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The Classic Photography of George Hurrell
Few photographers have had as big an impact on the world of Hollywood photography as George Hurrell in the 1930s and 1940s. Known in Hollywood as the “Grand Seigneur of the Hollywood Portrait,” his unique style of photographing celebrities contributed greatly to the image of the “glamorous” world of celebrities that people associate with Hollywood back in the 30s and 40s. Today, his timeless photography is still very much alive. All you have to do is look at some classic movie posters and other movie memorabilia that have survived. You will see Hurrell in them.
Hurrell was born on June 1, 1904 and originally studied to be a painter. However, in 1925, he moved from Chicago, Illinois to Laguna Beach, California and discovered that photography was a better source of income, so he began taking pictures. He was introduced to the famous actor Ramon Navarro in the late 1920s and agreed to photograph the star. Navarro was so impressed with Hurrell’s portraits of him that he showed them to actress Norma Shearer.
His Style
Hurrell’s style was extremely unique . He invented the lighting boom , which was used to add highlights to a subject’s hair naturally. Hurrell tended to light his subjects with a very big spotlight, but the light would rest several feet away, creating a “spotlight” effect, effectively painting his subjects in light. The lenses at the time were also softer, allowing people to be photographed with softer edges. Hurrell liked to shift the light so that he could illuminate the subject’s cheekbones and create shadows under the eyes.
Hurrell was also the subject of a lot of controversy because of his extremely heavy use of retouching . To make his subjects appear perfect, he would physically retouch the film using Indian ink and graphite powder to get rid of any stray hairs or the slightest blemish. Hurrell used 8x10 cameras.
The Epitome of Glamour
Hurrell's glamorous shots were capable of transforming entire acting careers. Norma Shearer was seen as a very wholesome actress and it was hurting her career. Because of this, she was desperately trying to be seen instead as glamorous and sophisticated, and when she saw Hurrell’s photographs, she had him photograph her as well. As fate would have it, Shearer was married to someone in a very high place – MGM Production Chief Irving Thalberg. Once he saw the photographs, he contracted Hurrell to become the head of MGM’s photography department. For the next ten years, Hurrell photographed every single star who worked for MGM, including Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, and Myrna Loy.
In the 1940s, Hurrell moved to Warner Brothers Studios where he helped build the careers of many other up-and-coming stars including Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, and even James Cagney. He also worked for Columbia picture for a time, where he photographed Rita Hayworth!
Hurrell's Photography Through the Years
Hurrell left Hollywood for a time to make training films for the US Army, and by the time he returned, his photography style had fallen out of favor. He moved to New York City, taking pictures for fashion magazines and other ads. In the 1960s his career experienced a bit of a revival, and he photographed Farrah Fawcett and John Travolta, among others. He officially retired in 1976 but kept taking photographs if the subject interested him. For instance, he photographed Brooke Shields and Sharon Stone and even photographed Joan Collins nude for Playboy. Some of his last works were a series of photographs of actors including Sharon Stone and Sean Penn where he recreated his famous 1930s style.
Hurrell passed away on May 17, 1992 from complications with bladder cancer. After his death, people started clamoring for his work, including vintage film posters and old prints of his photographs.
Resources
The Hollywood Photography of George Hurrell
The Glamour Photograohy of George Hurrell
Starlight and Shadow: A Brilliant Photographic Technique
A Review of Hurrell's Techniques
The "Grand Seigneur of the Hollywood Portrait"