Ann Todd: The “Pocket Venus” of British Cinema

Ann Todd (1909–1993) was a distinguished English actress and producer who rose to international stardom during the golden age of British film.

Often referred to by the press as the “Pocket Venus” due to her petite stature and ethereal blonde beauty, Todd was far more than just a screen siren, she was a performer of immense psychological depth. She became a household name following her captivating performance in the 1945 psychological thriller The Seventh Veil, where she played a traumatized concert pianist. This role not only made her the highest-paid female star in Britain at the time but also caught the attention of Hollywood.

Throughout her career, Todd collaborated with legendary directors like Alfred Hitchcock in The Paradine Case and David Lean (to whom she was briefly married) in films such as The Passionate Friends. Her legacy is defined by her ability to portray complex, often troubled women with a sophisticated blend of icy reserve and intense emotional vulnerability.

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Françoise Hardy Photographed by Steve Schapiro in Venice, Italy in September 1966

In September 1966, the legendary American photojournalist Steve Schapiro captured a series of iconic, candid portraits of the French singer and style icon Françoise Hardy in Venice, Italy. At the time, Hardy was in Venice for the film festival, specifically to promote the film Grand Prix, directed by John Frankenheimer, in which she starred alongside Yves Montand. At just 22 years old, she was at the height of her “yé-yé” fame, embodying the effortless “French Girl” aesthetic that fascinated international photographers like Schapiro.

Unlike the highly staged studio portraits common at the time, Schapiro (known for his work on The Godfather and with David Bowie) used a photojournalistic approach. He captured Hardy as a real person navigating a tourist city, sometimes looking pensive, other times seemingly unaware of the camera.

These images helped solidify Hardy’s image as an intellectual and somewhat reluctant star. In her memoirs, Hardy often mentioned her discomfort with the “celebrity” machine; Schapiro’s photos are often cited as the ones that best captured that quiet, slightly detached essence of her personality during her most famous year.

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Eartha Kitt With Kittens Photographed by Gordon Parks for LIFE Magazine, 1952

In June 1952, legendary photographer Gordon Parks captured a series of intimate and stylish portraits of Eartha Kitt for LIFE magazine. This photo essay was shot while Kitt was performing at the Blue Angel nightclub in New York City, just as her career was exploding into superstardom.

Years after these photos were taken, she would go on to play the most iconic feline role of her career as Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series, becoming the first Black woman to take on the role. Orson Welles once called her the “most exciting woman in the world,” and the media frequently described her as “cat-like” due to her elegance, independence, and sharp wit.

Gordon Parks, the first Black staff photographer for LIFE, was known for his ability to capture both the grit of social issues and the glamour of high fashion. Beyond the kittens, he photographed Kitt riding her bicycle through the streets of New York, rehearsing at the Blue Angel, and in quiet, reflective moments at home.

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Vintage Photos of Sophia Loren From “Marriage Italian Style” (1964)

Released in 1964 and directed by the legendary Vittorio De Sica, Marriage Italian Style stands as one of the most iconic films of Italian cinema’s golden age. Starring the incomparable duo of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, the movie is a brilliant blend of bittersweet comedy and poignant drama.

Set in post-war Naples, it tells the story of Filumena Marturano, a former prostitute who orchestrates an elaborate scheme to marry Domenico, her long-time lover and wealthy benefactor, in order to secure a future for her three secret sons.

The film is celebrated for its sharp social commentary on class, gender roles, and the sanctity of motherhood. Sophia Loren’s powerhouse performance, which earned her an Academy Award nomination, perfectly captures the resilience and fiery spirit of the Neapolitan woman, making the film a timeless exploration of love, deceit, and redemption.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of Sophia Loren during the filming of Marriage Italian Style in 1964.

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36 Amazing Behind the Scenes Photographs From the Making of “The Deer Hunter” (1978)

The production of The Deer Hunter (1978) is as legendary and intense as the film itself. Director Michael Cimino’s obsession with authenticity pushed the cast and crew to their physical and emotional breaking points, creating a set atmosphere that often blurred the lines between acting and reality.

Robert De Niro worked for several months at a real steel mill in Ohio under an assumed name to prepare for his role. The opening scenes were filmed inside a functioning U.S. Steel mill in Cleveland, where actors stood on the furnace floor amidst molten metal and temperatures reaching 180°F. Cimino cast actual steelworkers as extras. One worker, Chuck Aspegren, was hired on the spot for a major supporting role after impressing filmmakers during a mill tour.

