The Odd Odyssey

“Perry the Flying Squirrel” and “Moon Pilot” were among the handful of films I saw in a theater before I went to college. Most of the movies I saw growing up were black and white oldies broadcast on TV. And yet, I was obsessed with movie ads. Name a movie from about 1965 to 1974, and I can probably describe the poster in detail, including the slogan. “The mob wanted Harlem back. They got Shaft… up to here.”

I had spotted an ad for “Ulysses,” starring Milo O’Shea as Leopold Bloom. Since we were...