Now Playing is a visual history of the hand-painted, one-of-a-kind movie posters that were commissioned by local theaters across the country throughout the first half of the 20th century. Never having actually seen the films they were promoting, the commercial artists responsible for creating these posters were free to improvise, interpret and customize, which always resulted in dramatically different renderings for the same film. Author Anthony Slide, supported by the research of Jane Burman Powell and Lori Goldman Berthelsen, tells the little-known story of this forgotten practice and in doing so adds a new dimension to the history of cinema.

Published by the Academy in cooperation with Angel City Press, Now Playing is available wherever books are sold. Hardcover, 14" x 11", 160 pages.