Theatre and Film Photographer Marcus Blechman

Not much can be found on this great photographer who mainly photographed theatre stars more than film ones.  But here is what I found:

Marcus was born on October 13, 1922 and passed away on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

Marcus was a resident of Rockville Centre, New York.

Here is what friend CRAIG DUDLEY of  JERSEY CITY, NJ.

I met Marcus Blechman when I was a young actor starting out in the theatre professionally and he invited me to his Photo Studio which I found to be rather unique with all those celebrated names from film and theatre and many that I had admired. I was regular there having coffee or tea discussing the theatre and subsequently he took several photo of me, and ones that have become favourites of mine over the years and have used in several write ups on me. One afternoon I was asked to leave because he was going to photograph Dame Judith Anderson whom he had done for her celebrated MEDEA. Later I asked him how it went and his response was: During this shoot, Miss Anderson was on her best behavior , so friendly, amusing and interesting. Marcus was somewhat surprised because on that last shoot for the Medea layout and record cover , she was demanding, intolerable and difficult; why the change now? Her answer was this: "Marcus, then I was Medea!"

Here are some examples of his work:

Helen Hayes

 

Judith Anderson in Medea.

 

Gloria Swanson

 

Another theatre star

 

Vera Zorina

 

Tallulah Bankhead

 

His photographer's stamp.

Unit and Publicity Still Hollywood Photographer: Otto Dyar

Otto Dyar was born on July 25, 1892 and began his career at Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation (which, of course, was just shortened to Paramount).  She shot many unit, publicity and fashion layouts of stars such as Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Shirley Temple, William Powell, Elizabeth Taylor, Anna May Wong, Kay Francis, Madeleine Carroll, Nancy Carroll, Alice Faye, Clara Bow, Loretta Young, Mitzi Green, Gloria Swanson, Cary Grant, Tallulah Bankhead, Louise Brooks, Gary Cooper, and Fay Wray.

He ended up working for other studios and was one of the first photographer's to do an outdoor setting, which was unusual at the time.  This was proposed by eventual Paramount photographer John Engstead.

His glamour photographs are as spectacular as any created by the Hollywood photographers of the time, including Hurrell and Bull. 

Dyar died at 96 on December 26, 1988 in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Recently, one of his unique portaits of Elizabeth Taylor has been shown at the prestigous National Portrait Gallery in New York.  And his originals also sell for in the thousands at auction and are worth every penny!

Two great photos of Anna May Wong.

Kay Francis

Claudette Colbert

Gloria Swanson

 

Ginger Rogers

 

Clara Bow

Carole Lombard

Claire Trevor

A copy of the back of the above Trevor photo.

Shirley Temple...

... and the stamp on back.

Another example of a back stamp.

Anna Lee in a 'key book' photo; the two hole punches on the left are proof that the photo most likely originated in a book of publicity (and other items) related to the film it represented.

The portait that was shown at the National Portrait Gallery of Elizabeth Taylor.

The photographer and his subject: Anna May Wong.