To heighten the tension during the famous Russian-roulette scene, De Niro requested a live round in the gun during the scene where he subjects John Cazale’s character to the game. The round was checked obsessively before each take to ensure it was not in the active chamber. The slapping in the prisoner-of-war sequences was real to elicit genuine reactions from the actors. In one instance, Cimino secretly instructed Christopher Walken to spit in De Niro’s face during their final encounter; De Niro’s shocked and furious reaction was authentic.

John Cazale was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer just before filming began. The studio initially wanted to fire Cazale because he was uninsurable. Robert De Niro paid the insurance bond out of his own pocket to keep him in the film. Because of his health, Cimino rearranged the entire production schedule to film all of Cazale’s scenes first. Meryl Streep took the role of Linda primarily to be with Cazale during his final months. He died in March 1978, shortly after filming concluded and before the movie’s release.

During the bridge escape sequence in Thailand, the helicopter’s skids got caught in the rope bridge as it rose. De Niro and John Savage were left dangling 60 feet above the river; they eventually dropped into the water to avoid being crushed. While filming the log scene on the River Kwai, the three lead actors nearly drowned when they were trapped behind a tree trunk in choppy water. A camera and filmed footage were lost in the river during the rescue attempt. The cast dealt with real rats, mosquitoes, and venomous snakes on set in Thailand. A Thai banded krait (a highly venomous snake) once crawled up Savage’s leg during filming.

Originally scripted to be much shorter, the wedding sequence took five days to film and grew to 51 minutes of screen time. Cimino used real liquor for the reception, leading the extras to become genuinely intoxicated during the long takes. Due to Cimino’s perfectionism and filming entirely on location (using eight towns across four states to represent one Pennsylvania town), the budget doubled from $7 million to $15 million. Cimino’s first cut was over three and a half hours long. He famously fired the film’s editor, Peter Zinner, for attempting to trim the wedding sequence. Paradoxically, Zinner went on to win the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the movie.

The Deer Hunter has been included on lists of the best films ever made, including being named the 53rd-greatest American film of all time by the American Film Institute in 2007 in their 10th Anniversary Edition of the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list. It was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1996, as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

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Stunning Portraits of Dolores del Rio Taken by Ruth Harriet Louise, 1927

Dolores del Río appeared in The Trail of ’98 (1928), an MGM silent adventure-drama about the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Directed by Clarence Brown, the film was known for its epic scale, dangerous stunts, and location shooting in harsh winter conditions in California’s Sierra Nevada and in Alaska.

In the movie, Dolores played Berna, a refined young woman who travels to the Klondike in search of a better life, becoming involved in romance and peril along the way. This was one of her early Hollywood roles, coming just a few years after her debut in Joanna (1925).

Here, a very young and beautiful Dolores del Rio photographed by Ruth Harriet Louise in 1927 for her only MGM silent film, The Trail of ‘98.

Jean Moral: The Pioneer of Spontaneous Elegance

Jean Moral (1906–1999) was a visionary French photographer and illustrator who fundamentally transformed the aesthetics of fashion photography in the 1930s.

Moving away from the rigid, artificial poses typical of the era’s studios, Moral took his models, most notably his wife and muse, Juliette, into the natural light of the streets, beaches, and mountain slopes. His work, frequently published in prestigious magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, was characterized by a sense of dynamic spontaneity and “joie de vivre.” He captured women in motion: walking, laughing, and embracing a modern, athletic lifestyle that reflected the shifting social roles of the time.

Moral’s unique “eye” combined the precision of a graphic designer with the freedom of a photojournalist, creating iconic black-and-white compositions that celebrated both the elegance of haute couture and the uninhibited spirit of the modern woman.

Fashion study by Jean Moral for Harper's Bazaar, 1935

“Café Anglais,” Dior’s most successful design for Piguet, photo by Jean Moral, Harper’s Bazaar, March 1, 1939

Model in raincoat by Schiaparelli, photo by Jean Moral, Paris, Harper's Bazaar, October 1939

Model in dark blue wool skirt with a red wool jacket and dark blue chiffon blouse, the cane covered in the same red as the jacket by Lucien Lelong, photo by Jean Moral, Harper's Bazaar, March 1940

Model in loose, wool cream topcoat by Balenciaga, photo by Jean Moral, Harper's Bazaar, March 1940

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