So, wise reader, you may have heard of the passing of this giant in the world of cartooning, and are now wondering what he has to do with the world of motion pictures. Well, Mr. Davis did have one screen credit, which we’ll discuss in a bit. No, more importantly John Burton “Jack” Davis, Jr. has added to the fun, or to use an old term “ballyhoo”, of promoting movies for well over fifty years. It’s difficult not to think of his work when recalling so many classic films.
First, a little bio background. He was born on December 2, 1924 in Atlanta Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Jack landed several cartooning gigs including a stint with the newspaper comic strip based ion the classic character “The Saint”. Then in 1950 he joined the staff of the legendary comics publishing company Entertaining Comics (EC). Jack produced amazing art for titles like “Frontline Combat” and “Two Fisted Tales. But the big sellers at EC were the horror anthologies, and Jack was one of the most popular artists, helping to design the host character, the Cryptkeeper, for “Tales From the Crypt” (some of its stories were adapted into films by Britain’s Amicus Studios in the 1970’s in TALES FROM THE CRYPT and THE VAULT OF HORROR). But the work that truly showcased Jack’s incredible talent was his contribution to the then color comic book “Mad” in 1952. He led his penchant humor run wild with memorable pieces like “The Lone Stranger” and “Hah Noon”. Soon Jack was doing lots of work outside the comics: advertising, magazine covers, record albums, bubble gum cards, and movie posters. His most famous movie poster wasn’t his first, but this one established him as the “go to” guy for promoting comedy films. Behold the majesty of…
Jack’s art promised zany mayhem which the film nearly delivers. But most flicks couldn’t truly present the stunning spectacle of Mr. Davis’s designs. I recall buying that record album and just staring at that beautiful cover literally for hours. From the 60’s, Jack kept producing masterpieces of mirth into the 1970’s as the perfect match for another comedy master….
Perhaps you noticed the tribute to this poster in the recent film WIENER-DOG. A character played by Danny DeVito is depicted in a poster for the flick, “Apricots”. In 1973, Jack drew up a movie poster similar to his work in Mad Magazine for Robert Altman’s take on the classic private eye….
The flick’s a lot darker than that. Still Jack nails the likenesses of Gould and company. Another iconic image was seen in 1976 with one of the greatest sports comedies of all time….
Okay, about that screen credit. In the mid 1960’s , Jack did character sketches and model sheets for TV cartoons “King Kong” and “The Jackson Five” from the Rankin/Bass Studios, the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” folks. When R/B decided to make a feature-length stop-motion animated comedy starring the classic movie monsters, Jack was tapped to design them, including one voiced by Karloff himself. Here’s the trailer for MAD MONSTER PARTY…
…and the model sheet sketches of Count Dracula…
Now his most famous monster art may be this nifty poster offered in the back of Warren magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland back in the 60’s. How many lucky “monster kids” had this taped to the inside of their bedroom door? Sorry, the coupon’s been invalid for fifty years…
So, here’s a big movie geeks thank you, Jack D! And there’s a lot of his art floating around out there that many of his biggest fans (like yours truly) have never seen! This prolific master is the gift that just keeps on giving! We’re sad that he’s left the art studio at age 91 and we extend our sympathies to his family, but hey, aren’t we all unbelievably lucky to have had nearly a century of Jack Davis?!
The 2nd Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is happening right now in beautiful Mammoth Lakes California, and their programming, yet again, is nothing short of spectacular (thanks to Festival Director Shira Dubrovner and Director of Programming Paul Sbrizzi).
One of the more powerful films that I have seen thus far is the feature film by director/writer Robert G. Putka, MAD. In this tragicomedy, daughters Connie (Jennifer Lafleur) and Casey (Eilis Cahill) are trying to navigate their own lives and relationships while also dealing with their mother, Mel’s (Maryann Plunkett) nervous breakdown after her recent divorce, on top of her bi-polar disorder. Mel finds herself abandoned in a psych ward after her daughters decide they would rather not deal with her, and is now faced with navigating through her mental health. Meanwhile, perfect daughter Connie and ‘fuck up’ Casey can’t seem to find a common thread other than verbally ripping each other’s throats out. The film is a hard hitting look at a family trying to cope with this thing called life.
https://vimeo.com/150977962
Putka uses crass, biting humor, to help navigate the intense pain that the characters go through, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Think ‘if Judd Apatow were to have written and directed REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.’ Almost every emotion is felt while watching MAD. Joy, fear, anger, desperation, loneliness, the search for oneself, humor, shock… For those of us that didn’t grow up under the warm rooftop of a 1950’s Cleaver type household, this film is incredibly relatable. You don’t have to be going through remotely the same circumstances as the three main characters to find some level of comradery.
The three main actors in this film are nothing short of incredible, with an impressive amount of credits under their sleeves. The chemistry between the three is nothing short of amazing. Adding an extra dose of humor and drama is Mark Reeb, who plays Jerry, a fellow patient at the psych ward with Mel. The director mentioned in a Q&A after the film (via speakerphone) that Reeb was dying to play the part, and that most of his lines were improvised. What we end up with is a passionate actor with the ability to let loose, and give a hilarious, emotional performance.
There is definitely a ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ element to the characters of Connie and Casey. Connie is the put together, sophisticated beauty with a perfect family, while Casey is struggling with finding her path in adulthood. Looks can be deceiving. This type of twist, when pulled off correctly, is one of my favorite scenarios to watch unfold on screen. It’s a very ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ thread that never ceases to be relevant.
MAD is currently making it’s way around the festival circuit. To keep up with the film check out their Facebook, or their website.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off its summer screening series, “The Last 70mm Film Festival,” on Monday, July 9, with a big-screen presentation of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963). The six-film series, which will run through August 13, will showcase 70mm classics from different genres, and will include a new print of “Spartacus” and rarely screened 70mm short subjects. All screenings will be held on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Pre-show festivities will begin at 7 p.m.
As theaters increasingly move towards digital projection, there has never been a better time to celebrate these vibrant, clear 70mm prints.
The complete schedule for “The Last 70mm Film Festival” is as follows:
July 9
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963)
“The Miracle of Todd-AO” (1956), a short film detailing the technological advancement of the Todd-AO wide-angle lens and the widescreen format as used in “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Oklahoma!”
July 16
“Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
“Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot” (1957), the longest continually running motion picture in American film history, which still runs daily in VistaVision at the twin Patriot Theatres in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
July 23
“Grand Prix” (1966)
“The March of Todd-AO” (1959), follow-up to “The Miracle of Todd-AO,” featuring the technology as used in “South Pacific.”
July 30
“The Sound of Music” (1965)
August 6
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
“To Be Alive!” (1965), the Academy AwardŽ-winning documentary short subject that shows the progression from childhood to adulthood in different cultures around the world.
August 13
“Spartacus” (1960)
From a new 70mm print.
An updated list of pre-show details will be available at Oscars.org.
Series passes for “The Last 70mm Film Festival” are on sale now. Passes are $20 for the general public and $15 for Academy members and students with valid ID.
Tickets to individual evenings, if still available, will go on sale Friday, June 29. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call(310) 247-3600or visit www.oscars.org.
For more information about the Academy’s public events, visit:
