A publicity portrait from 1957, from Paramount Pictures, perhaps about the time Ann Blyth appeared in The Buster Keaton Story for that studio.
The movie is currently up on YouTube here, though unfortunately, it's not a very good print. We discussed the film here at my Another Old Movie Blog.
One is struck, of course, by Ann's striking beauty in these typical studio publicity head shots, but we must also marvel at the composition and quality of the professional photography of that era. This goes not only for the big studio publicity departments, but of professional portrait photography in general. Many of us can merely take old family wedding photos, senior photos, and those portraits that GI had taken in their dress uniforms to send back home during World War II just before heading out overseas for an example of ordinary people looking almost like movie stars. The slow black and white film stock, the sculpted lighting effect are only two ingredients of the alchemy that turned simple human beings into glamorous perfection of the human face.
No "selfie" can top it.
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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.
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