MARILYN MONROE - CARLYLE BLACKWELL JR - BRUNO BERNARD.

Maybelline photographer Carlyle Blackwell Jr., Hollywood actor, race car driver and innovator of natural color photography in the 1950's.

Carlyle Blackwell posing Marilyn Monroe in 1952.

Black and White photos by Carlyle Blackwell, 1952.

Below are several pictures of Marilyn Monroe by Carlyle Blackwell Jr., using natural color, natural lighting and

                  Maybelline..... of course!!!! 

Carlyle Blackwell Jr. collection of Marilyn Monroe using natural light and color in 1953.

Below, Marilyn Monroe's pictures are  discovered by Hugh Hefner.

When 27-year-old Hugh Hefner launched his debut Playboy Magazine, with “Sweetheart of the Month” Marilyn Monroe gracing the cover in December of 1953, he had no idea that it would become a world wide success.  

The famous women of the 1950’s that appeared in Playboy Magazine include Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Tina Louise, Joan Arnold, Kim Novak, and Brigitte Bardot.

Playboy Magazines first centerfold in the 1954 Issue.click.

Photographers and artists like Carlyle Blackwell, Bruno Bernard and Zoe Moezert paid $50/hr for nude models to pose..... Many of their models became Hollywood Stars. 

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Today Bruno Bernard is remembered as the man who immortalized and mastered the art of pin-up photography.  He has been called "King of Glamour" and Rembrandt of Photography.

His daughter Susan Bernard is in charge of his photographs.  His website can be viewed at Bernard of Hollywood.  Susan Bernard's book Marilyn Intimate Exposure is available on amazon.com.

Zoe Moezert 

In the late 1930's Mozert also became famous as a movie poster artist. She painted the poster for Carole Lombard's "True Confession", and the Howard Hughes film "The Outlaw" with Jane Russell.

My Dream Girl: A Collector's Guide to Zoe Mozert, by Norm Platnick and Rick Huisking. Twelve years in the making, this new volume attempts to bring together everything known about Zoe Mozert's printed works, 

Dolores Del Monte, March 1954 Playmate and The Maybelline Story.

Playboy centerfold Dolores Del Monte didn't even know that she was a Playmate until 1979. She used to pose for Bruno Bernard and Zoe Moezert and was glad she was  receiving $50/hour.

Dolores Del Monte, Miss March 1954 Centerfold.

Bruno sold some of her pictures to The Baumgarth Calendar Company, which in turn sold the pictures to a young man named Hugh Hefner

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t was Dolores's son, Steve who found out when he was browsing the contents of the 25th Anniversary 

issue of Playboy. He called his mother from College and informed her that she was one of Playboy's first centerfolds.  For 25 years she had no idea what had happened to the picture she had posed for so long ago. Today she is a regular at Playboy Mansion parties. 

I met Dolores Del Monte last year at a book signing in Laguna Beach at the 484 North Gallery and found her story absolutely fascinating.  Imagine not knowing you were Miss March, 1954 until 1979.  She turns 80 this year and still is a great beauty with the longest eyelashes I've ever seen.

   

Delores Del Monte's story made me curious to see if any Maybelline ads were shot by these famous Hollywood Photographers..... Paul Hesse and Carlyle Blackwell are two I can document, however I'm sure Tom Lyle used a variety of the best, to capture the perfection he demanded. 

Check in tomorrow to see the final day of Hollywood's Glamour Photographers and.....Photographer and Race Car Driver Carlyle Blackwell Jr's pictures on the track.

PLAYMATE PHOTOGRAPHER, CARLYLE BLACKWELL JR.

Photographer Carlyle Blackwell Jr, used the Paul Hesse Studio in Hollywood to perfect his natural color photography.  By the 1950's brilliant color photography was replaced with natural color.

Actress/Singer, Frances Langford in the film So This is the Army, 1943. Photo shot by Carlyle Blackwell Jr.

Maybelline ad shot in 1947 by Carlyle Blackwell Jr.

