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Barbarella movie posters

Contributed by Florian Hardwig on Feb 10th, 2024. Artwork published in .
US teaser poster (40″×60″)
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

US teaser poster (40″×60″)

In her recent contribution, Hee showed that Barbarella was presented to cinema-goers in the United Kingdom in Edelgotisch. In the United States and also in several European countries, the typeface associated with the 1968 science fiction movie is Peignot.

Various posters feature its Bold weight, with tight letterspacing and often with contoured letterforms. On the US One Sheet poster shown directly below, Cassandre’s 1937 design can be see with alternating glyph colors and a shower of stars. The initial B and the double l were lowered so that they sit flush with the other letters (except for the b), further increasing the whimsical appeal of Peignot. In Ugo Tognazzi’s name, the G had to lose its descender, for a vertically more compact line.

The art on that poster (and the international variants shown further below) is by Robert McGinnis, who turned 98 last week.

US One Sheet (27″×41″). The tagline at the top left uses  Italic. “See [Barbarella] do her thing!” is added in what looks like . The names of John Phillip Law and Marcel Marceau are set in , and the music credits in the box might be ..
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

US One Sheet (27″×41″). The tagline at the top left uses Helvetica Italic. “See [Barbarella] do her thing!” is added in what looks like Standard Condensed. The names of John Phillip Law and Marcel Marceau are set in Galaxy, and the music credits in the box might be Lightline Gothic..

24 Sheet poster (104″×232″)
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

24 Sheet poster (104″×232″)

US Half Sheet (22″×28″)
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

US Half Sheet (22″×28″)

Belgian poster (14″×21″)
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

Belgian poster (14″×21″)

German A0 poster (33″×46″). Some smaller text is set in . The narrow gothic here is a different one, possibly .
Source: movieposters.ha.com Heritage Auctions. License: All Rights Reserved.

German A0 poster (33″×46″). Some smaller text is set in Folio. The narrow gothic here is a different one, possibly News Gothic Extra Condensed.

Typefaces

  • Peignot
  • Filmotype Galaxy / Gable / Garfield / Gamma
  • Akzidenz-Grotesk Condensed
  • Helvetica
  • Lightline Gothic
  • News Gothic Extra Condensed
  • Folio

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