Glamour Shots

Glamour shots, especially those of A-list celebrities, allowed Ned Scott notoriety as a portraitist during his career. The progress toward such high level recognition began after his work on Stagecoach in 1939 and The Long Voyage Home.

Early in 1940, Gunther von Fritsch, Ned Scott’s old friend from the production days of the 1934 Mexican protest film Redes, suggested he contact Willard Morgan, chief honcho at The New York Alliance, publisher of the photographer’s magazine The Complete Photographer. Gunther and Ned had kept in contact through the years, and even though Gunther was working for Life Magazine in New York City, far across the country from Hollywood, he was attuned to the activites in the film industry. Whether Gunther had the idea, or whether Ned Scott spawned it, or whether Willard Morgan put out feelers to his publishing cohorts in New York about the matter, the nod fell in Ned’s direction to write an article on still photography in the motion picture industry for the magazine.

Much has been written about this subject. But it has to be noted that all of these treatises have been produced second or third hand after the Classic Era had passed. Ned Scott was the only practicioner of the artform at that time to set pen to paper in a serious and scholarly way, while he was engaged full time in the industry. The result was a multi-page article in the March, 1943 edition of The Complete Photographer.

Key for this discussion is Ned Scott’s assertion that three types of still photographs were the most popular for moviegoers; the menace shot, the glamour shot, and the gag/leg art shot. All the other types of still photographs were important to the promotion and production of motion pictures, but these types were the most widely distributed, especially in newspapers and magazines. In their own special ways, these kinds of photographs allowed the movie-going audience a special connection with their favorite stars.

Hollywood has always been associated with glamour. As time has elapsed in the film industry it can be said that one is synonomous with the other. Ned Scott’s brand of glamour was based on a nacient understanding of light. He was influenced a little by Hurrell and his one-light-source technique, but he preferred two light sources for maximum effect. Shadow was just as important as the display of light, and this combination in Ned Scott’s skilled hands produced the height of portraiture. Hair arrangement, pose, angle, background and setting all added to the effect which Ned Scott wanted to achieve. So it is that Jeff Donnell and Anna Lee, never known for their romantic roles in film (comedy and drama, respectively), come across as strikingly alluring in Ned Scott’s glamour portrayals. And his treatment of Rita Hayworth, herself the living essence of the glamorous female star, rises to the heights of possibility of the genre. Inspired by Ned Scott’s immortal portraits of Rita for the film “Down to Earth, Winthrop Sargeant, a senior writer for Life Magazine, dubbed her the “Love Goddess” in 1947, a description which remains fitting even today.

Janet Blair

Janet Blair takes on an enhanced air of refinement in this image created while she was starring in Director Alfed E. Green’s musical comedy, Tars and Spars, 1946.

Anna Lee

Anna Lee arches luxuriously in a portrait session during the period when she was starring in Director Fritz Lang’s film noir wartime drama, Hangmen Also Die, 1943

Marguerite Chapman

Marguerite Chapman oozes over the couch in this sumptuous portrait supporting her role in Columbia Pictures Director Ray Enright’s romantic comedy, One Way To Love, 1946

Phyllis Brooks

Phyllis Brooks is captured with bare shoulders and luxurious flowing hair to support her role as the Chorus Girl in Director Joseph von Sternberg’s film noir crime drama, The Shanghai Gesture, 1941

In front of Ned Scott’s portrait camera, Phyllis Brooks takes on a seductive persona to support her role as the gay chorus girl in Director Josef von Sternberg’s film noir crime drama, The Shanghai Gesture, 1941.

Claire Trevor

A sultry glance is caught in this portrait of Claire Trevor for her role as the Outcast Girl in Director John Ford’s epic Western drama, Stagecoach, 1939.

Cindy Garner

Jeff Donnell evinces endless allure in this portrait for Cover Girl, 1944. Her appearance in the film never occurred in the final cut.

Cindy Garner evinces endless allure in this portrait for Director John Cromwell’s war drama Since You Went Away, 1944.

Dorothy Lamour

Statuesque pose for Dorothy Lamour to support her role in Director Douglas Sirk’s romantic comedy, Slightly French, 1948

Adele Jergens

Adele Jergens glistens as Boots Nestor, the showgirl, from the wacky domestic dust-up in Columbia Pictures Director S. Sylvan Simon’s film noir mystery, I Love Trouble, 1947. This film also served as the genesis for the zany TV series 77 Sunset Strip which aired in 1958.

Ann Miller

Ann Miller poses enticingly, in costume, to support her role as Linda Lorens, featured player in a Rio revue in Columbia Pictures Director S. Sylvan Simon’s musical, The Thrill of Brazil, 1946.

Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth poses as the Love Goddess from Columbia Pictures Director Al Hall’s grand musical fantasy, Down To Earth, 1947.

Janis Carter

Janis Carter imparts a luscious glow in this portrait to support her role in Director Ray Enright’s romantic comedy, One Way To Love, 1946. Janis Carter traveled to Ned Scott’s house in La Canada, California for a photo sitting and this portrait was one of several created at that time. Janis and Ned Scott were friends, and remained so for many years after both departed the Hollywood scene.

Evelyn Ankers

Evelyn Ankers was known as the “scream queen” for the ’40’s era horror set. After her appearance in the 1941 horror film “The Lone Wolf”, Evelyn began a series of detective mysteries, called the Lone Wolf series, with leading men such as Melvyn Douglas, Ron Randell and Gerald Mohr. This is a film from 1947, a detective mystery with Evelyn playing the role of Iris Chatham, romantic interest for the suspected thief, Michael Lanyard, played by Gerald Mohr. Director Leslie Goodwins’ detective mystery, The Lone Wolf in London, 1947.

Anita Louise

Photographed at her home in Beverly Hills, Anita Louise poses in a fashionable dinner dress ensemble of black crepe by designer Traina-Norrell. Her antique necklace and bracelet are of gold mesh studded with diamonds. Ned Scott captured the essence of the Hollywood’s Golden Age in this glamour pose of understated elegance. Anita Louise had just begun filming in director Henry Levin’s period-piece action adventure, “The Fighting Guardsman”, 1946.