Ever write a poem, a story, a novel (hundreds of them, right?), and find yourself, at the end, in the throes of epic indecision, stymied and desperate to come up with the right title? The place-holder you have is either too telegraphic, or soporific, or sophomoric, or just plain wrong.
On the other hand, ever find yourself staring at a blank page or screen, ready for the words to come pouring out in an exhilarating rush of killer metaphors and breathtaking reflections on the meaning of life, and the only thing stopping you from starting is the absence of a header, a title? How can you truly get going if the brilliant thing you're poised to produce comes with the wishy-washy appellation "Untitled?"
As someone who has spent a good chunk of time delving into Hollywood history -- mostly via the satisfying-hobby-turned-ridiculous-obsession of collecting vintage publicity stills issued by the studios to promote and publicize their latest releases -- I think I may have a solution to this titular dilemma. I've purchased photos over the years (from dealers, auction houses, movie memorabilia shops) full of striking images of sultry starlets and dashing leading men, marvelous scenes of comic mayhem, romance, film noir menace and sci-fi strangeness, heralding movies that otherwise I would never have known existed.
Down through the decades since Silent Era days, the major motion picture studios and B-movie factories issued hundreds upon hundreds of movies every year, and most of them have faded into obscurity. But the titles of these movies? A few of them are priceless, and deserve to be resurrected and repurposed. There are no copyrights on movie titles, of course, and anyway, there's really nothing ethically shaky about taking found materials from popular culture and redeploying them in an altogether different context. Warhol, the Dadaists, Mark Bradford's multi-tiered canvases full of torn pages from old Marvel and DC Comics....
Inspiration can come from any corner, so herewith a list of a dozen titles, from films decades old, half-remembered or wholly forgotten, to get your creative juices flowing. The studio and year of release is included with the respective names, so you can duly note on your Acknowledgement page. Or maybe not.
Attack of the Puppet People (American International Pictures, 1958)
Doughnuts and Society (Republic Pictures, 1936)
The Great Mr. Nobody (Warner Bros., 1941)
Half a Sinner (Universal, 1934)
Hotel Haywire (Paramount, 1937)
I Dream Too Much (RKO Radio Pictures, 1935)
The Incredible Melting Man (American International Pictures, 1977)
The Magnificent Lie (Paramount Pictures, 1931)
Married Before Breakfast (MGM, 1937)
Naked Alibi (Universal Pictures, 1954)
Pardon My Past (Columbia Pictures, 1945)
The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (American International Pictures, 1958)
Thanks for this excellent post. The titles of those movies would make excellent titles for still-to-be-written poems. -- DL
Posted by: The Best American Poetry | September 10, 2019 at 06:16 PM
Movie titles can also be great titles for unwritten poems.
Posted by: Ellen Bogen | September 22, 2020 at 05:29 AM