Having intended to post periodic features on film posters, I started with "Film Posters 1913 - 1929 (see index), but that was back in July 2011, so it's not before time that I featured "Part 2" on film posters of the 1930s.
From the 1910s through to the 1940s film studios developed their own artwork styles for their movie posters and used well-known artists and illustrators, Even when the films were black and white, the studios recognised the attraction of colour in the publicity.
Originally the posters were produced for the exclusive use by the theatres exhibiting the film the poster was created for, and the copies of the posters were required to be returned to the distributor after the film left the theatre. Very few posters from this period survive because the paper was recycled during the depression years and WW2.
From the 1910s through to the 1940s film studios developed their own artwork styles for their movie posters and used well-known artists and illustrators, Even when the films were black and white, the studios recognised the attraction of colour in the publicity.
Originally the posters were produced for the exclusive use by the theatres exhibiting the film the poster was created for, and the copies of the posters were required to be returned to the distributor after the film left the theatre. Very few posters from this period survive because the paper was recycled during the depression years and WW2.
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| 1930 The Bat Whispers |
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| 1931 Dracula |
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| 1931 Dracula |
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| 1932 A Farewell to Arms |
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| 1932 Blonde Venus |
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| 1932 Dance Team |
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| 1932 Island of Lost Souls |
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| 1932 The 7th Commandment |
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| 1932 The Monster Walks |
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| 1932 The Secrets of Wu Sin |
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| 1932 The Silent Witness |
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| 1933 Blood Money |
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| 1933 Daring Daughters |
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| 1933 Employees' Entrance |
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| 1933 I Love That Man |
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| 1933 King Kong |
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| 1933 King Kong |
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| 1933 King Kong |
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| 1933 Penthouse |
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| 1933 She Done Him Wrong |
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| 1933 State Fair |
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| 1933 Tarzan the Fearless |
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| 1933 The Big Brain |
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| 1933 The Ghoul |
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| 1933 The Last Trail |
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| 1933 The Sphinx |
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| 1933 The Song of Songs |
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| 1933 The Vampire Bat |
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| 1933 The Whispering Shadow |
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| 1933 Tugboat Annie |
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| 1933 West of Singapore |
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| 1934 Born to be Bad |
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| 1934 Charlie Chan in London |
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| 1934 Gay Love |
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| 1934 Men in White |
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| 1934 Moulin Rouge |
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| 1934 The Girl from Missouri |
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| 1934 The Living Dead |
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| 1934 The Living Dead |
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| 1934 The Night Club Queen |
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| 1934 The Silver Streak |
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| 1935 Condemned to Live |
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| 1935 Murder by Television |
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| 1935 The 39 Steps |
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| 1935 The Bride of Frankenstein |
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| 1935 The Devil Is a Woman |
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| 1935 The Devil Is a Woman |
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| 1935 Top Hat |
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| 1935 Werewolf of London |
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| 1936 Charlie Chan at the Circus |
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| 1936 Charlie Chan at the Race Track |
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| 1936 Gambling with Souls |
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| 1936 Juggernaut |
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| 1936 Juggernaut |
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| 1936 Shadow of Chinatown |
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| 1936 Shadow of Chinatown |
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| 1936 She Devil Island |
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| 1937 The Gold Racket |
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| 1938 Mr. Wong, Detective |
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| 1938 Sky Giant |
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| 1938 The Old Barn Dance |
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| 1939 Twelve Crowded Hours |