Norma Christopher, Queen of the 1947 Tournament of Roses. Maybelline ad shot with natural color, by Carlyle Blackwell Jr. Hollywood.

Ingrid Bergman in Joan of Arc, 1948.  Shot in natural color, by Carlyle BlackWell Jr.

Doris Day, early 1950's, shot by Carlyle Blackwell Jr in natural color.

Jackie Rainbow, Miss September, 1954 Playboy magazine. Photo shot by Carlyle Blackwell Jr. in natural color.

Carlyle Blackwell is best remembered for his natural color pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Italian racing cars, in the 1950's.  Stay tuned the rest of this week to see Blackwell in action!!!!

PAUL HESSE STARS ON PARADE.

Here some of the Hollywood Stars photographed by Paul Hesse. Many of them also appeared in Maybelline Advertisements in the 1940's.

Carole Lombard cover by Paul Hesse 

Anne Sheridan by Paul Hesse.

Joan Leslie by Paul Hesse.

Marlene Dietrich by Paul Hesse.

Gene Tierney by Paul Hesse. "Carbro from John Lloyd Lovell collection."

  Maria Montez by Paul Hesse. "Carbro from John Lloyd Lovell collection." 

                                           Lucille Ball by Paul Hesse.

Ava Gardner by Paul Hesse.

Loretta Young by Paul Hesse. 

One of the biggest discoveries by Paul Hesse was little Margaret O'Brien. seen here in 1946.  She however never appeared in a Maybelline advertisement.

So ends my series on Hollywood's Ziegfeld of Photography, Paul Hesse.  Check out this video from the show, Love That Bob.  Bob Cummings plays a bachelor Hollywood photographer in the 1950s.  It has been said that Bob's character was molded after Paul Hesse.

Hollywood photographer, Carlyle Blackwell Jr. gives new expression to the Stars in the late 40's and 50's.  Check in tomorrow to see what I mean......

MERLE OBERON - PAUL HESSE - MAYBELLINE AND THE STUDIO/STAR SYSTEM.

Renowned pioneer advertising Photographer Paul Hesse and exotic Merle Oberon.

Not only a genius when it came to glamour photography, Paul Hesse helped launch many starlets careers in Hollywood by introducing them to the right Studio bosses.  He also photographed the Biggest Stars on the Silver Screen as promotional advertising vehicles for products like Maybelline cosmetics. The combination of Studio, Star, film and product - helped make up 

the Hollywood Star system.  

MY MAKE-UP WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT MAYBELLINE MASCARA, EYEBROW PENCIL AND EYE SHADOW, Signed, Merle Oberon, 1944.

When the full page color Maybelline ad of Merle Oberon appeared on the back cover of 1944 movie magazines,  she was starring in the Gothic horror film Dark Waters.  Paul Hess shot the exotic photo of her as an advertising tool to promote her career, the Studio's name and Maybelline cosmetics.  That's one way the Studio Star/System worked up until the 1950s.

The front cover of a movie magazine would promote the film, the inside story would exploit the Studio and the back cover would display a Maybelline ad, autographed by Merle Oberon, suitable for framing.

It's easy to recognize the quality of color film used by Paul Hesse in the late 1930's and 40's.

The brilliance of Merle Oberon's eyes stand out just as much as the flowers or ruffles on her dress.

Merle Oberon's exotic features allowed her to play various ethnic rolls throughout her career and Paul Hesse captured the magic of dark eyes, red lips and raven hair in this picture of an Indian Princess.

The lighting in this photo captured the sparkle in Oberon's eyes, her smile and the energy she exuded.

During its original airing between 1955 and 1959 and in syndication as Love That Bob, The Bob Cummings Show depicted the exploits and pranks of bachelor Bob Collins, a celebrity photographer of Hollywood stars, and his network of mostly unmarried friends. 

It's been said that Bob Cummings character was taken directly from the famous Paul Hesse, Hollywood's flamboyant Star maker.

Check back tomorrow for the last day of Paul Hesse, his Stars and the Hollywood Studio/Star System.

