A L’Est D’Eden East of Eden film Poster – J Mascii – French Small

Jean Mascii is a French poster artist who has been responsible for creating some of the best and most sought-after film and movie posters ever produced. On this occasion Mascii’s incredible skills were required for the 1960s French re-release film affiche of Elia Kazan’s superb East of Eden film starring James Dean.

The poster features a pastel drawn image of a moody, angst-ridden James Dean. Mascii’s image appears to be based on a 1955 poster for the same film, by artist Luigi Martinati.

East of Eden is a novel by American author and Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck.  The novel was first published in September 1952, and is widely regarded to be Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel. Steinbeck himself considered it his magnum opus. The novel is a retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck’s book brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their interwoven stories. It is about a wayward young man who, while seeking his own identity, vies for the affection of his deeply religious father against his favored brother.

In 1955, the novel was adapted and turned into a movie. The film stars Julie Harris, James Dean in his first major screen role, and Raymond Massey. It also features Burl Ives, Richard Davalos and Jo Van Fleet.

East of Eden film posters for the original theatrical release usually featured images of Dean with his fellow co-star Julie Harris. However, following his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean’s status as an actor became legendary. From that almost all posters for the film’s regular re-releases only featured the iconic star.

The film, along with Dean’s other films Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, was named one of the 400 best American films of all time by the American Film Institute. Of the three films in which James Dean played the male lead, this is the only one to have been released during his lifetime and the only one Dean personally viewed in its entirety.