''Down to Earth'', 1947 - art by Anselmo Ballester is a mixed media by Movie World Posters which was uploaded on February 6th, 2022.
''Down to Earth'', 1947 - art by Anselmo Ballester
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''Down to Earth'', a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Rita Hayworth. The... more
Title
''Down to Earth'', 1947 - art by Anselmo Ballester
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''Down to Earth'', a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Rita Hayworth. The film is a sequel to the 1941 movie "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," and it combines elements of fantasy, comedy, and romance.
In "Down to Earth," Rita Hayworth reprises her role as Terpsichore, one of the Greek Muses from Mount Olympus. Terpsichore becomes discontented with the way the gods are depicted in a Broadway musical about Greek mythology, which she views as a misrepresentation of their true nature. She descends to Earth to rectify the situation and persuade the show's producer, Danny Miller (played by Larry Parks), to change the musical's content.
The film follows Terpsichore as she navigates the challenges of being a mortal on Earth while attempting to alter the Broadway show's direction. Along the way, she and Danny develop a romantic connection. Terpsichore's divine status and her mission to fix the musical's portrayal of the gods create various humorous and dramatic situations.
"Down to Earth" is known for its musical sequences, with Rita Hayworth showcasing her dancing and singing talents in several numbers. The film also explores themes of love, artistic integrity, and the clash between mortal and divine perspectives.
Overall, "Down to Earth" is a light-hearted and entertaining film that combines elements of mythology, fantasy, and musical comedy, with Rita Hayworth's charismatic performance at its center. It's a charming continuation of the story from "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and remains a classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
About the poster 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.
To see more of his posters search by his last name.
Uploaded
February 6th, 2022
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