''Queen Bee'', 1955, movie poster painting by Anselmo Ballester

Base painting of the vintage movie poster for ''Queen Bee'', a captivating drama released in 1955, directed by Ranald MacDougall and starring the... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''Queen Bee'', 1955, movie poster painting by Anselmo Ballester

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Painting - Movie Posters

Description

Base painting of the vintage movie poster for ''Queen Bee'', a captivating drama released in 1955, directed by Ranald MacDougall and starring the iconic Joan Crawford. This film offers a glimpse into the lives of Southern socialites, exploring themes of manipulation, power, and the corrosive effects of jealousy.

The story centers around Eva Phillips, portrayed with fierce intensity by Joan Crawford, a beautiful and manipulative woman who wields her charm and cunning to control those around her. Set in a small Southern town, Eva's reign as the queen bee of high society is threatened when her cousin Jennifer, played by Lucy Marlow, comes to visit and unwittingly becomes entangled in Eva's web of deceit.

As Eva's carefully constructed facade begins to unravel, she resorts to increasingly desperate measures to maintain her grip on power, manipulating and betraying those closest to her in her relentless pursuit of dominance. Along the way, she must confront the demons of her past and reckon with the consequences of her actions, leading to a climactic showdown that will change the lives of everyone involved.

What sets "Queen Bee" apart is Joan Crawford's electrifying performance as Eva Phillips, a complex and multifaceted character whose icy exterior belies a vulnerable and deeply troubled soul. Crawford commands the screen with her commanding presence and steely gaze, capturing the essence of Eva's manipulative nature and inner turmoil with mesmerizing precision.

At its core, "Queen Bee" is a gripping exploration of power dynamics and the destructive effects of jealousy and insecurity. With its sharp dialogue, dynamic performances, and lush cinematography, the film remains a classic of the melodrama genre, offering a riveting glimpse into the dark underbelly of Southern society.

Base art is the poster artwork after the text has been digitally removed.

About the artist:

Anselmo Ballester (1897–1974) was a noted Italian painter and film poster designer from Rome. He was the son of Federico Ballester (Rome, 1868–1926), a painter of Spanish origins. Inspired by his father's artistic endeavors growing up, Anselmo completed his first works at 15.

After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he specialized in film advertising for the most important silent film production houses. He created posters and other advertising material for CINES, Caesar Film, and numerous other studios.

In his studio in Rome, via della Croce 50a (then via della Passeggiata Ripetta 19), he spent almost 50 years creating thousands of sketches for playbills and paintings for film posters. He went on to form the design company BCM along with two other prominent Italian poster artists, Alfredo Capitani and Luigi Martinati

The movie posters Ballester created between the 1930s and 1950s showcased his unique painting style using tempera medium and bold colors. They typically featured one or two significant characters. His style is reminiscent of pulp fiction covers and, like the best cinema advertisements, were infused with intrigue, conflict, and passion. His works were uncomplicated yet rich in detail, a techniqe and style he himself describes:

"To become a creator of film posters ... it is necessary to study passionately, always to draw and paint everything from the truth. Then you can let your imagination run free. Whether you are creating a work of art, or a more humble advertising poster, you must be able to attract the interest of the public, to satisfy both the most refined people and the roughest, who are the majority."

From a stylistic and compositional point of view, Alfredo Ballester began by drawing inspiration from the advertising posters of Art Nouveau, and then he defined his personal code. The painter exhibited a common layout in his movie posters: the actor or actress beautifully portrayed in the foreground, and one or two scenes from the film in the background.

To achieve this result, he used a methodical technique, making numerous sketches of the project only after having the best two selected by the client, he devoted himself to the final painting, strictly handmade.

Ballester's color palette, however, was his greatest talent. The artist used colors expressively, as a tool to convey emotions. The portraits of the stars were extremely realistic but often colored with unnatural hues such as pinks or intense light blues. Ballester illustrated his characters with colors capable of conveying the range of feelings transmitted by the film.

He was written about in "Anselmo Ballester: the Origins of the Film Poster," published by the University of Parma, Study Center and Communication Archive in 1981. In addition, Dave Kerr made extensive use of his images in his 2003 book, "Italian Film Posters, "published by The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Permanent collections of his work are displayed at the University of Parma, Communication Studies Center and Archive (CSAC) and the Cinema Museum in Brush, Montecosaro.

Uploaded

October 25th, 2022