At left is Betty Grable spreading holiday cheer, which is my favorite Hollywood Christmas photo. In a former life, I used to work as the managing editor for a video magazine, and each holiday season, we looked for any excuse to use this publicity photo. Not only could Grable rock the color red like no other star, she epitomizes Hollywood glamour in her massive fur coat, which on her does not look out of place in a convertible in sunny California .
CYD CHARISSE
GROUCHO MARX
Glamour shots of movie starts with a holiday theme pop up a lot on the Internet this time of year. And, they always showcase stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, which fits with the nostalgia associated with Christmas. From the silent era through the mid-1950s, the Hollywood studios engaged in well-orchestrated publicity and promotion, including glossy photos of stars. The glamour shots were regularly sent to fanzines and newspapers as well as to fans who wrote to the stars/studios requesting photos of their favorites. Of course, the photos kept the stars in the public eye, but they were more vital to the studio system than that. They helped to construct and circulate the stars’ images, reminding fans of those attributes and characteristics the fans found admirable. They also fed the media’s appetite for information about the stars. The images and stories created by the studios’ p.r. departments were universally positive and optimistic, leaving fans with happy memories and genuine affection.
EACH YEAR, COLONEL TOM PARKER CREATED A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS CARD FOR ELVIS’S FANS.
Though the studios gave up control over the star system during the 1950s, the public and press still had an insatiable appetite for information. Studios had downsized their publicity departments and stopped generating year-round publicity, giving rise to tabloids such as Confidential to fill the void. The legacy of those scandal rags has been an assault on the star system ever sense, denigrating stars and the very idea of stardom.
CAROLE LOMBARD IN 1929
Some might say that as a culture we have outgrown our enchantment with movie stars, our belief that they were as special in real life as they were on the big screen. But, I dare you to look at these photos and not feel at least a spark of good cheer.
GLAMOROUS JEAN HARLOW
CARY GRANT IN A PUBLICITY PHOTO FOR ‘THE BISHOP’S WIFE.’ I LIKE THE MOODINESS OF THIS SHOT, WHICH CAPTURES ANOTHER SIDE OF CHRISTMAS FOR SOME FOLKS.
CHEESECAKE AND BEEFCAKE FOR CHRISTMAS: JANET LEIGH AND ROBERT MITCHUM IN A PUBLICITY SHOT FOR ‘A HOLIDAY AFFAIR.’
NORMA SHEARER ADDS CLASS TO THE HOLIDAYS.
LEAVE IT TO GINGER ROGERS TO DOUBLE THE HOLIDAY CHEER WITH MULTIPLE SANTAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL THE MORLOCKS AND OUR READERS.