Iconic Hollywood film poster creator Bill Gold dies

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Casablanca film posterImage source, Granger Historical Picture Archive / Alamy Stock P

Bill Gold, one of Hollywood's best-known creators of film posters, has died aged 97.

The veteran illustrator had a hand in more than 2,000 posters, including those for Casablanca, Dial M for Murder, and Dirty Harry.

Mr Gold began work at the film production company Warner Brothers in the 1940s.

His task was to create artwork that didn't give away a film's storyline.

The poster for Casablanca, a 1942 World War Two romantic drama, was one of Mr Gold's first assignments.

His design became iconic.

Mr Gold also designed the poster for Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Dial M for Murder.

Dial M for MurderImage source, Entertainment Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo

This was his poster for Elia Kazan's adaption of John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden.

SilverScreen/Alamy Stock PhotoImage source, SilverScreen/Alamy Stock Photo

The film retells the story of Cain and Abel through the lives of two brothers who sought the attention of their religious father.

Mr Gold also conjured up the poster for the renowned Martin Scorsese film GoodFellas.

A poster to promote the GoodFellas film reads "Murderers come qwith smiles. Shooting people was no big deal. We were... GoodFellas".Image source, Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
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Bill Gold was a frequent collaborator with Clint Eastwood. He worked with the actor and director on dozens of films.

The poster used for the 1971 film Dirty Harry was said to illustrate the actor's gritty persona.

A poster advertising Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry film reads "Detective Harry Callahan. He doesn't just solve murder cases. He smashes them".Image source, Moviestore collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
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Although Mr Gold officially retired in 2003, he continued to design posters from his Connecticut home.

His last poster was for the 2011 Eastwood biopic J. Edgar, about the long-serving FBI director J Edgar Hoover.

Mr Gold's design used a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio's angry face as a likeness of Mr Hoover.

Leonardo DiCaprio's angry face as a likeness of Mr HooverImage source, Photo 12 / Alamy Stock Photo
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