Book, Press - Alan Ladd, "Hell Below Zero"
Object number2013.005.22
Date1954
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensions11 3/4 x 16 in. (29.8 x 40.6 cm)
Credit LineOld State House Museum Collection
DescriptionA press book for the 1954 movie "Hell Below Zero," starring Hot Springs 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 features three colors: black, white, and blue. The cover shows a number of images from the movie, which serve as a black and blue background. A superimposed black-and-white image of Ladd in a sailor's outfit, holding a rifle in his hands, is featured on the left side of the cover. "Alan Ladd's Biggest!" is printed across the top of the cover in white lettering; the title of the movie appears across the bottom in half blue and black lettering against a white background. A small portrait of co-star Joan Tetzel is featured above the right side of the title. Other film credits appear at the bottom, surrounding a smaller image of Ladd working a harpoon gun.
Status
Not on view
