''Ride Lonesome'', 1959 - art by Anselmo Ballester is a mixed media by Movie World Posters which was uploaded on January 20th, 2022.
''Ride Lonesome'', 1959 - art by Anselmo Ballester
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''Ride Lonesome'', a 1959 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. It is part... more
Title
''Ride Lonesome'', 1959 - art by Anselmo Ballester
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage Italian movie poster of ''Ride Lonesome'', a 1959 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. It is part of the series of Boetticher-Scott Westerns, known for their psychological depth, stark landscapes, and minimalist style. The film is highly regarded for its narrative economy, visual style, and the complex interplay of its characters.
In "Ride Lonesome," Randolph Scott plays Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter with a reputation for integrity and toughness. He captures a young outlaw named Billy John, portrayed by James Best, intending to take him to Santa Cruz for trial. The plot thickens as Brigade's journey is complicated by the presence of two outlaws, Sam Boone (Pernell Roberts) and Whit (James Coburn in his film debut), who aim to capture Billy John themselves for the bounty. Along the way, Brigade picks up a woman, Mrs. Carrie Lane (Karen Steele), whose husband has been killed by Apaches.
The film is notable for its exploration of themes such as revenge, redemption, and the moral ambiguities of justice. Brigade is a stoic and enigmatic protagonist, driven by a personal vendetta that is gradually revealed throughout the film. The interactions among the characters are tense and layered, with each having their own motivations and backstories that intersect and clash.
"Ride Lonesome" is visually striking, filmed in CinemaScope and shot in the Alabama Hills of California, which provides a rugged and expansive backdrop that enhances the film's thematic elements of loneliness and desolation. The sparse and efficient use of dialogue, combined with the stark, beautiful cinematography, creates a moody and atmospheric tone.
The film's climax, involving a confrontation at a deserted outpost, is a powerful and emotionally charged sequence that encapsulates the film's themes. "Ride Lonesome" is celebrated as a classic of the Western genre, showcasing Budd Boetticher's skill in crafting a compelling narrative within the constraints of a low-budget film. It remains a benchmark for Westerns, influencing many filmmakers in the genre.
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.
To see more of his posters search by his last name.
Uploaded
January 20th, 2022
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