John Ford

[pvitari]

It's the first in a series of four stamps honoring great directors. Here's the announcement from the USPS:

With the Great Film Directors stamps, the U.S. Postal Service honors four great filmmakers who captured the many varieties of the American experience. These extraordinary directors created some of the most iconic scenes in American cinema. They gave audiences an unforgettable (and in some cases, deeply personal) vision of life.

The stamp art combines a portrait of each man with an example of one of his most iconic works.

For the John Ford stamp — the first of four designs to be revealed — the background recalls a scene from The Searchers, an influential Western starring John Wayne and making Ford’s characteristic use of the American landscape.

Art Director Derry Noyes* designed these stamps using art by award-winning illustrator Gary Kelley, who created the images using pastels on paper.

The Great Film Directors stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.
The remaining three designs will be revealed at a later date.

THE SEARCHERS © C V Whitney Pictures, Inc. Licensed By: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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*Graphic designer Derry Noyes is an art director for the U.S. Postal Service. She is the daughter of industrial and architectural designer Eliot Noyes, whose design for the Selectric typewriter was included in the stamp series Pioneers of American Industrial Design.

http://www.beyondtheperf.com/bios/art-d ... erry-noyes

http://beyondtheperf.com/content/pionee ... rs-tribute

http://beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases ... ial-design

I attended the unveiling of the 2011 Lunar New Year stamp at the National Archives at Atlanta office and it was a thrilling event. I love stamps and going to the post office and mailing things and it's one of the sad facts of modern-day life that the post office is suffering so badly. A friend and I started writing each other recently via snail mail because it was such fun to write and send actual letters rather than e-mail. One reason why I continue to pay bills by mail is because I love using stamps so much. ;)

[MissGoddess]

Thanks, Paula, I was just about to link to Beyond the Perf myself, ha. I thought the illustration looked like pastels but I wasn't sure. I like that they manage to get Monument Valley in the background there. It's a pretty good job.

Any guesses on the other three directors, anyone? My guesses are of the following: Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, John Huston, George Stevens, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, George Cukor.

[JackFavell]

That's awesome that it is a forever stamp! I was wondering about that wording on the left.

[Lzcutter]

MsG,

If I was to wager a guess it would be Orson Welles, John Huston and Billy Wilder.

My personal picks would be Howard Hawks, Wild Bill Wellman and Michael Curtiz but I don't think the USPS is going to ask me.

[MissGoddess]

Do you think they will include Hitchcock? I figured if Wilder was in, maybe HItch would be, too? Both were born outside the U.S., but Wilder became a citizen I believe, so that may be a factor.

[movieman1957]

[MissGoddess]

okay, then that leaves him out.

[pvitari]

Well, if they were asking me, the other three would be Ernst Lubitsch, Frank Borzage and Preston Sturges -- but they're not asking me. :)

[Gary J.]

They did ask you.
It was sent by mail but the celebrity stamp they used was undervalued and the letter was returned to sender.

[JackFavell]

I don't see how they could possibly leave out Wyler, but that's just my opinion.

[ChiO]

As I believe John Ford said (under his breath while cursing Ward Bond) when asked who the next three issues should be: Orson Welles, Orson Welles, Orson Welles.

Hello, Americans.

[moira finnie]

As I believe John Ford said (under his breath while cursing Ward Bond) when asked who the next three issues should be: Orson Welles, Orson Welles, Orson Welles.

Hello, Americans.

Issued by the Post Office on the fiftieth anniversary of Citizen Kane.

[ChiO]

That clearly salutes the greatest film in history. Now is the time to salute the greatest film artist.

A nice picture of Orson with a glowering Hank Quinlan on the side (and, please, no cracks about the stamp being oversized).

[JackFavell]

If they could sneak Pete Menzies into the picture, I'd be happy!

[movieman1957]

That clearly salutes the greatest film in history. Now is the time to salute the greatest film artist.

A nice picture of Orson with a glowering Hank Quinlan on the side (and, please, no cracks about the stamp being oversized).

I thought you meant a stamp for Mr. Carey.