Bill Gold facts for kids

William Gold (born January 3, 1921 – died May 20, 2018) was an American graphic designer. He was famous for creating thousands of amazing film poster designs.

During his 70-year career, Bill Gold worked with many of Hollywood's biggest filmmakers. These included Clint Eastwood, Alfred Hitchcock, and Stanley Kubrick. His very first poster was for the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. His last work was for J. Edgar in 2011. Some of his most well-known posters are for Casablanca, The Exorcist, and The Sting.

Bill Gold's Early Life

Bill Gold was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on January 3, 1921. After high school, he won a special scholarship. He then studied art and design at the Pratt Institute in New York.

Starting His Career

Bill Gold began his professional design journey in 1941. He started in the advertising department at Warner Bros.. His first movie poster was for Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. Soon after, he designed the poster for Casablanca.

He later joined the US Army and helped make training films. After leaving the Army in 1946, he went back to Warner Bros. There, he became the head of poster design in 1947. In 1959, his brother Charlie joined him. They started a company called BG Charles to make movie trailers.

Bill Gold Advertising Company

In 1962, Bill Gold started his own company called Bill Gold Advertising. He continued to create posters for many films. He made posters for every movie that Clint Eastwood produced, directed, or acted in.

In 1994, Bill Gold received a special Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was from The Hollywood Reporter. Clint Eastwood himself presented the award to Bill. Bill Gold was also a member of important art and film groups. These included the Society of Illustrators and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Later Years and Retirement

In his later years, Bill Gold lived in Greenwich, Connecticut. He officially retired in 2003.

In 2011, a large book showing his work was published. It came out around his 90th birthday. That same year, Bill Gold briefly came out of retirement. He agreed to create posters for Clint Eastwood's film, J. Edgar. Bill Gold passed away on May 20, 2018, at the age of 97.

Famous Film Posters

Bill Gold worked on over 2,000 movie posters during his long career. He collaborated with many top directors and producers. His work helped make many films famous.

Gold's US theatrical release poster for Casablanca (1942)

Gold's original theatrical release poster for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Here are some of the well-known films he designed posters for:

1940s Posters

• Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
• Casablanca (1942)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• Rope (1948)

1950s Posters

• Strangers on a Train (1951)
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
• Dial M for Murder (1954)
• East of Eden (1955)
• Giant (1956)
• The Searchers (1956)

1960s Posters

• My Fair Lady (1964)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
• Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
• Cool Hand Luke (1967)
• Bullitt (1968)
• The Wild Bunch (1969)

1970s Posters

• A Clockwork Orange (Early Draft, 1971)
• Dirty Harry (1971)
• Deliverance (1972)
• The Exorcist (1973)
• The Sting (1973)
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
• All the President's Men (1976)
• Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
• Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

1980s Posters

• Fame (1980)
• Clash of the Titans (1981)
• On Golden Pond (1981)
• Firefox (1982)
• Sudden Impact (1983)
• Splash (1984)
• Pale Rider (1985)
• Platoon (1986)
• The Untouchables (1987)
• Bird (1988)

1990s Posters

• White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
• Unforgiven (1992)
• In the Line of Fire (1993)
• A Perfect World (1993)
• The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
• Absolute Power (1997)

2000s and 2010s Posters

• Space Cowboys (2000)
• Mystic River (2003)
• J. Edgar (2011)

Best Picture Winners

Bill Gold designed posters for several films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. These include:

• Casablanca (1942)
• My Fair Lady (1964)
• The Sting (1973)
• Ordinary People (1980)
• Platoon (1986)
• Unforgiven (1992)