We're reviving "Curio" but with a twist. It won't just be arts & crafts any more but any curiousity so here's one about movie vernacular, taglines, and advertisements. - Editor.
Fifty years ago today Harper (1966) hit movie theaters. We only mention this because it gives us (another) excuse to post Paul Newman photos and to talk about a favorite movie poster quirk. Joe Reid recently wondered aloud why we say "Actor 'in' Name of Movie" versus "Actor 'on' Name of TV Show" which is true and curious. Why is that the language?
And why do some advertising campaigns say Movie Star IS... rather than Movie Star IN... or Movie Star AS? With Paul Newman it was "is" more often than not. Here's some proof...
Even when Harper opened in other countries it was "Paul Newman is..."
Even when they changed the title for the UK release, it was still "Paul Newman is..."
And of course three years before Harper, in Paul Newman's greatest film it was still... "Paul Newman is..."
Later when he made Hombre (1967) we got one of the best "Paul Newman is..." taglines
Hombre means man. Paul Newman is Hombre."
The very next year in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) the studio PR team dispensed with the title altogether to use "Paul Newman is..."
Hell, even when fans mock up "what if" posters it's "Paul Newman is..."
Sadly when Harper got a sequel The Drowning Pool (1975) ... they couldn't exactly use "is". And Cool Hand Luke (1967) bucked the trend even in its heyday despite the perfect opportunity to use it.
"as"... ??? That's just noncommittal.
