The Phenix City Story (1963) - Italian 2F - Film Noir Art

La città del vizio (The Phenix City Story), was a US film directed by Phil Karlson, is a gritty film noir based on true events in Phenix City, Alabama—a notorious 1950s vice capital ruled by gambling, prostitution, and organized crime. The story centers on attorney Albert Patterson (John McIntire) and his son John (Richard Kiley), who return from war to find their town controlled by a ruthless syndicate led by Rhett Tanner (Edward Andrews). When Albert runs for Attorney General to clean up the corruption and is murdered on election night, John takes up the fight, risking everything to expose the underworld and trigger a historic federal crackdown under martial law. Shot in stark black-and-white with real locations and newsreel footage, the film is a tense, unflinching portrait of civic courage against institutional evil.

A quintessential specimen of Italian poster artistry, this 2F design distills the essence of film noir into a single, arresting composition. The artwork orchestrates multiple visual elements with refined precision: a shadowed urban landscape establishes the narrative's criminal underbelly, while a fedora-adorned figure engages in street violence—a moment of raw tension rendered with graphic sophistication. The poster's lower register features a striking blonde figure whose prominent placement underscores the genre's characteristic interplay between danger and seduction. The illustrative technique demonstrates the caliber of European promotional design during cinema's golden age, employing bold contrasts and psychological tension to convey narrative intrigue. An exemplary acquisition for discerning collectors of vintage cinema ephemera and those appreciating the refined visual language through which mid-century European studios marketed their noir-inflected thrillers.

Printed: Italy, 1963

Approximate Dimensions: 39.25" x 55"

Condition: Good / Very Good - pinholes / tears and some edge damage on the borders, few small holes in the cross-folds and fold-lines.

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