Hollywood in Kodachrome

This week, I received a book called Hollywood in Kodachrome by David Wills and Stephen Schmidt. In short, it is a fantastic coffee table book of vintage celebrity photographs. 

Kodachrome film was first used in the 1940s and was the first time people were seeing Hollywood stars in color. It brought new life to Hollywood and boosted the careers of those actors and actresses with colorful appearances, such as my personal favorite, Lucille Ball. With her milky skin, fiery red hair, and bright blue eyes finally on display, she was being cast in better films and given the nickname "Technicolor Tessie." In fact, Hollywood in Kodachrome dedicates a whole section to Lucille with 12 stunning color photographs.

This book is filled with beautifully restored photographs that are bursting with color and detail. The moment I saw a sampling of photographs on Vanity Fair's website, I knew I had to buy Hollywood in Kodachrome. The book displays over 200 publicity shots, movie stills, magazine covers and more all from 1940 to 1949. Every 1940s celebrity you can think of grace the pages of Hollywood in Kodachrome, from Rita Hayworth to Frank Sinatra, Betty Hutton to Humphrey Bogart. The photographs in the book are by all the big Hollywood photographers like George Hurrell, Bernard of Hollywood and Ernest Bachrach, just to name a few.

There are six total chapters of photography in Hollywood in Kodachrome. Chapter one is titled When Goddesses Roamed The Earth. This chapter, as you can imagine, reveals dazzling photos of all of Hollywood's most beautiful women: Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, Jane Russell, and more. The next chapter Light and Illusion is over 120 pages illustrating the use of light in photography to showcase celebrity faces. Technicolor Tessie, as I mentioned before, comes third. Imagine living in the 1940s and seeing Lucille in bright color for the first time! The Posed Candid is the fourth chapter, and it's just as it seems. People wanted to see celebrities in their homes or doing normal everyday tasks, so photographers posed their subjects in casual settings. Here we see Alan Ladd carving a turkey, Ed Sullivan and Clark Gable golfing together, and Maureen O'Hara cuddling two puppies. Stars and Stripes displays Bing Crosby and Ann Miller in their red, white, and blue during the World War II era, Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda in their military uniforms, and John Wayne and James Cagney in stills from WWII movies. Lastly, Selling the Dream is full of celebrity endorsements. They've been around as long as there has been movie stars and products which need selling! Many times an advertisement would have the celebrity boasting the product and their latest picture at the same time. Hedy Lamarr sells makeup, Betty Grable tempts us with a cold Royal Crown soda, and a young Marilyn Monroe demonstrates how gorgeous prints from your personal collection of slides can look!  

Gene Tierney by Jack Albin

1942

Ava Gardner by Clarence Sinclair Bull

1944

Cary Grant by Ernest Bachrach

1947

Danny Kaye and the Goldwyn Girls

1944

Errol Flynn by George Hurrell

1940

Fred Astaire by Eric Carpenter

1947

Gregory Peck by Madison Lacy

1946

Guy Madison and Shirley Temple by Bob Beerman

1945

John Wayne

1942

Lucille Ball by Eliot Elisofon

1943

Marlene Dietrich by Al "Whitey" Schafer

1947

Rita Hayworth by Robert Coburn

1947

Ronald Reagan

1945

Frank Sinatra by Pagano

1945

Yvonne De Carlo by Ray Jones

1945

David Wills and Stephen Schmidt signing copies

of Hollywood in Kodachrome

(www.duuplex.com)

My newly discovered favorite photo is also featured right in the middle of Light and Illusion (the photo is credited to Clarence Sinclair Bull). I gasped when I saw it in all its glory! I will own a print of it someday.

I am so elated this book is in my collection. I adore coffee table books that are full of Old Hollywood photos. I appreciate the value of Old Hollywood. We don't get to see this type of glamour, elegance, and poise in today's Hollywood. I'm so thankful to David and Stephen for taking the time to find and restore all these images, making sure they are preserved and giving the proper credit to all the wonderful photographers of yesteryear who worked so hard to make an art out of photography. Hollywood in Kodachrome is a must-have!

Until next time,

Rest peacefully, Little Princess.

"Any star can be devoured by human adoration, sparkle by sparkle."

I am completely sad over the loss of Shirley Temple Black last night at the age of 85.  Losing a treasure of yesteryear is never easy. There aren't too many of the Old Hollywood stars left, and I always get sad thinking of the day when they've all passed away. It's like these people are all we have left to connect us to that wonderful time in history when everything was done with class & elegance. I'm ecstatic to be someone who can help preserve these memories of the Golden Age & help pass on their legacies to generations to come.

