Movie Posters, Part One: The Comedies

I am working on a series of articles on the history of Hollywood movie posters.  I have a number of posters that didn't fit into the article.  I figured to publish those posters separately by genre.  This first group falls into my favorite genre - the comedy film.  

In the 1930s, posters for comedy films emphasized humor through exaggerated visuals, bold colors, and title prominence.  This was necessary because the posters had to catch the eye of passersby in high-traffic advertising spaces like bus stops or theaters.  The genre uniquely favored playful, accessible designs that signal lighthearted escapism. 

A belief has spread online that the posters for comedy films almost always feature the film's title in big red letters.  

I am nor sure that this is true.  I have just as often seen the titles of comedy films in big yellow letters.

In the 1960s, the posters for comedy films adopted Mad Magazine's irreverent style cartoons, featuring hand-drawn caricatures of ensemble casts in absurd scenarios.  Mad Magazine veteran Jack Davis was the best at creating these types of posters.  

This is a strange double feature.

  

In the 1970s, the layouts became more playful.  Photography began to play a larger role.  Visual hooks emerged (a funny scene or gag moment). 

Typography and design reflected pop-culture aesthetics (bold grids, funky fonts).  These posters were satirical, stylish and self-aware.  Earlier posters sold personalities.  In the 1970s, posters sold ideas or moods.  

Jack Davis' gag-driven chaos was gone.  Warm yellows and reds were replaced by muted palettes, photographic realism, and emotional honesty.  Examples include The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and Annie Hall (1977).  The emphasis was on character, not gags.

In the 1980s, comedy film posters increasingly followed formulaic genre codes: bright, saturated colors (yellows, reds, blues), large typography, and portraits of the cast in funny poses.  Ensemble comedies might show all the main characters in a busy layout, implying group antics.

An iconic trend of the 1980s was the "sunglass peep" - characters slyly peering over shades, implying mischief.  This can be seen with the posters for Risky Business (1983), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), License to Drive (1988) and Doc Hollywood (1991).  

Blue-sky backdrops turned up on posters for three comedies, All of Me (1984), Wayne's World (1992) and Black Sheep (1996).  

Finally, we have the leaning Matthew McConaughey posters.

Here are a few more posters.  I hope that you enjoy them.