary
The Art of Selling Movies is a "first-ever look at 60 years of newspaper advertising for motion pictures great and not-so-great. The idea for walk-in and drive-in theatres alike was to motivate patrons to leave their homes, part with precious income, and spend time in the dark, and theatre owners used wildly creative means to make that happen. They made movie advertising equal parts art and psychology, appealing to every human instinct in an effort to push product and keep their theatres in business. From the pen-and-ink masterpieces of the 1930s to location-specific folk art to ad space jam-packed with enticements for every member of the family, The Art of Selling Movies dissects the psyche of the American movie-going public ... and the advertisers seeking a way in."--Book jacket.
