The title sequence of a film is the intro which leads the viewer in while listing those involved in its production. Good ones evoke the mood of the film as well. Some are just as interesting as the films they introduce! A few titles that I absolutely adore are listed below.
Pillow Talk (1959) Wayne Fitzgerald
This has such a mid-century sophistication, it’s no wonder modern films have imitated it’s style (see for example the 2003 film Down With Love). The sequence was designed by Wayne Fitzgerald, a prolific title designer whose works beside Pillow Talk include The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Nine to Five, Scent of a Woman and Kingpin.
Funny Face (1957) Richard Avedon
If you are familiar with the film you might see why the title sequence was designed by Richard Avedon. This film is about high fashion and is loosely based on him. He was mainly a fashion and portrait photographer and he used this to advantage in the sequence for Funny Face. He photographed numerous high profile individuals during his career and some of his most famous works are the iconic psychedelic portraits of all four Beatles.
Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) Saul Bass
Some of the most memorable sequences of the early to mid 1960s were done by Saul Bass. The mood of this 1965 British psychological mystery is perfectly captured right at the start through this sequence. He also was incredibly prolific, adding his touch to numerous films throughout the 60s and subsequent decades. There are so many to list, but a few of his titles besides Bunny Lake include Psycho, Vertigo, Big, Goodfellas and the Robert DiNiro version of Cape Fear.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Blake Edwards
One of the most iconic films EVER, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, features the most iconic title sequence ever. If you have ever stood staring into a Tiffany’s window feeling like Audrey, this would be why. It was designed by the director of the film, Blake Edwards, who is also known for directing the Pink Panther films. No other description is necessary💕
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Robert Freeman
Gosh, I can’t even say how much I adore this title sequence. As someone who saw this film in the theater as a seven year old when it first came out, I can say that it totally captured the wonderful mayhem that was Beatlemania. It was designed by Robert Freeman, an English fine and graphic artist who worked closely with the Beatles, photographed them extensively and designed their iconic first American album cover as well.
Fabulous Flicks & Other Great Sh*t 