The Stigma of Crime. ca. 1927.

ARTIST: GRIGORI BORISOV (1899-1942) & NIKOLAI PRUSAKOV (1900-1952) SIZE: 28 1/2 x 42 3/4 in./72.5 x 108.7 cm DESCRIPTION: Called "The Fatal Plunge" for its original American release in 1924, this film was retitled "The Stigma of Crime" when it debuted in the Soviet Union about three years later. Phone-callers and demon drivers deliver a superb sense of onrushing crisis. There's little doubt it was a thrill-a-minute. The film traces its origins from a 1919 serial novel in 15 chapters called "The Great Gamble." The Soviets apparently made cuts to the film equal to about half its original running time, so all of the action must have been condensed into a breathtaking blur. This poster was created in the Soviet Republic of Georgia. (Russian Avant-Garde; Film; Art Deco)