Utahpolis

I watched Anatomy of a Murder yesterday and I decided to do a write-up here afterwards. While doing a bit of research on the film, I noticed that a fellow named Saul Bass was responsible for the opening titles of the film. Whoever posted the sequence on youtube decided to feature Saul’s name prominently in the description of the video. You don’t usually see the opening credits given so much attention, so this peaked my curiosity and I set forth to investigate.

Be warned, however. This post will be extremely heavy on youtube videos. If you’re reading this in a RSS viewer or on facebook, please navigate over to utahpolis.com so you can see the clips I’m talking about. If you’re on a slow computer, I feel your pain but can’t be of any help.

Here’s the sequence that got me interested in all of this…

And there you have it. The tone of the movie is set. You now have a set of images and sounds in your mind so that when the film begins you’re in the proper mindset. Also, the musical themes have been introduced. When they reoccur throughout the movie, the audience is subconsciously reminded of the title sequence where the initial mood was associated with the musical theme. This may seem somewhat inconsequential, but it’s a very important part of modern cinema. Don’t believe me? Check out the following intro to Star Wars done in the style of Saul Bass.

Well, that was fun. Now imagine watching the rest of Star Wars after having seen that opening. It would be the same movie, sure, but I’d argue that it would have more of a comedic feel. Even if nothing in the movie is funny, you’ve been conditioned by the opening credits to believe that good times are ahead and your mind will seek them out even if not there. Feel the power of the Saul. It is your destiny.

So, where did this all get started? Well, it turns out that Saul Bass was one of the pioneers in the world of opening credits.

Saul was working in Hollywood doing print work for film ads when director Otto Preminger (who directed Anatomy of a Murder, among other great films) came along and asked Saul to design a poster for Otto’s new 1954 film, Carmen Jones. Otto liked the work so much that he asked Saul to produce a title sequence for the film as well. It was then that Saul realized the potential to go beyond simple names up on the screen; He saw the opportunity for creativity in the titles and knew that they would ultimately enhance the films.

Things really got rolling a year later, in 1955, when Saul did the titles for another Preminger movie, The Man with the Golden Arm. The movie itself was controversial; Frank Sinatra played a heroin addict. Accordingly, Saul did something unorthodox. The titles were animated and didn’t feature the star of the film, Frank Sinatra. Instead, you were presented with a crippled and disembodied arm, symbolic of the junkie. Furthermore, the idea of even paying attention to the titles was novel; Film projectionists had to be instructed to make sure the curtain was open while the titles were playing. Prior to this film, the curtains often were left closed until the movie began!

Saul would continue to work with Otto Preminger, but wasn’t exclusive to him. Alfred Hitchcock also used Saul in a number of his films, including Psycho, North By Northwest and presented for you below, 1958’s Vertigo.

He wasn’t always at the beginning of the film. Here, in 1961’s West Side Story, we see Saul’s work at the end of the movie.

As time went on, Saul began to use live action in his titles as well. Here’s the opening to Walk on the Wild Side. I can haz titlez?

This next one is just outright disturbing. It’s from Seconds, released in 1966. Interestingly, Saul would use portions of this intro for Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear.

Saul would eventually try his hand at film making. Here’s a scene from his short film, Why Man Creates. While this would win an Oscar, his other attempts at directing were not so fortunate.

Towards the end of the sixties, Saul’s signature style began to go out of fashion and he once again would focus on graphic design. This must have been quite lucrative for him, as he created the logos for AT&T, Continental Airlines, Exxon, Girl Scouts, Kleenex, Minolta, Quaker Oats, United Way and United Airlines.

He would return to film again, however. Many of the directors of the 80’s and 90’s grew up on Saul’s work and were thrilled to have him do their title sequences. Here is one of his final pieces, the intro to Scorsese’s Casino. Saul Bass would pass away the next year.

Still not sold on Saul’s influence? Take a look at these two opening scenes. The first is from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the second is Casino Royale.

And there you have it. I know that I will never watch the beginning of a film the same way again. Thanks, Saul!