Book, Press - Alan Ladd, "Shane"
Object number2013.005.29
Date1953
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensions15 x 12 5/16 in. (38.1 x 31.3 cm)
Credit LineOld State House Museum Collection
DescriptionA press book for the 1953 film "Shane", starring Hot Springs, Arkansas native Alan Ladd.Alan Ladd was born September 3, 1913, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and lived in Arkansas until around the age of five. He was an actor who appeared in over 80 films and was one of the most recognizable celebrities of the 1940s and '50s. He starred in such films as "Two Years before the Mast," "The Blue Dahlia," and "The Great Gatsby." However, Ladd is perhaps best known for his role in the 1953 western movie "Shane." Ladd died on January 29, 1964.
Press books, which were published by film distributors as a marketing ploy, were intended to encourage cinema owners to promote films by providing the managers with a plethora of promotional materials. These materials included plot synopses, behind-the-scenes stories and photographs, movie stills, posters, lobby cards, and life-size cardboard character standees that were intended to be placed in cinema foyers. Press books were most prominent from the 1920s until the end of the 1940s, which was at the height of filmgoing.
The press book is printed in black and white. The cover depicts a shootout, with only one person in full view. To the right of the mountains in the background, a smaller image depicts a man who has just fired his gun with a boy running towards him. To the left of the mountains is a larger image of a gloved hand dropping a pistol. The title of the movie is printed in large black blocked lettering in the middle of the cover. Ladd played the title role in the film, which was nominated for five Acadmey Awards. The film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1993.
Status
Not on view
