Saul Bass meets "Star Wars"

An absolutely idiotic notion is cleverly illustrated here. If Star Wars had been released in 1957 instead of '77 and if George Lucas had hired Saul Bass to do the main titles, this is how it would have looked. Right. Bass would have ignored the celestial adventure aspects and sought to invoke an urban jazzy vibe, going in the exact same direction as the main title sequences for The Man With the Golden Arm and Anatomy of a Murder.



I'll admit that in its own nonsensical way it's a pretty good Bass knockoff. Bass was great. His main-title sequence for Walk on the Wild Side ('61) was widely praised as being better that the film that followed. The same was true for his Man With the Golden Arm sequence, even though the brassy big-band jazz music feels a little too forced.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 2, 2008 at 4:21 PM

comment #1

CinemaPhreek Author Profile Page says ...

Have to agree - the choice of music is far too frenetic and makes this more of a parody mash-up than a true homage to the Bass style. He needed to go with a slower tempo Jazz riff.

That said, it was still a delight to watch.

But wasn't this posted like this morning on Movie City News?

Posted by CinemaPhreek Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 4:40 PM

comment #2

gruver1 Author Profile Page says ...

Wells to CinemaPhreek: So what? I was doing other stuff, got around to spotting it this afternoon. If you or David Poland don't like my sense of timing, tough.

Posted by gruver1 Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 4:46 PM

comment #3

le corbeau Author Profile Page says ...

It was posted this morning on Movie City News, and promptly named the favorite for the Oscars next year.

It will be on Ain't It Cool in six more days.

Posted by le corbeau Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 4:57 PM

comment #4

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

I think Jeff's a little cranky today.

I thought the whole was a parody of that look and style. It cracked me up.

btw, just saw "Austin Powers" and I couldn't believe how wrong they got everything. James Bond would never have worn glasses like that.

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:03 PM

comment #5

giantman Author Profile Page says ...

For my money I always thought that Bass' Vertigo title sequence was one of his best. The man was a graphic genius.

The Star Wars thing is ok, but it is a weak attempt at Bass' style. There are so many things wrong with it, it would take a long time to recount them all. A worthy attempt that falls way short. Plus you can't do that and totally ignore William's theme.

Posted by giantman Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:15 PM

comment #6

Jeremy Smith Author Profile Page says ...

According to the YouTube page, it was a school project. I guess the kid could've chased down a jazz combo riff on the STAR WARS theme (one has to exist), but for something whipped together on the cheap-and-quick, it's pretty damn clever.

Posted by Jeremy Smith Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:22 PM

comment #7

bmcintire Author Profile Page says ...

Love VERTIGO, like ANATOMY OF A MURDER, but MAN WITH THE GODEN ARM is throuoghly unimpressive, even for Bass. His final poster image is brilliant, but the credit sequence boring (if not more than a bit lazy).
The STAR WARS thing is cute and executed well enough. And I fear it will lead to a long line of these things (done half as well) all over Youtube in the coming weeks. It's nadir: "I'm fucking Saul Bass!"

Posted by bmcintire Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:24 PM

comment #8

Josh Massey Author Profile Page says ...

If you're going to spend that much time on something, at least use Spellcheck.

Posted by Josh Massey Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:25 PM

comment #9

fielding Author Profile Page says ...

This is great. I love Princess Leia's wink.

Posted by fielding Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 5:38 PM

comment #10

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

I still think it's hilarious.

Reminds me of Monty Python's "The Bishop"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2etGhVewsvQ

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 6:02 PM

comment #11

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

I like how Mark Hamill, the ostensible star of the movie, gets like sixth billing.

They did appear to make one mistake, though (geek alert!). One of the cutouts appears to be Max Rebo, the keyboard-playing blue elephant thing that didn't appear until Return of the Jedi.

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 6:28 PM

comment #12

Dan Revill Author Profile Page says ...

It's alright, except um, Max Rebo isn't in A New Hope. Yes I'm that big of a nerd. Oh the spell check is definitely broken. Staring. Is it really that hard to spell Starring?

Posted by Dan Revill Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 6:28 PM

comment #13

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

Hey Aladdin, JINX!

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 6:29 PM

comment #14

Dan Revill Author Profile Page says ...

Shit! That's great. Now my pasta's gonna turn out crappy! That'll teach me to close the window before seeing the finished product.

Posted by Dan Revill Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 7:17 PM

comment #15

le corbeau Author Profile Page says ...

Yeah, if it's 60s scifi, it would have more spooky theremenish music, or sort of semi-atonal bombast (like Goldsmith's score for Planet of the Apes).

Now we need a 30s Warner Bros. style meet the cast open, with James Cagney as Tom Solo, Frank McHugh as Lem Skywalker, Charles Middleton as Darth Vader, Ann Dvorak as Princess Leia, Franklin Pangborn as C3PO, Hugh Herbert as R2D2, Alan Hale as Uncle Owen, Aline McMahon as Aunt Beroo, Noble Johnson as Chewbacca, Arthur Hohl as Boba Fett, Tully Marshall as Grand Moff Tarkin...

Posted by le corbeau Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 7:17 PM

comment #16

nemo Author Profile Page says ...

Hell, all the Star Wars movies would have been a lot better if the whole friggin' movie had been made in 1956 by either Hitchcock or Otto Preminger.

Posted by nemo Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 7:20 PM

comment #17

nemo Author Profile Page says ...

Or by the 1956-era Stanley Kubrick. The whole Star Wars series sucks! From beginning to end! How much pleasure can you get from getting beaten over the head by special effects every other minute, and by banal dialog the rest of the time (to quote Alec Guinness), at least if you're over the age of 13?

Posted by nemo Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 7:26 PM

comment #18

christian Author Profile Page says ...

This is incredibly cool and clever. I give him an A+.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 8:01 PM

comment #19

Movie fan09 Author Profile Page says ...


Or by the 1956-era Stanley Kubrick. The whole Star Wars series sucks! From beginning to end! How much pleasure can you get from getting beaten over the head by special effects every other minute, and by banal dialog the rest of the time (to quote Alec Guinness), at least if you're over the age of 13?

even bigger nerd:

you know the series itself was based on cheesy scfi serials from the 1930s?
where dialog was banal?

Posted by Movie fan09 Author Profile Page at March 2, 2008 9:11 PM

comment #20

movieirv Author Profile Page says ...

pretty good but hte real challenge would have been to have done it to john williams' original music.

Posted by movieirv Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 4:03 AM

comment #21

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

C'mon Mgmax, you know if it's the 30s, Mickey Rooney is going to turn up in there somewhere. He wasn't a Warners guy, but they could have gotten him on loan. Maybe they could have also gotten Spencer Tracy as Obi-Wan.

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 5:12 AM

comment #22

le corbeau Author Profile Page says ...

Whoops, I did forget to cast Obi-Wan, didn't I? Who would it be at Warners in the 30s-- Claude Rains? Ian Hunter?

Although that's a nice idea, Spencer Tracy as Solo and the Mick as Luke. Then it'd be MGM, and Lionel Barrymore could play Obi-Wan.

Posted by le corbeau Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 5:45 AM

comment #23

CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page says ...

I, for one, think it's pretty damned funny.

And if all of this is just for a school project? Brilliant.

I guess it offends Jeff's sense of "comedic integrity," tho...

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 6:05 AM

comment #24

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

Or, we could go with the obvious for Han Solo: Errol Flynn. The mind reels. He might actually have made a better Lando, though.

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 6:26 AM

comment #25

DavidF Author Profile Page says ...

Mildly amusing.
A good title sequence sets the tone for that movie and all that little exercise shows is what a horrible choice Bass might have been for Star Wars.
The lack of title sequence- the SLAM- of Williams' score, is one of the most distinctive things about the film, for pete's sake!

What not show a Bass-style sequence for 2001? Because it's pointless, that's why.
Why not show what a Bass sequence for Se7en would have looked like? Because what's there now is perfect, that's why.
etc.

Posted by DavidF Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 7:15 AM

comment #26

christian Author Profile Page says ...

Mickey Rooney as Yoda.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 7:27 AM

comment #27

DarthCorleone Author Profile Page says ...

I'll out-nerd all of you.

"Max Rebo" was one of the characters/shapes of peanut-butter-flavored cookies that accompanied the Return Of The Jedi release.

And if you want good jazz takes on Star Wars music check out "Cocktails in the Cantina" by the Evil Genius Orchestra or "Sketches on Star Wars" by the Trotter Trio.

Posted by DarthCorleone Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 10:49 AM

comment #28

vp19 Author Profile Page says ...

"Now we need a 30s Warner Bros. style meet the cast open, with James Cagney as Tom Solo, Frank McHugh as Lem Skywalker, Charles Middleton as Darth Vader, Ann Dvorak as Princess Leia, Franklin Pangborn as C3PO, Hugh Herbert as R2D2, Alan Hale as Uncle Owen, Aline McMahon as Aunt Beroo, Noble Johnson as Chewbacca, Arthur Hohl as Boba Fett, Tully Marshall as Grand Moff Tarkin..."

Posted by: Mgmax

Ann Dvorak as Princess Leia? I love it!

Conversely, how about Carrie Fisher in a '77 version of the '32 "Scarface" (the Muni version, not the Pacino one)...but who from the "Star Wars" cast plays Tony Camonte?

Posted by vp19 Author Profile Page at March 3, 2008 12:22 PM

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