Arcana:

(WEEGEE). Fellig, Arthur, aka Weegee. Los Angeles. (circa 1950).: Weegee. First Edition. Oblong Folio. Silver Gelatin Photograph. Fine.. One 8 x 10" silver gelatin print printed recto only, mounted with archival photo corners in a heavy white 14 x 15 ½" beveled mat. This is a photographic portrait by Weegee "The Great" of noted Hollywood columnist, screenwriter and novelist Jimmy Starr. Starr is pictured on set laughing and enjoying the company of three actresses decked out in howlingly inauthentic outfits comprised of skull caps with wild hair, seashell necklaces, bangles, and sarongs in a culturally misguided attempt at Oceanic exoticism. Images of the actors without Starr photographed at the same sitting appear in both "Weegee's Naked Hollywood (1953)" and "Naked Hollywood: Weegee in Los Angeles (2011)". Beginning as an office boy at Metro Studios in 1919, Starr graduated to writing intertitles, dialogue, and screenplays for dozens of films in the 1920s and 1930s. His 1944 novel "The Corpse Came C.O.D." became the basis for a 1947 Columbia Pictures feature starring Joan Blondell and George Brent. Starr left studio work to write regular columns for "The Los Angeles Herald-Express", "New York Daily Mirror", and "Sunday Daily Mirror" before leaving town entirely for a successful career in Arizona with Ramada Inns. Weegee, following the success of Jules Dassin's 1948 feature "Naked City" - based on his pioneering 1945 photobook of the same title - moved to Los Angeles with the expectation of trading the late-night Manhattan crime and street photography he'd grown weary of for more lucrative process photography and cinematography jobs with the Hollywood studios. While there was some behind the scenes work along with few bit parts to be had, Weegee was primarily reliant on making distorted trick portraits of the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield to sell to magazines to make ends meet. In late 1951, newly-divorced he returned to New York where he remained active until his passing in 1968. A bright, fine condition vintage silver gelatin print on single weight glossy paper bearing the stamps "Arthur (Weegee) Fellig / 6606 St. Frances Terrace / Hollywood 28, Calif." in red and "FROM THE / JIMMY STARR COLLECTION" in purple ink on the verso. This was most likely a gift from Weegee to Starr, and as there was very little chance of selling this shot from the series for publication, there cannot be many - if any - other prints of this particular image in circulation. Inventory Number: 026241