Bank Shot 1974

Curator: Okay, let's talk about this poster for the 1974 film "Bank Shot". It stars George C. Scott and, as the poster loudly proclaims, it's about "the biggest 'withdrawal' in banking history!" Editor: My first impression? Chaotic! It's a visual frenzy. Look at those caricatured figures crammed onto…is that a bank on wheels? It has a cartoonish, almost manic energy. Curator: Absolutely chaotic! Davis was a master of controlled chaos. He takes this bizarre concept—stealing an entire bank—and visualizes it with over-the-top energy. The figures are all exaggerated, expressions wild. Editor: And it's so wonderfully low-fi! You can practically smell the printing press. It reminds us that even something mass-produced like a movie poster is a product of very specific labor and materials—the paper, the ink, the printing techniques of the time. This isn’t some sleek digital creation. Curator: Right, there is something intrinsically analog and immediate about the design; from hand-drawn lettering and all these quirky details: that tiny 'Mission Bell Bank' facade, complete with wheels... Editor: It also points to the film's take on criminality and wealth. This isn't some Ocean’s Eleven-style heist, it's absurd, almost slapstick, suggesting a deeper critique of the banking system. Curator: I think that makes perfect sense, because beyond the obvious comedic intent of a heist like that, and with a star such as George C. Scott, you can see the design, and feel how this movie pushes some real buttons of society. I think we can leave it there. Editor: So true. From materials and processes to meaning. It's all there.