Working out what stars go in what order on a movie poster is quite a job.
And causes many, many arguments…
Billing can be important to an actors career.
Arguably, its more important to their ego.
Most of all, though, its cross-eyed dead crucial to their agent.
But in motion picture terms, the big star is usually not held back until the final reel.
Even more so, its there to show who has the biggest star status.
Five to Daryl Hannah.
Six to Dolly Parton.
Seven to Olympia Dukakis.
10 each to Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field.
And thats only if you assume identical weighting for image and name.
The Towering Infernowas a huge movie, and it had several huge movie stars in it.
Hugest of all were Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, absolute monsters of 1970s Hollywood superstardom.
Nor did he want Newman to get better billing on the poster.
The higher on the page your name is, the better your position.
At the same time, people reading posters in the English speaking world will read from left to right.
Heres how it looks.
Youll see Newmans name is above McQueens, but McQueens is to the left of Newmans.
Note how Faye Dunaway gets both right-most and lowest billing.
Has Hollywoods gender divide ever been so geometrically laid out for us?
This staggered billing wasnt a new idea.
I rather like the poster forBoeing Boeingwhich criss-crosses the billing for Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis.
That honour goes to Shelley Long.
ItsThe Towering Infernoall over again, but in Shelley Long terms this is nothing.
This is childs play.
Heres a report on the star billing order ofOutrageous Fortunefrom theSun Sentinelin 1987.
I feel quite comfortable just quoting them here.
Just in case Shelley Longs lawyers are reading this.
Long originally agreed to perform in the film with the understanding that she would receive top billing.
Half the prints, publicity material, posters and trailers for the film bill Long first.
The other half bill Midler first.
Shelley wanted so badly to work with Bette that she came up with the evenly split credits.
The Divine Miss M is apparently tired of the bickering.
Through her agent came Bettes mollifying reply: Its true.
Id do the same for her anytime.
There are two uploads of the films 15-second teaser trailer on YouTube.
Both favour Bette Midler.
And whatever the print on the poster says, I know which ones take top billing in my heart.
