by ASH KINNEY D’HARCOURT
By the 1940s, the Golden Age of Hollywood was in full swing. This era was marked by its iconic films, glamorous movie stars, and the dominance of the major Hollywood studios in which film production and marketing were highly structured and standardized. In the preceding decade, the industry had undergone a transition to sound cinema, introducing new genres that provided audiences fast-paced and witty screwball comedy, dynamic action sequences and musical spectacles. However, the persistent enforcement of the industry’s production code aimed to avoid scandal and ensure modest content for an expanding audience. The interplay between these social and industrial forces can be seen in the visual design and messaging of the movie posters from this decade. [Read more…] about Star Power and Spectacle: Decoding 1940s Movie Posters