Here’s some little known French design history: From Bogie to Connery, from Groucho to, yes, Jerry Lewis, Boris Grinsson, a Russian born (1907) French movie poster artist, did hundreds of posters for American, Italian, and French films. His work, which is the subject of a richly illustrated book, spans the 20s through the 70s.
And if you ever wondered who did those slightly askew take-offs of Hollywood icons, Grinsson was one of the few – and one of the best, even if his likenesses were a little off – something akin to a dubbed movie.
He signed most of his posters, so these were not anonymous studio or agency generics. And yet historically, they have such a quotidian quality, his posters (based on photographs) seem like the common movie variety.
