The Cocktail Hostesses (1973)
This poster for The Cocktail Hostesses captures the height of 1960s and early 1970s exploitation cinema, a period when film marketing unapologetically embraced provocation, pop color, and sexual suggestion. Designed to stop passersby in their tracks, it reflects a time when grindhouse and adults-only theaters thrived, and illustrated posters often mattered more than the film itself. The image speaks directly to the era’s shifting social attitudes, where fantasy, liberation, and cheeky irreverence were openly sold as entertainment.
Artistically, the design is a standout example of bold graphic minimalism: a flat yellow background, exaggerated figure, and teasing tagline combine to create an instantly memorable composition. The highly stylized illustration, strong color contrast, and playful typography exemplify how low-budget films relied on striking visual identity to compete in crowded urban theater districts. Today, posters like this are increasingly scarce and valued less for the film than for their raw, unapologetic slice of cinematic and cultural history.
- Year: 1973
- Nationality: United States
- Condition: Folded-as-issued
- Type: Original One Sheet
- Size: 28 X 42 Inches
- Product Code: P2660
