Movie Poster Spotlight: OUTSIDE THE LAW (1956)

Director Jack Arnold is of course best remembered for this horror and scifi efforts like CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON or TARANTULA. At the time, the studio system was still comfortably established. More often than not, studio directors were assigned projects by the studio executives.

There is no way to tell if he actively opted for this one or if it was simply given to him, but in 1956 Jack Arnold directed a little known Film Noir flic titled OUTSIDE THE LAW, which opened in Germany in September 1959 with this poster designed by artist Hans Braun:

These days, posters are not much more than an advertising gadget. Back in the 1950s (and long after) the movie poster was THE main advertising tool. Its sole purpose was to lure potential clients into the cinema.

Unlike many other posters from the period that are often overcrowded with details, this one does a perfect job. Let’s start with the German title DU ODER ICH (You or Me). Three words, four syllables, nine letters is all it takes to give us a first impression what we can expect here: Some gritty action, and perhaps a story of revenge. Which is both true.

This first impression is emphasized by a stumbling guy with a gun in his hand and blood running from his temple. His suit and the stylized brick wall on the right tell us that this is a crime movie, not a western. And the combination of the red title and brown background suggests that we are in for a ‘bloody affair’. Everything about the design promises hard-boiled urban crime. No romance, no comic relief, just a wounded man with a gun and a desperate situation. Doing what a man has to do.
Unless you’re Travis Bickle, this is not a movie you would take your prospective girlfriend to see.

Whether the film ultimately delivers on its promise doesn‘t matter. By then the poster has done the one job it was created for: getting the audience to part with their money.

I have a US Pressbook for Russ Meyer’s MUDHONEY that can be seen HERE. On the posters page it states ‘DRAMATIC ONE SHEETS – STOP THE EYE… OPEN THE WALLET!’

I always loved that quote, and if the purpose of a movie poster is indeed to stop the eye and open the wallet, Hans Braun succeeded brilliantly.

The poster is available for purchase and will be added to the website with my next update.