JOAN CRAWFORD - PAUL HESSE - MAYBELLINE

Paul Hesse clearly understood the power

that an image can have over the public. 

Paul Hesse was the first professional photographer to  create a true-to-life likeness but idealized, glamorized and enhanced by his ground breaking technique of producing only delicious color values.

To Maybelline-The eye make-up I would never be without, signed.....

Hesse designed rear projection screens for creating custom backgrounds that framed his subjects.  The twinkling background in this Maybelline ad made Joan Crawford's eyes sparkle with expression......  Women who wanted that Star Quality chose Maybelline.....
Tom Lyle, contracted Crawford to be Maybelline's official spokesperson between 1946 and 1960.

This Hesse photo of Joan Crawford was so highly stylized and hyper-realistic..... she just leaped off the page.  

Hesse took this photograph of Joan Crawford and gave it a style that captured the hearts and minds of the American public.  He inspired countless celluloid  dreams of beauty, glamour and sex appeal.

He was so admired in Hollywood that the actor Bob Cummings modeled his television character on the popular Bob Cummings Show (1955-1959) after him.


Stay tuned for Merle Oberon, Paul Hess and Maybelline next week.

HEDY LAMARR - PAUL HESSE - MAYBELLINE .

If you wanted glamour and sex appeal, Paul Hesse was the Hollywood Photographer to see.  

Cary Grant and Paul Hesse at a photo shoot.

By the late 1930’s, Hesse had become known as one of the best commercial photographers in New York, and  traveled to Hollywood several times a year to shoot photos of movie stars for Photoplay and for national advertising campaigns for companies like Maybelline.  

This photo of Hedy Lamarr was taken by Paul Hesse.  TO MAYBELLINE.....THE EYE MAKE-UP I FIND AS TRULY FLATTERING.....signed Hedy Lamarr.  Maybelline paid to have a Star's autographed picture placed on the back cover of movie magazines like Photoplay..... suitable for framing. 

Hedy Lamarr, 1950.

Photoplay was a movie fan magazine that was founded in 1911 and reached its peak of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s as fans became increasingly interested in the private lives of celebrities. 

Hedy Lamarr by Paul Hesse.

Photoplay was known for its artwork portraits of film stars on the cover, but once color photography was perfected around 1937, photographs of the stars were used on the covers instead.

                          Old Movies Nostalgia.

A Paul Hesse photo shoot, creating a wholesome image of Hedy Lamarr during World War ll.

Hedy Lamarr the girl next door.

Hesse used color film to create eye popping photos that would sell magazines, Brands and products.

He used lighting, clothes, hair and makeup to create a Hedy Lamar who  looks like she's from Kansas..... except sexy and glamorous even in an apron

Photoplay carried advertisements for makeup, hair, skin products, and fashions. It also contained movie reviews, personal stories about big name stars such as Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, Hedy Lamarr, Merle Oberon, Betty Garble and several vivid color photographs of other movies stars as well.

In this Photoplay article, Hedy Lamarr discusses the value of wearing comfortable shoes in the 1940's..... just like we could expect Paris Hilton discussing shoes she loved today in PEOPLE MAGAZINE, on EXTRA or FASHION POLICE.

Hedy Lamarr may have been a Paul Hesse - Maybelline model, as well as one the most beautiful women in Hollywood, but she was also a Scientist who patented this Secret Communication System in the 1940's a forerunner for electronic communication today.

Read all about it in Hedy Lamarr's new book, Hedy's Folly, by Richard Rhodes.

I have one Hedy Lamarr mini-makeup bag left.  See PayPal box on the right side of this page.

Hedy Lamarr Video

Hedy Lamarr, Extase/Ecstasy by Gustav Machaty, 1933.

ECSTASY - Scandalous 1933 Hedy Lamarr Debut  Click highlighted.

Hedy Lamarr and Bob Cummings on the Love That Bob TV Show.  Cummings character is said to be taken directly from Paul Hesse.

Continued tomorrow with Paul Hesse, Maybelline 

and Joan Crawford.