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In Harm's Way (1965)

In Harm's Way
Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war.
—Commander Paul Eddington
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Author Pat Kirkham discusses the closing credits of Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way designed by Saul Bass, from her authoritative book Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design.

Preminger's sprawling two-and-a-half-hour wartime melodrama follows a naval troop from just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to the end of World War II.

Saul's metaphorical epilogue is evocative of the “violent and eternal qualities of the sea.” It connects the broad historical sweep of the film and the violence of war with the volatile cycles of nature. Using images of water, waves, storms and explosions, Saul created a powerful montage. Tension builds, from beautiful gentle waves against a beach to stormy seas and enormous explosions that seem to grow out of the sea itself. Finally, the sea calms again to reveal the moon's reflection on gently lapping waves.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Main title card

SUPPLEMENTAL: Main title card

Pat Kirkham is Professor in the History of Design, Decorative Arts and Culture at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design & Culture, New York. She has written and edited a number of books, including Charles and Ray Eames (1998) and Women Designers in the USA 1900–2000 (2001).

©2011 Laurence King Publishing Ltd. Used with permission.

  • Credits

Titles: Saul Bass

Music by: Jerry Goldsmith

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Title sequence

  • Title Designer

    Saul Bass
  • Category

    Film
  • Styles

    1960s, black and white, copyright line, live action, main-on-end, montage, type over scene
In Harm's Way
  • Film Director

    Otto Preminger
  • Release Date

    April 6, 1965
  • Aspect Ratio

    2.35:1
  • Studios

    Otto Preminger Films, Paramount Pictures
  • Country

    USA
  • Languages

    English, French
  • Reviews

    Reviews on Letterboxd
  • IMDb has full details

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