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George Hurrell Sr.

George Hurrell Sr.

Born: June 1, 1904
Died: May 17, 1992
in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Classically trained as a painter, Hurrell employed fine art techniques in his compositions. Beginning in 1930, Hurrell worked as a portrait photographer for most of the major Hollywood motion picture studios, first with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. While most of the country suffered during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the movie industry thrived. During this time especially, Hurrell's photographs did more than just promote a film or a celebrity; for many, the glamour, romance, and drama of these photos provided a momentary mental escape from difficult times. Hurrell is credited with creating the standard for the idealized Hollywood glamour portrait. Always an innovator, he invented the boom light and developed several-now standard-lighting techniques. Hurrell's signature use of precision lighting, spotlights, shadows, and hand-retouching on the negatives produced romantic portraits that became his trademark style and the definition of glamour for the movie industry. The very notion is so familiar, and the images that most perfectly illustrate the concept are so readily conjured, that most movie fans are unaware that one man - a single photographer - is largely responsible for the look and feel of the classic film-glamour ideal.

Movies for George Hurrell Sr....

Glamour vs. Paparazzi
Title: Glamour vs. Paparazzi
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 5, 2008
Type: Movie
Click for Details
Documentary about Hollywood stars, paparazzis and professional photographers.
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Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Title: Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Character: Self
Released: January 16, 1995
Type: Movie
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The life and career of legendary Hollywood glamour portrait photographer George Hurrell is profiled by his contemporaries including other photographers and actors he has shot.
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