America's Darling.

I adore these colorized photos. 

Simply precious!

Shirley was the first true child star. She was born in 1928 in Santa Monica, and by age 3 Shirley's mother Gertrude enrolled her daughter in Meglin's Dance School. At age 4, Shirley was signed to a contract with Educational Films to do a series of shorts called Little Berlesks. Not long after, Educational Films declared bankruptcy and in 1934, Fox Films took on Miss Temple. Her breakout film was Stand Up and Cheer! In December 1934, Bright Eyes was released and was the first film written for Shirley's talents. Soon after, Fox Films merged with Twentieth Century to become Twentieth Century-Fox. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck focused his energy on making Shirley a bigger star. Her films while with Twentieth Century-Fox were meant to give hope to Americans who were in the middle of the Great Depression. With so many hardships and struggles for most Americans, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "It is a splendid thing that for just fifteen cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles." Shirley made three to four movies a year for Zanuck and Twentieth Century-Fox until 1940. In 1939, she starred in her last two money makers, The Little Princess, which had a budget of $1.5 million and was Shirley's first Technicolor film, and Susannah of the Mounties. However, in 1940 at age 12, Shirley performed in two box office flops. Her parents bought up the remainder of her contract, and Shirley spent her time going to school. 

On the Good Ship Lollipop, I assume!

Dancing with her idol & costar, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

I don't even have words for this photo. I just adore

her so much!!

Celebrating her 8th birthday 

(actually her 9th, the studio made her a year younger!)

A year later, MGM signed Shirley for a comeback though neither of the movies she did were successful. She took a 2 year break from films to focus on school, and in 1944 David O. Selznick signed her to a personal 4 year contract. Selznick soon lost interest in Temple when he got involved with Jennifer Jones and loaned Shirley out to other studios. In 1950, after years of little success, Shirley retired from films. 

A promotional photo for Miss Annie Rooney (1942)

In Since You Went Away (1944) with Jennifer Jones & Claudette Colbert (who Shirley 

presented an Oscar to in 1935)

After her film career, Shirley became active in the Republican Party & served as the US Ambassador to Ghana, the Chief Protocol of the United States (she was in charge of arranging the inauguration and inaugural ball of President Ford), and the US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. In 1972, Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy. She was extremely vocal in raising breast cancer awareness, urging women to get a mammogram. Shirley also served on many board of directors including The Walt Disney Company, Bank of America, and the National Wildlife Foundation. 

Giving a political speech.

Politics turned out to be Shirley's second passion.

Shirley married twice in her life. At 17, she married John Agar. They made two movies together for RKO, and a year after their marriage, Shirley gave birth to their daughter, Linda. The marriage only lasted until 1950, and later the same year Shirley married Charles Black. Their marriage lasted until his death in 2005 & produced two more children, Charles Jr, and Lori. 

With husband Charles Alden Black and their children.

Of course, being the Disneyphile I am, I find most fascinating about Shirley Temple her history with Walt Disney. In 1939, she presented Walt Disney with his Academy Award for Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. 18 years later, he asked her to oversee the opening of the Sleeping Beauty diorama in the castle at Disneyland.

"I'm sure all the boys and girls in the whole world are going to be very

happy when they find out the daddy of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,'

Mickey Mouse, Ferdinand and all the others is going to get this beautiful statue.

Isn't it bright and shiny! Aren't you proud of it, Mr. Disney?"

"I'm so proud I think I'll bust. You know I think that Mickey Mouse,

Ferdinand, Snow White and all the dwarfs are going

to be very proud that you presented it."

Shirley and Walt leading the way down Main Street to Sleeping

Beauty's Castle.

Dedicating the Sleeping Beauty Castle diorama.

I think she would've definitely made a great

Disney princess.

Cutting the ribbon makes it official!!

Walt Disney even featured Shirley in a 1939 short called 

"The Autograph Hound" in which Donald Duck goes around

Hollywood seeking celebrities' autographs.

Shirley & her children taking a spin on Dumbo at Disneyland.

Having a ride on the Disneyland Hotel Tram with her 3 children!

Thank you, Shirley Temple, for your charm & your cheer, your songs & your dances, your smile & your laughter. 

Good night, Little Princess.

♥Rachel

**All photos found with Google Image search. If they belong to you and you wish for me to not use them, please email me. Special thanks to disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog for the Walt Disney and Shirley Temple 1939 Oscar quotes.**