Between 1910 and 1970 more than three hundred still photographers plied their trade in Hollywood. Often anonymous and usually unsung, these consummate protessionals had a single aim: to make mere men and women into objects of fantasy, aspiration, and longing Masters of Starlight is a rich volume that commemorates both the still photographers-those silent dream weavers-and the brilliance of the Hollywood stars themselves. In its glossy pages, we trace the beginnings of Hollywood still photography in Witzel's iconic portrait of Theda Bara, Nelson Evans's tender vision of Mary Pickford, and James Abbe's lushly romantic photo of Lillian Gish.
By the 1930s the soft, often dreamy photos of the late teens and twenties give way to highly stylized, sharply focused portraits that astonish the viewer with the sheer beauty of the sitter. Here we find the Hollywood legends in all their glory: the creamy shoulders and classical profile of Loretta Young; a regal Marlene Dietrich, clad in a leopard-print gown, hands placed imperiously on hips; Claudette Colbert in a gleaming Egyptian headdress.
In the late forties and fifties, the pictures become more brazen. Voluptuous Kim Novak kneeling at the feet of a bare-chested William Holden and Glenn Ford embracing a satin-clad Rita Hayworth are only two of the eroticized images that somehow managed to slip by the stern eye of the Hays office.
We also begin to see color work in this period: Paul Hesse's richly sensual portrait of Lana Turner-creamy tones of skin, suit, and flaxen hair set off by the vivid contrast of black gloves, red lips, and cherry velvet bow-is a good example.
But not all is moonbeams and starlight: some of these photographs-J.R. Eyerman's probing courtroom shot taken at the Johnny Stampanato trial, Johi Swopes lonely shot of rain-slicked Sunset Boulevard-capture the darker side of Hollywood's magical glow.
And Sanford Roth's pictures of Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, and Gina Lollobrigida present yet another. view of the Hollywood star: the serious, hardworking professional trying to perfect a role.
Whenever possible, several examples of each photographer's work are presented, in order to show the full range of his or her talents. The majority of the images in this volume have been taken from vintage prints-those made by the photographer or under the photographer's supervision within three years of the or prints have been inade rom he phot arapable. negatives or transparencies.
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By the 1930s the soft, often dreamy photos of the late teens and twenties give way to highly stylized, sharply focused portraits that astonish the viewer with the sheer beauty of the sitter. Here we find the Hollywood legends in all their glory: the creamy shoulders and classical profile of Loretta Young; a regal Marlene Dietrich, clad in a leopard-print gown, hands placed imperiously on hips; Claudette Colbert in a gleaming Egyptian headdress.
In the late forties and fifties, the pictures become more brazen. Voluptuous Kim Novak kneeling at the feet of a bare-chested William Holden and Glenn Ford embracing a satin-clad Rita Hayworth are only two of the eroticized images that somehow managed to slip by the stern eye of the Hays office.
We also begin to see color work in this period: Paul Hesse's richly sensual portrait of Lana Turner-creamy tones of skin, suit, and flaxen hair set off by the vivid contrast of black gloves, red lips, and cherry velvet bow-is a good example.
But not all is moonbeams and starlight: some of these photographs-J.R. Eyerman's probing courtroom shot taken at the Johnny Stampanato trial, Johi Swopes lonely shot of rain-slicked Sunset Boulevard-capture the darker side of Hollywood's magical glow.
And Sanford Roth's pictures of Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, and Gina Lollobrigida present yet another. view of the Hollywood star: the serious, hardworking professional trying to perfect a role.
Whenever possible, several examples of each photographer's work are presented, in order to show the full range of his or her talents. The majority of the images in this volume have been taken from vintage prints-those made by the photographer or under the photographer's supervision within three years of the or prints have been inade rom he phot arapable. negatives or transparencies.
(continued on back ap)
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