Charlton Heston once remarked, “Without the rain in Flagstaff, Hollywood would have been named Flagstaff,” as he recalled Cecil B DeMille’s decision not to establish his business in that Arizona town due to unseasonable rain. Instead, he chose an up-and-coming district in Los Angeles — an area that evolved into a unique concoction of art and commerce unprecedented in American history.
The end of Hollywood’s golden era is hotly contested. It began with the arrival of sound in 1927, but the closing date is more debated. Some purists believe it concluded in 1948, marking the anti-trust case that challenged the link between production and exhibition, resulting in the collapse of the dominant studio system. This can be equated to Rome’s fall in 476.
Others, with a more generous perspective, connect the golden era with the classical Hollywood style of production which faltered in the early 1960s and fully disintegrated with the “Easy Riders and Raging Bulls” generation of the 1970s. Perhaps The Sound of Music could still be seen as part of the era, however Midnight Cowboy was definitively not. Compare this decline to the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Regardless, supporters of Hollywood’s hallmark years recognise it on sight and will find plenty of it in a splendid new double-volume collection of photographs from Life Magazine’s 36-year interaction with the film industry. The book emphasises the total control that studios once held over everyone – from stars to directors, from composers to writers, and from costume designers to all other creative members.
“MGM resembled a self-sufficient city, a thriving hive of industrial activity with 30 soundstages and permanent back lot sets,” reads one excerpt. The studio was equipped with company owned dental facilities and a diverse range of restaurants. As highlighted in James Elroy’s blunt novels, the studios didn’t exist simply to remedy your physical imperfections; they also handled any sexual or financial indiscretions.
A 1942 photograph by Peter Stackpole features actor Errol Flynn climbing the mast of his yacht. Although it is incredibly surreal, akin to a comic book, a caption underneath reveals that on that voyage, Flynn was accused of rape – a stark reminder of the murky beginnings beneath Hollywood’s glamorous facade.
The main theme of the book is to highlight the power and impact of the golden age of image-making, showcasing breathtaking iconography on a level similar to the artistic portrayal of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David or Caravaggio’s dramatically illuminated depiction of Jesus. An example from the book includes Philippe Halsman’s image of Elizabeth Taylor, in her teen years, posing nonchalantly with her head tilted to one side and wearing couture from 1948.
It is intriguing to reflect on this particular point in time. Even at a tender age of 16, Elizabeth Taylor exhibited the charismatic allure that would enable her to handle two marriages to Richard Burton and firmly establish herself as the quintessential celebrity of the post-war era. The photograph seems to hint at a deliberate attempt to evolve Taylor from her role in Lassie to her turn as an A-list star in A Place in the Sun.
As the 1950s proceeded, the film industry began reshaping the contenders aiming to unseat Taylor. In her essay for the Life book, Lucy Sante identifies Hollywood’s portrayal of two blonde women at different points of the spectrum. On the one hand, Marilyn Monroe was repeatedly portrayed as less intelligent than she actually was, while, on the other hand, Grace Kelly, originating from an Irish background in Philadelphia, exemplified the idea of ‘untouchable’ womanhood. Meanwhile, Maureen O’Hara, originally from Ranelagh, was cast as the sensible, older sister.
However, the danger with such discussions about the transformative prowess of image-makers is the risk of obscuring the real people involved – both women and men. It is true that presentation enabled golden-age stars to shine brighter but endurance and success fundamentally depended on their innate appeal and abilities to perform.
This is evident in the personalities surrounding Louis B Mayer at his 60th birthday celebration. These individuals, including Greer Garson, Jimmy Stewart, and Katharine Hepburn, may have been moulded by such influential figures, but their own unique personalities remained conspicuous.
Hollywood’s evolution throughout the 1960s saw stars striving to reveal their genuine selves to the audience. Despite these efforts, this often resulted in a new form of deception. Discussing his friend Steve McQueen’s ‘rustic’ photosets – camping, shooting, sparring – James Coburn declared, “It was all a charade.”
The demise of the studio system caused a significant change in the magic it once held, akin to Walter Bagehot’s view on monarchy, that its enigma forms the essence of it, and light should not disrupt its mysticism. The photographs from the golden era of Hollywood depict a transcendent world, as elusive now as the ancient Phoenician civilisation.
LIFE: THE HOLLYWOOD IMAGERY
Elizabeth Taylor: Immortalised through her memorable roles in films such as ‘A Place in the Sun’,’ Giant, and ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, for which she bagged one of her two Oscars. It was however, her off-screen embodiment of the quintessential movie star that clinched her iconic status.
Alfred Hitchcock: A stunning photo of Hitchcock, coolly posing with the avian antagonists from ‘The Birds’, was taken when the director had risen above being just the “master of suspense” to becoming an icon, thanks to the French critics who altered the course of Hollywood.
Marlon Brando: Brando, a precursor for the method school, was often portrayed by Life magazine as a contemplative, unconventional outsider. Though, he was sufficiently mainstream to accept the indifferent role of Napoleon in Henry Koster’s melodrama ‘Désirée’.
Louis B Mayer’s 60th birthday: This depiction of Hollywood at its height is unparalleled. The picture captures Mayer, MGM’s founder and the highest salaried man in the US, celebrating his 60th with the film gods. Seated at his two sides are Greer Garson and Katharine Hepburn, whereas Gene Kelly couldn’t even secure a front-row position.
Marilyn Monroe: Alfred Eisenstaedt confessed that he had mistakenly used a colour instead of a black-and-white film during the photoshoot at Monroe’s house. Despite the varied exposures, the outcome remains one of the most replicated images of a star at her zenith.
The renowned Irish-American actress, Grace Kelly, was spotted greeting her fans outside her apartment in New York just days before she was set to journey to Monaco to marry Prince Rainier. It was hard not to consider the fact that even her modest link to regular living was soon to become history.
Sophia Loren, along with her producer husband Carlo Ponti, opened the doors of their extravagant 50-room mansion near Rome to Life Magazine, giving the New World a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of Italians. Life noted that the residence mirrored the international nature of Loren’s life, a subtle hint to it being anything but American.
Robert Evans, serving as the production head at Paramount, ushers in a fresh, less wary working style. Known for overseeing prominent projects like Rosemary’s Baby, The Godfather and Chinatown, he makes an appearance to mingle with Hollywood. Evans’ charm, even three decades later, was still palpable to the writer.
Life: Hollywood is a publication brought to life by Taschen.