BB17-097 — THE BELL JAR
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YEAR: 1979
FILM STUDIO / PRODUCTION: Robert A. Goldston Productions / Avco Embassy Pictures
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Filmways
TAGLINE: “Sometimes just becoming a woman is an act of courage…”
DIRECTOR: Larry Peerce
CAST: Marilyn Hassett, Julie Harris, Anne Jackson, Barbara Barrie, Robert Klein
SCREENPLAY: Marjorie Kellogg, based on the novel by Sylvia Plath
PRODUCERS: Gerald Brandt Jr. and Michael Todd Jr.
MUSIC: Gerald Fried
GENRE: Drama / Literary Adaptation
POSTER PRINTER: M.A.P.S. Litho Pty. Ltd.
FORMAT: Australian Daybill

The Bell Jar is the 1979 screen adaptation of Sylvia Plath's semi-autobiographical novel, starring Marilyn Hassett as Esther Greenwood, a talented young woman struggling with identity, expectations and deteriorating mental health.

POSTER DESIGN FEATURES: A distinctive Australian Daybill dominated by pink, black and white, with a silhouetted female figure framed by a rose stem. Wide pink borders and stylised title lettering give the design a strong late-1970s appearance, while the reference to Sylvia Plath's bestselling novel is prominently incorporated into the campaign.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE: Particularly interesting as the first feature-film adaptation of Sylvia Plath's only novel, giving the poster crossover appeal beyond traditional film collecting into literary and Plath-related memorabilia. The strong pink-and-black Australian design also differs markedly from much of the international advertising for the film.