30 Amazing Black and White Photographs From Stanley Kubrick’s “Killer’s Kiss” (1955)

Killer’s Kiss (1955) is an American film noir that serves as the second feature-length production directed by a young Stanley Kubrick. Clocking in at a lean 67 minutes, the film is widely recognized as a technical exercise that showcases Kubrick’s burgeoning visual style and resourcefulness on a “shoestring” budget of approximately $75,000. The film stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane (the stage name of journalist Chris Chase), and Frank Silvera. Kubrick’s wife, Ruth Sobotka, also has a small role as Gloria’s sister and served as the art director.

Kubrick famously acted as a “one-man film crew” for much of this production, which was financed largely through loans from his family and friends. He functioned as the director, cinematographer, and editor. Because he couldn’t afford synchronized sound equipment, the entire movie was shot silent and the dialogue was dubbed in post-production.

The film’s climax, a surreal shootout in a warehouse full of mannequins, is widely considered the highlight of the movie. It showcases Kubrick’s early obsession with lighting, shadows, and uncanny visuals. The film offers a raw, authentic look at 1950s New York, featuring now-lost landmarks like the original Penn Station and the gritty side of Times Square.

While Kubrick later disowned much of it, Killer’s Kiss is a fascinating early glimpse of his talent. It’s not considered among his masterworks, but cinephiles treasure it for its visual ambition and its place in the Kubrick canon, right before he broke through with The Killing (1956).

 

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Hanoi Residents Waiting for All-clear Siren in Sidewalk Manhole Shelters During Air-Rawid Alert, 1967

This image captures a stark reality of daily life in Hanoi, North Vietnam, in 1967 during the Vietnam War. The photo shows residents sheltering in narrow, chest-deep individual air-raid bunkers (often called “turtle-shell” shelters) dug directly into the sidewalks. These bunkers were a critical part of the city’s civil defense strategy during the U.S. bombing campaign known as Operation Rolling Thunder. The photograph was taken by Lee Lockwood, an American photojournalist for Life magazine. He was the first American reporter permitted to document daily life in North Vietnam since 1954.

(Photo by Lee Lockwood/Getty Images)

These pits were prefabricated concrete cylinders just large enough for one person. Every 20 meters, they were staggered on both sides of major streets so that anyone caught in the open during an alert could find safety within seconds. Each bunker had a lid, made of concrete, thick bamboo, or straw, which users would pull over themselves once inside to protect against shrapnel and debris.

By 1967, air-raid sirens were a frequent occurrence, often sounding multiple times a day. Residents would wait in these cramped spaces until the “all-clear” signal was given.

Hanoi’s sidewalk bunkers became an enduring symbol of the city’s civilian resilience and adaptation to the constant threat of aerial warfare. Most of these shelters were filled in and removed shortly after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973.

30 Portraits of Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary, the Princess With the Sad Eyes, in the 1950s and 1960s

Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (1932–2001) was the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Queen of Iran from 1951 to 1958. Their marriage suffered many pressures, particularly when it became clear that she was infertile. In March 1958, their divorce was announced. After a brief career as an actress, and a liaison with Italian film director Franco Indovina, Soraya lived with her brother in Paris until her death.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary transformed from the “Persian Cinderella” and Queen of Iran into a glamorous, yet melancholic, European socialite and actress. Often called “the princess with the sad eyes,” her life during these decades was defined by a high-profile royal marriage and a heartbreaking exile driven by dynastic duty.

At age 18, she married Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, in 1951. Her Christian Dior wedding gown, featuring 27 yards of silver lamé and 20,000 feathers, became legendary. As Queen, she became an international fashion symbol, frequently appearing on magazine covers and being compared to Hollywood stars like Ava Gardner.

By the mid-1950s, the marriage faced immense pressure as Soraya was unable to conceive. Despite seeking medical treatments across Europe, she remained infertile. Refusing to allow the Shah to take a second wife to produce an heir, she agreed to a divorce “for the welfare of the people.” The Shah reportedly wept when announcing the separation on national radio.

After her divorce, Soraya was granted the title of Princess and settled in Europe, primarily living between Rome and Paris. In 1965, she attempted to reinvent herself as a film actress. She starred in the Italian film I tre volti (The Three Faces) and appeared in the adventure film She. During the filming of I tre volti, she became the companion of Italian director Franco Indovina. However, after Indovina died in a plane crash in 1972, she largely withdrew from public life and the arts.

Throughout the 1960s, she remained a fixture of the “Jet Set,” frequently photographed at cafés and social events in Paris and Rome, though she was often characterized by the media as a lonely figure.

