Legendary "Alien" Tagline Writer Barbara Gips Passes Away at Age 89

Copywriter Barbara Gips, who penned a number of famous movie taglines, including the iconic tagline for Alien, has passed away at the age of 89.

The Hollywood Reporter shared the news of Gips’ passing on October 15th from complications of a stroke. Gips is perhaps best known for writing the iconic tagline for Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, “in space no one can hear you scream.” The line popped into her head while she was washing dishes, and all the other words that had been previously considered for the poster were summarily discarded.

Born Barbara Solinger in 1936 in the Bronx, New York, she went on to marry Phillip Gips in 1958, who himself created artwork for Rosemary’s Baby and Downhill Racer, in addition to co-designing the Alien poster. Phillip Gips, who passed away in 2019, was also the designer of the iconic ESPN logo.

Among the other iconic taglines Gips came up with are Kramer vs. Kramer (“Ted Kramer is about to learn what 10 million women already know”), Desperately Seeking Susan (“It’s a life so outrageous it takes two women to live it”), and Fatal Attraction (“On the other side of drinks, dinner and a one-night stand lies a terrifying love story”).

Gips is survived by her four sons and one daughter, in addition to many grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Her son Steven said the following on Facebook: “She was a highly educated, multi-talented woman having been a teacher, an actress, an author, a playwright and a successful copywriter. She loved to read, attend theater (and) go to movies. Beautiful, smart and funny, she was an inspiring example of a person living with integrity, compassion and boundless joy who valued family and friendship over everything else. She had a positive impact on everyone who knew her.”