MGM was good to him, until it wasn't later on, yeah. After the war she got to know the test pilots of pre-NASA fame. She offered them free steaks at her Happy Bottom bar if they broke the sound barrier hahaha.
Great back story. Barnes introduced Hurrell to Navarro. In turn Navarro introduced Hurrell to his friend actress Norma Shearer, who in turn introduced Hurrell to her husband Irving Thalberg. Thalberg was so impressed by Hurrell’s work, that Hurrell then became the official studio photographer for MGM. Barnes admired Hurrell’s skill as a photographer and had him photograph the picture used for her pilots license. In 1930 Navarro’s film contract was up for renewal at MGM, fearing he would be dropped Barnes told him to have some portraits done by Hurrell to impress MGM. That did the trick and the contract was renewed. Shearer was up for a part she desired, Hurrell changed her look, from demure to erotic, and she got the role. She then insisted that her husband hire Hurrell. -Rj
Hello there Rj - Absolutely yes, I have read about Hurrell's connection to Novarro and how it definitely set him on his way. I think there is a chunk of the narrative you relate in Beyond Paradise, a biography of Novarro by Andre Soares. It's thorough. Very good, very frank. I just love the glamour gloss that Hurrell brought to the golden age of Hollywood. I have a picture of him somewhere posing with the large format camera he used as a young man in Los Angeles.
4 comments:
Oh, how fun. He certainly got around.
MGM was good to him, until it wasn't later on, yeah. After the war she got to know the test pilots of pre-NASA fame. She offered them free steaks at her Happy Bottom bar if they broke the sound barrier hahaha.
Great back story.
Barnes introduced Hurrell to Navarro. In turn Navarro introduced Hurrell to his friend actress Norma Shearer, who in turn introduced Hurrell to her husband Irving Thalberg. Thalberg was so impressed by Hurrell’s work, that Hurrell then became the official studio photographer for MGM.
Barnes admired Hurrell’s skill as a photographer and had him photograph the picture used for her pilots license.
In 1930 Navarro’s film contract was up for renewal at MGM, fearing he would be dropped Barnes told him to have some portraits done by Hurrell to impress MGM. That did the trick and the contract was renewed.
Shearer was up for a part she desired, Hurrell changed her look, from demure to erotic, and she got the role. She then insisted that her husband hire Hurrell.
-Rj
Hello there Rj - Absolutely yes, I have read about Hurrell's connection to Novarro and how it definitely set him on his way. I think there is a chunk of the narrative you relate in Beyond Paradise, a biography of Novarro by Andre Soares. It's thorough. Very good, very frank. I just love the glamour gloss that Hurrell brought to the golden age of Hollywood. I have a picture of him somewhere posing with the large format camera he used as a young man in Los Angeles.
Post a Comment