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Shirley Anne Field: The Radiant Icon of British Cinema

Shirley Anne Field (1936–2023) was a captivating figure of British cinema and a defining face of the “New Wave” movement in the late 1950s and ’60s.

Known for her luminous beauty and effortless charm, Field transitioned from a successful career as a photographic model to become one of the most sought-after actresses of her generation. She delivered standout performances in iconic films such as The Entertainer, where she starred alongside Laurence Olivier, and the gritty kitchen-sink drama Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

With her refined features and emotive screen presence, Field embodied the shifting cultural landscape of post-war Britain, blending classic Hollywood-style glamour with the raw, modern realism of the era. Explore these vintage portraits to witness the magnetic charm of Shirley Anne Field, a star who perfectly captured the spirit of the 1960s.

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Chéri Hérouard: The Architect of Parisian Glamour

Chéri Hérouard (1881–1961) was a prolific French illustrator who became a defining figure of the “Golden Age” of French magazine art. He is most famously associated with the iconic publication La Vie Parisienne, where he contributed breathtaking illustrations for over 40 years.

Hérouard was a master of the Art Deco style, known for his incredible precision, elegant line work, and a distinctively playful, often mischievous, sense of storytelling. His work often featured ethereal, doll-like women in elaborate, imaginative costumes or whimsical, flirtatious settings.

Beyond mere fashion, his illustrations captured the “Joie de Vivre” of early 20th-century France, blending high-society glamour with a dreamlike, theatrical aesthetic that remains highly collectible today.

La Vie Parisienne, "Madelon", circa 1915

La Vie Parisienne, April 3, 1915

La Vie Parisienne, circa 1915

La Vie Parisienne, May 1, 1915

"La Casque d'un Poilu de 1417", La Vie Parisienne, 1917

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40 Amazing Photos of Al Pacino on the Set of “Serpico” (1973)

Al Pacino’s time on the set of Serpico (1973) was characterized by his intense immersion in the role and a unique production schedule that required the film to be shot in reverse chronological order. This was done to accommodate his facial hair; Pacino began filming with a full beard and long hair, which were gradually trimmed for each scene until he appeared clean-shaven for the beginning of the story.

Director Sidney Lumet noted that Pacino stayed in character throughout the day. His mood on set reflected his character’s state in the scene; if the scene was happy, he was joking; if it was tense, he was angry and lashed out.

To better inhabit the character of a plainclothes officer, Pacino often roamed New York City neighborhoods in character. In one famous incident, he was so deep in the role that he actually pulled over a truck driver and threatened to arrest him for exhaust pollution. Pacino spent significant time with the real Frank Serpico to prepare, even inviting him to stay at his home in Montauk. However, Serpico was eventually asked to stay away from the set by producer Martin Bregman to avoid making Pacino self-conscious or becoming a distraction. 

The production was incredibly rushed, with only five months between the start of filming and the film’s release. Despite the film’s focus on police corruption, the NYPD was surprisingly cooperative. Two officers were assigned to the production and reportedly became more helpful once they saw that Lumet was aiming for an authentic, non-Hollywood portrayal.

Filmed entirely on location in New York, the production captured the raw energy of the city during the early 1970s, contributing to the “gritty realism” for which the film is known.

On its release, Serpico became a critical and commercial success. At the same time, the film drew criticism from police officers. It received nominations at the Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards. Pacino earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, while Salt and Wexler received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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40 Vintage Postcards of Camilla Horn From the 1920s and 1930s

Camilla Horn (April 25, 1903 – August 14, 1996) was a prominent German dancer and film star who successfully navigated the transition from silent films to “talkies,” working in Hollywood as well as throughout Europe. She is most famous for her “angelic” blonde look, which helped her land one of the most iconic roles in silent cinema.

She was “discovered” by legendary director F.W. Murnau. After serving as a stand-in for Lil Dagover, she was cast as Gretchen in the silent masterpiece Faust (1926). This single role made her an international overnight sensation. Following her success in Germany, she moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. She starred in several major United Artists productions, most notably opposite John Barrymore in Tempest (1928) and Eternal Love (1929).

Unlike many silent stars, she maintained her popularity into the sound era. She returned to Europe and became a staple in German, British, and Italian cinema. Some of her notable later works include The Great Desire (1930) and the award-winning Schloß Königswald (1988), which was her final film.

Horn’s life was as dramatic as her films. She was married four times and was known for her independent spirit; during the Nazi era, she reportedly refused to strictly follow the official party line and was eventually prosecuted for monetary offenses. In her autobiography, she detailed her interactions with figures like Joseph Goebbels and her time in Hollywood. She is remembered today as one of the most striking faces of the Weimar-era cinema.

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