Today is Saul Bass's 93rd birthday. You may not know who Saul Bass is, but you've probably seen his work at some point—he designed the opening title sequences and posters for films—like Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest, Psycho and Vertigo—as well as the corporate logos to United Airlines and AT&T. Which is why Google's Google Doodle is all about Bass. There's a great animation, too!
The films referenced in the Doodle are Psycho, The Man With The Golden Arm, Advise and Consent, Spartacus, West Side Story, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Anatomy Of A Murder, Ocean's 11 and Around The World In 80 Days.
Bass, who was born in the Bronx, was known for his crisp graphic style and his title sequences helped propel themes of movies. For instance, the opening for Psycho shows spliced bars, echoing not only the murderous actions but also the numerous cuts in the famous montage scene. His design for The Man With The Golden Arm—which is about heroin addiction—features a foreboding arm.
In his later years, Bass collaborated a lot with Martin Scorsese, for Casino, Goodfellas and The Age of Innocence—here is The Age of Innocence opening:
Steven Spielberg said, "Saul Bass wasn’t just an artist who contributed to the first several minutes of some of the greatest movies in history; in my opinion his body of work qualifies him as one of the best film makers of this, or any other time."
