A SELECTION OF FILM POSTERS ILLUSTRATED BY THE CARTOONIST, JACK DAVIS

Jack Davis was a multi-award-winning American cartoonist and illustrator who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 2nd of December, 1924, and then died in the same city on the 27th of July, 2016. He was 91 years old. Throughout his career, Jack was known for producing stylized artwork for various forms of media, such as illustrations or designs for magazines (TV Guide), record album covers (Everybody Loves a Nut), comic book stories (MAD magazine), and for the purposes of this article, film posters too. What now follows is a selection of these film posters, along with some information about each one. Please enjoy.

Title of the film: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World / Year released: 1963 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Stanley Kramer / Starring: Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, and Mickey Rooney / Running time: 159 minutes / Budget: $9.4 million / Box office: $60 million

Title of the film: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum / Year released: 1966 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Period musical comedy / Director: Richard Lester / Starring: Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, and Michael Crawford / Running time: 99 minutes / Budget: $2 million / Box office: $8.5 million (US/Canada)

Title of the film: Inspector Clouseau / Year released: 1968 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Crime comedy / Director: Bud Yorkin / Starring: Alan Arkin, Frank Finlay, and Barry Foster / Running time: 96 minutes / Budget: Unknown / Box office: $1.9 million

Title of the film: The Party / Year released: 1968 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Blake Edwards / Starring: Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, and Steve Franken / Running time: 99 minutes / Budget: $1.5 million / Box office: $2.9 million (US rentals)

Title of the film: The Impossible Years / Year released: 1968 / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Genre: Comedy / Director: Michael Gordon / Starring: David Niven, Chad Everett, and Lola Albright / Running time: 98 minutes / Budget: Unknown / Box office: $5.8 million (North America rentals)

Title of the film: Some Kind of a Nut / Year released: 1969 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Garson Kanin / Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Angie Dickinson, and Rosemary Forsyth / Running time: 90 minutes / Budget: Unknown / Box office: Unknown

Title of the film: One More Time / Year released: 1970 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Jerry Lewis / Starring: Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and John Wood / Running time: 92 minutes / Budget: Unknown / Box office: Unknown

Title of the film: Kelly's Heroes / Year released: 1970 / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Genre: Wartime comedy heist / Director: Brian G. Hutton / Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, and Donald Sutherland / Running time: 146 minutes / Budget: $4 million / Box office: $5.2 million

Title of the film: Bananas / Year released: 1971 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Woody Allen / Starring: Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, and Carlos Montalbán / Running time: 82 minutes / Budget: $2 million / Box office: $11.8 million

Title of the film: The Long Goodbye / Year released: 1973 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Crime comedy / Director: Robert Altman / Starring: Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, and Sterling Hayden / Running time: 112 minutes / Budget: $1.7 million / Box office: $959,000

Title of the film: Five on the Black Hand Side / Year released: 1973 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Comedy / Director: Oscar Williams / Starring: Clarice Taylor, Leonard Jackson, and Virginia Capers / Running time: 96 minutes / Budget: $200,000 / Box office: $1,367,000 (US/Canada rentals)

Title of the film: The Bad News Bears / Year released: 1976 / Distributor: Paramount Pictures / Genre: Sports comedy / Director: Michael Ritchie / Starring: Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, and Vic Morrow / Running time: 102 minutes / Budget: $9 million / Box office: $42.3 million

Title of the film: Crime Busters / Year released: 1977 / Distributor: United Artists / Genre: Action crime comedy / Director: E.B. Clucher / Starring: Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, and David Huddleston / Running time: 109 minutes / Budget: Unknown / Box office: $33,642

So, there you have it, folks, a selection of film posters illustrated by the cartoonist, Jack Davis. From those on display, which one is your favorite and why? Could it be the film poster promoting the Woody Allen film, 'Bananas'? (🍌) Or do you prefer the film poster for the Peter Sellers comedy classic, 'The Party'? (🥳) Either way, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

*** Please Note: All of the film posters on display were sourced from the internet and vary in quality