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July 24, 2008
Joan Crawford: Untouched/Retouched
Here's what happens: I snap a picture and she—every she I've ever photographed—takes a look at the raw digital image and recoils in horror.
No matter how beautiful the woman or girl she always says:
“Is that what I really look like?”
“I look so old.”
“Delete it.”
On location, I've taken photographs of gorgeous and glamorous movie stars and even they claim to be, yup, ugly.
The greatest Hollywood still photographer ever was George Hurrell. During Hollywood's golden age, in the 1930's and 40's, his studio portraits became the desired image of Hollywood beauty and glamor. For a handful of stars Hurrell portraits defined their G-d like images. For years the biggest stars in Hollywood clamored to sit for Hurrell.
What was Hurrell's secret?
He hated studio make-up.
Normally, Hollywood stars—male and female—slapped on the same heavy make-up that was used in motion pictures, and then posed for the various studio photographers.
The studios valued the stills for publicity purposes. Photos were submitted to the numerous movie magazines. Influential columnists—often accepting pay-offs from studio PR people—published photos that helped stoke public interest in the latest starlet. Before she made a single movie, MGM flooded newspapers and magazines with Ava Gardner's stunning image.
Hurrell was unhappy with the thick, painted-on look. He felt that what worked in movies did not cross-over into still photographs—at least his vision of what a Hollywood portrait should be. And so Hurrell insisted that the stars scrub their faces clean, and then he lit and shot them with his large format camera.
Hurrell and his staff then spent hours in the dark room retouching the photographs.
He made blemished and freckled skin glow with an inner luminescence, eyes were turned into deep clouds, lips were made sensually moist, and hair shined like a planet.
Here's a rare Hurrell portrait of Joan Crawford—unretouched.
And after six hours of darkroom retouching, here's Crawford as the public saw her.
The very best study of Hurrell's work and methodology is Hurrells' Hollywood Portraits by Mark A. Vieira.
Update: The beauty blog Jack and Hill has cross-posted this entry. Take a look as Hillary PhotoShops herself, in an effort to achieve the Hurrell glow.
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Joan Crawford Untouched, Retouched
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Notable Hollywood Eyebrows Part I and Part II
Cyd Charisse: Dancing Dynamite
Lana Turner: Bad and Beautiful
Hollywood Goes to War
Lillian Gish: Dying for Her Audience
Ricardo Cortez: The Kosher Butcher's Son
Hollywood's First Western Hero: Billy Broncho, The Jewish Kid Who Couldn't Ride a Horse
Sylvia Sidney Replaces Clara Bow
Douglas Sirk Directs Linda Darnell
Less Dialogue is More: Mervyn LeRoy, Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor and Waterloo Bridge.
Alla Nazimova: Desperately Exotic
Charlton Heston: A Moment of Silence
Lilyan Tashman.
Carmel Myers: The Rabbi's Beautiful Daughter
Colleen Moore: The Stars and Stripes
Colleen Moore's Wedding Night
One Hairstyle, Three Memoirs: Alma Rubens, Colleen Moore, Louise Brooks
Theda Bara: The Vamp Adopts the Troops
Movie Magazines: They Don't Print 'em Like They Used To
Alma Rubens: Dope Fiend, But Not a Jewess
Wallace Reid: Hollywood Shooting Star
Olive Thomas: Hollywood's First Suicide
Mary Pickford: The Greatest Movie Star
Seraphic Secret Chats with Actress Coleen Gray about John Wayne, Howard Hawks, and Stanley Kubrick
Susan Peters: The Great Unknown and Tragic Actress
The Blond Machine Gun: Jean Harlow
Peg Entwistle & The Hollywood Sign
Brigitte Bardot & Sean Connery in Shalako—Sorta
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2008 09:12 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
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That's absolutely *amazing* darkroom work.
