Grungy looking celebrities

[Jack Traeger]

Good morning all,

To all veterans who have served our country this is your day, I personally
thank you for your service. It occured to me as I channel surfed last night
and saw the new James Bond star on Letterman, something Shelly Winters
said on the tonight show a few years ago. Aas you may know she was
quite outspoken. She told Carson about the "studio system" in Hollywood and how some stars likened it to indentured servitude. She disagreed.
She told Mr. Carson that while a studio may have had you locked up for
7 years legally speaking, that's when some of our greatest movie stars
were created. There were schools on studio lots that taught fledgling
actresses and actors proper english, manners, and how to dress. She also
went on to say that whenever a celebrity was out in public, they were
always dresssed appropriately, and looked like a star. Ms. Winters further
went on to say, " some of these kids that appear on your show look like they need a bath." I couldn't agree more. I regret the rambling, but do grow
weary of seeing these folks who in many cases are enormously overcompensated with three or four days growth, blue jeans with holes in the
knees, and greasy string hair. In a defacto manner , we the public are
their employers. When they appear before us, they are reporting for work.
I've asked myself often times, if I had an employee who consistenly
exhibited that behavior, perhaps offensive to our customers, how long I
would allow it, not very long. Anyway, thanks for the opportunity to blow
off steam, I would greatly appreciate your opinion.

Regards,
Jack Traeger

 

[The Captain]

Jack, I agree with you on the grunge factor. If I were making the money some of these actors do, I would present myself in the best possible light. But, most of today's actors are trying to look like the majority of the fans who plunk down big bucks to see their latest cookie-cutter film. Look around you the next time you visit your neighborhood cinema; I guarantee you'll see ripped jeans (worn or "designer"), scruffy beards (two or three day growths are SO manly), T-shirts with.....(fill in the blank), and other sartorial preferences that are OK for a backyard barbeque, but not for being seen in public. I was always told that first impressions are what people remember and I (usually) want mine to be a good one.

 

[Fletch]

scruffy beards (two or three day growths are SO manly)

Clark Gable, 1940. Photo: Edward Weston.

 

[JohnnyL]

Aahhhh....but he is wearing a suit and tie. Looks like he is on the way home from a long night out. In that case I think we can give Mr. Gable a pass.

Clark Gable, 1940. Photo: Edward Weston.

 

[Fletch]

A night out in a tweed jacket? More likely an early morning – he's got the Examiner with him (Hearst's morning paper).

Any hunches on the make of the car?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Don't mind Orson, he's having a bad hair day.

[stolen from lileks.com]

bk

 

[patrick1987]

Looks like they just got out of the swimming pool after someone brought the birthday ---- pie?

 

[carebear]

Those photos don't invalidate the premise. They are casual, "private time" shots.

Were any of the three to be making a true public appearance (say on Jack Paar) as opposed to just going about their business, they'd be dressed to the appropriate nines.

As was pointed out. Gable was getting the paper in his casual daily wear, which was still a suit and tie. Well's and Hayworth can be excused since by rights they were in their own house. (and it's not like I'd have Rita dressed in much more than a swim suit if she was in my house )

 

[JohnnyL]

A night out in a tweed jacket? More likely an early morning – he's got the Examiner with him (Hearst's morning paper).

Any hunches on the make of the car?

Its still dark out. Do you think he would be out that early getting the paper? I'd rather believe he was out somewhere all day and picked up the early edition on the way home.

As for the car...not a clue.

 

[The Captain]

Clark Gable, 1940. Photo: Edward Weston.

It seems obvious to me that this is a production still from a film. In 1940 I don't think a "star" would let himself be photographed in such a scruffy condition unless it was job-related. This is definately a posed shot. I can't say for sure - I was only five years old at the time - but I remember actors as having more class back then.

I searched Gable's films and in 1940 he was in three films: Strange Cargo, Comrade X, and Boom Town. I couldn't find this particular photo attached to any one of them. The Edward Weston gallery doesn't shed any light on it either. If anyone knows more, I would appreciate hearing it.

 

[Paisley]

Joan Crawford once said that any actress who went out looking dowdy was digging her own grave. How things have changed.

 

[Elaina]

Don't forget Gable was also riding high on Gone with the Wind. Many pictures were taken of him, posed or not, that people wanted to see. That picture may have been done to make him more accessible to his fans, showing he's like everyone else: his clothes get frumpy, hair gets messy and he needs a shave. And it feeds into his romantic image with that tousled look. Frankly it looks like he just jumped from someone's bed. Adds fuel to the fire.

 

[herringbonekid]

his clothes get frumpy, hair gets messy and he needs a shave.

if that's a frumpy suit then all i can say is i want a frumpy suit like that !

 

[Elaina]

From the pictures I've always seen of him, it was. I may be wrong, I'm not a huge Gable fan (although my mom is).

 

[TopHatCat]

It seems obvious to me that this is a production still from a film. In 1940 I don't think a "star" would let himself be photographed in such a scruffy condition unless it was job-related. This is definately a posed shot. I can't say for sure - I was only five years old at the time - but I remember actors as having more class back then.

This looks a lot more like a candid photograph then a still from a film to me.

The lighting is really blown out, like someone stuck a flash up to his window and snapped a photo. Notices how it blooms out from the foreground. If this were film I would think the lighting would have focused on his face, especially when he's in a car at night.

It's also not framed particularly well from a composition point of view. Generally car shots are done looking out through the windshield or looking back as if the camera is on the dashboard as this allows the actors upper bodies to be silhouetted against the moving background.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Maybe 10 years ago Vanity Fair did a small photo essay on the grunge movement where they superimposed the faces of classic stars (Jean Harlow, etc.) onto modern celebrities bodies. Regrettably I don’t have the photos to post but I remember that all of them, especially Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, still looked great despite the ripped jeans.

 

[Paisley]

When [actors]appear before us, they are reporting for work. I've asked myself often times, if I had an employee who consistenly
exhibited that behavior, perhaps offensive to our customers, how long I
would allow it, not very long.

Regards,
Jack Traeger

I don't really agree that actors are our employees reporting for work. I might agree that we are their clientele, which is a subtle but important difference. I am also the client of various professionals, contractors and instructors. Do I care how they dress when they are not on the job? No. While I don't care for most movies that are made today, celebs' attire isn't the reason.

 

[The Captain]

This looks a lot more like a candid photograph then a still from a film to me.

The lighting is really blown out, like someone stuck a flash up to his window and snapped a photo. Notices how it blooms out from the foreground. If this were film I would think the lighting would have focused on his face, especially when he's in a car at night.

It's also not framed particularly well from a composition point of view. Generally car shots are done looking out through the windshield or looking back as if the camera is on the dashboard as this allows the actors upper bodies to be silhouetted against the moving background.

With Edward Weston's images selling for thousands of dollars, I doubt very much that this photo of Clark Gable is just a snapshot. Weston's name is attached to the image, so we must assume he made it. But, I still can't find any info to go with the photo other than it was shot in 1940.