Unlike Alfred Hitchcock, whose media presence and routine cameos made him a recognizable face on top of his legendary Hollywood status, title sequence designer and graphic artist Saul Bass is relatively unknown to most moviegoers. But he’s the foundation for many of Hitchcock’s work. His use of jagged edges, psychedelic imagery, and percussive editing set the tone for a Hitchcock thriller — and over his 40+ year career, a handful of other classics.
Today, Google pays tribute to Bass on what would have been his 93rd birthday (he was born on May 8, 1920 and passed away on April 25, 1996). In the fashion of some of his greatest graphic achievements, including Vertigo, North by Northwest, Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus, Robert Wise’s West Side Story, John Frankenheimer’s Seconds, and Michael Anderson’s Around the World in 80 Days, Google has whipped up its own stylish title sequence:
In 1962, Bass explained his approach to designing a title sequence to film critic Pauline Kael. “I try to reach for a simple, visual phrase that tells you what the picture is all about and evokes the essence of the story.”
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
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