Posted by: pdwalker at July 24, 2008 10:52 AM
PD:
Yes, astonishing. Today we would photoshop the picture in a few minutes, but I'm pretty sure the results would fall short of Hurrell's final product. The large format camera and his amazing lenses make all the difference in the world.
Oh, and we don't have real Hollywood stars anymore, but celebrities who are famous for being infamous.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 24, 2008 11:14 AM
I like her freckles. And I'm not just saying that because I'm covered with them. Really.
Posted by: Alice at July 24, 2008 11:52 AM
Today she'd be botoxed
Posted by: mata hari at July 24, 2008 12:28 PM
Sigh... I wish I could be photoshopped.
I can really use the hair!!!! Sharpies Rule.
Posted by: Simon at July 24, 2008 01:34 PM
A photo retoucher AND a plastic surgeon. He even "corrected" her neck. He did clear up freckles on her upper chest, but still left the tan line.
What a stunning photo--before and after.
Posted by: Pearl at July 24, 2008 02:25 PM
Alice:
We believe you. Really.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2008 10:23 PM
Mata Hari:
They didn't have Botox during Hollywood's golden age. But they did have plastic surgery and countless stars availed themselves of surgery in order to maintain their youthful looks and avoid being relegated to character parts.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2008 10:29 PM
Simon:
I'm sure your natural looks are superior to some superficial (but brillaint) PhotoShop makeover.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2008 10:33 PM
Pearl:
Hurrell started out as a painter. He fell back on photography in order to make some money. But for all his life painting was his first love. You can see Hurrell's painterly sensibility in his lovingly textured photos, his brilliant use of chiaroscuro, and the bold but simple lines of his striking compositions.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2008 10:38 PM
Call me crazy but I think she looks far more beautiful in the untouched photo.
The 'photoshopped' one looks fake an unrealistic.
I feel that natural beauty is timeless and doesn't need touchups whether its digitally or chemically induced.
BTW Alice I think her freckles are kinda sexy.
Posted by: Gregg at July 27, 2008 06:33 AM
Gregg:
You're crazy :-)
No, seriously, the whole idea of Hollywood glamor photography is to transcend reality and present an idealized vision of a Hollywood star.
No one goes to the movies to view reality.
Anyhoo.
Gregg meet Alice.
Alice meet Gregg.
Gregg enjoys long walks on the beach, sunsets, and Italian neo-realism.
Alice is spiritual, freckled, and big on the seven Noachide Laws.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 27, 2008 06:43 AM
As a matter of fact yesterday evening I spent a glorious evening on the shores of the Mediterranean admiring the sunset with my beautiful wife and youngest daughter.
Afterward we dined at our favorite nouvelle Italian spot on the beach.
Man you got me pegged!!
BTW the Friday Pizza was the best and you never got any Ha Ha :-)
Posted by: gregg at July 27, 2008 09:49 AM
Gregg:
Hey, listen no great chachmas figuring out your prfile once you displayed a preference for the photo of Crawford that, if published, would have caused her to melt in shame.
I have to cut back on pizza, too many carbs!
Will you be at the NBN Bloggers conference so I can finally meet you?
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 27, 2008 10:13 AM
Would love to attend but I think i'm on vacation with the family that week in Eilat.
PS:
-you must check out Caroline Glick' new website carolineglick.com
Posted by: gregg at July 27, 2008 11:36 AM
Gregg:
Another time. Enjoy Eilat, brings lots and lots of sunscreeen.
Caroline Glick for Prime Minister of Israel!
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 27, 2008 11:56 AM
for more about Joan Crawford go to legendaryjoancrawford.com
Posted by: Neil at August 11, 2008 04:07 PM
for more about Joan Crawford go to legendaryjoancrawford.com
Posted by: Neil at August 11, 2008 04:08 PM
FANTASTAIC!!!!!!! What i wanted to see its amazing someone finally came up with this thankyou.
Posted by: k at October 16, 2008 05:31 AM