Tony Vaccaro (born Michelantonio Celestino Onofrio Vaccaro) (born December 20, 1922), is an American photographer who is best known for his photos taken in Europe during 1944 and 1945, and in Germany immediately following World War II. Later, he became a fashion and lifestyle photographer for U.S. magazines.
Tony Vaccaro, The Violinist, Venice, Italy, 1947 via
Ava Gardner married fellow MGM contract Mickey Rooney on January 10, 1942, when she was 19 years old and he was 21. The ceremony was held in the remote town of Ballard, California, because MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer was worried that fans would desert Rooney’s Andy Hardy movie series if it became known that their star was married.
Ava Gardner divorced Rooney in 1943, well before she became a star in her own right, largely due to his serial adultery. She later described him as:
“The smallest husband I ever had, and the biggest mistake”
Ava went on to marry Artie Shaw (1945-1946) and Frank Sinatra (1951-1957). Mickey went on to marry and divorce six more times. He married wife number eight, singer Jan Chamberlin in 1978; they separated in May 2013.
Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney wedding day, January 10, 1942 via
Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney after getting married, January 10, 1942 via
Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney after getting married, January 10, 1942 via
Claudette Colbert. It Happened One Night, 1934 via
Olivia de Havilland. They Died With Their Boots On, 1941 via
Joan Fontaine. Jane Eyre, 1943 via
Gene Tierney 1946. The Razor’s Edge, 1946 via
Audrey Hepburn. Funny Face, 1957 via
Marilyn Monroe. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953 via
Gina Lollobrigida. Come September, 1961 via
Gilda is a 1946 American black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor starring Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale.
The two-piece costume worn by Hayworth in the “Amado Mio” nightclub sequence in the film was offered as part of the “TCM Presents … There’s No Place Like Hollywood” auction November 24, 2014, at Bonhams in New York.
It was estimated to bring between $40,000 and $60,000. The costume sold for $161,000.
Rita Hayworth wearing the two-piece costume for Gilda. Photo by Bob Landry, 1946 via
Edith Head (1897 – 1981) was an American costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, starting with The Heiress (1949) and ending with The Sting (1973).
Born and raised in California, Head managed to get a job as a costume sketch artist at Paramount Pictures, without any relevant training. She first acquired notability for Dorothy Lamour’s trademark sarong dress, and then became a household name after the Academy Awards created a new category of Costume Designer in 1948. Head was considered exceptional for her close working relationships with her subjects, with whom she consulted extensively, and these included virtually every top female star in Hollywood.
After 43 years she left Paramount for Universal, possibly because of her successful partnership with Alfred Hitchcock, and also adapted her skills for television.
Edith Head, 1930s via
Edith Head’s costume for Anna May Wong in Dangerous to Know directed by Robert Florey, 1938 via
Grace Kelly wearing her Oscar dress by Edith Head. Photograph by Philippe Halsman via
Edith Head’s costume for Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd directed by Billy Wilder, 1950 via
Audrey Hepburn (with Edith Head in the background) puts on her tiara and necklace while on the set of Roman Holiday, 1952 via
Hitchcock and Head on the set of Family Plot, 1976 via
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