DIRECTOR'S CUT
1960s VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

EXHIBITION DATES:
December 15, 2018 - February 2, 2019

WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC presented a premiere exhibition of vintage photographs of legendary 1960s film sets by photographer Hatami, curated by James Cavello. Photographs on view include behind-the-scenes images from "Rosemary’s Baby," 1968 (director Roman Polanski), "Bullitt," 1968 (director Peter Yates), "A Countess from Hong Kong," 1967 (director Charlie Chaplin), and "Doctor Zhivago," 1965 (director David Lean).

Hatami (1928-2017) – known primarily by his last name – started his sixty-year career as a writer in the 1950s for a newspaper in Tehran. Due to short staffing, the Editor required he also use his journalistic skills to photograph unfolding political events. Hatami’s keen eye and assertive nature allowed him to capture decades of historic photos of political, cultural and social events spanning from the Middle East to Europe and Hollywood to New York City. His early photojournalism included covering Israel as a new state, the coronation of King Hussein of Jordan in 1952, President Nassar and the Egyptian Revolution, the Suez crisis in 1956 and later the exile of the Shah of Iran.

In the 60s, far removed from political coverage, Hatami was invited on movie sets to document films and photograph the directors and the actors in their creative process. His interest in the entertainment world led him to capture a variety of subjects such as The Beatles at the beginning of their career, Johnny Hallyday, Woody Allen, Françoise Sagan, Catherine Deneuve, Faye Dunaway, Marlene Dietrich, Gina Lollobrigida, Romy Schneider, Jean-Luc Godard and many others. Hatami was also a personal friend of Mlle Coco Chanel, whom he photographed extensively in her private apartment, while she entertained or created fashion, between 1962 and 1969. In 1979, Hatami documented the Iranian revolution from the return of the Ayatollah Khomeini to the hostage crisis – a curated selection was exhibited at Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, on the 25th anniversary of the event.

In addition to his photographic contribution for hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, his work graced the covers of LIFE magazine, LOOK, Newsweek, Paris-Match, Jours de France, Vogue and fourteen covers of ELLE. Hatami’s photographic work is recognized worldwide for its true commitment to photojournalism and is registered with the Library of Congress.

ROSEMARY’S BABY, 1968

Directed by Roman Polanski. Screenplay by Roman Polanski after a novel by Ira Levin.
With Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy.

In the late 60s, Roman Polanski directed and wrote Rosemary’s Baby, a film that is still culturally relevant. The film dramatized psychological terror and supernatural horror through the chilling story of Rosemary (Mia Farrow), her husband, a B-actor (John Cassavetes), and the occult. Filmed in The Dakota Building, it instantly became a classic of its genre. The film was nominated for best screenplay and Ruth Gordon won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1968, Hatami also directed Mia and Roman, a 23-minute documentary shot during the making of Rosemary’s Baby. It was screened as a promo film at Hollywood’s Lytton Center, and it is included as a featurette on the DVD of Rosemary’s Baby. It is a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse of the time spent on the film’s set and the social environment.

Black and white photograph of a woman wearing sunglasses and a man in a suit conversing while walking towards the viewer with a bridge in the background

Black and white photograph of a woman smiling at a pregnant woman, with a man between them

Black and white photograph of a close up of a man’s face looking to the upper right

Black and white photograph of two men looking to the lower left, one holding a camera, with a woman looking at the viewer in the background

Black and white photograph of a man looking at another man smiling, wearing sunglasses, looking towards the right

Black and white photograph of a man holding a pregnant woman’s hand and looking at her, with another man staring angrily at the man, in front of a building with the words “Tiffany &” on it

Black and white photograph of a pregnant woman wearing a plaid dress and holding a purse while biting her thumbnail and looking up and to the right

Black and white portrait of a young woman with short hair speaking on the phone

Black and white photograph of a young woman and an older woman smiling and a man between them with his arms around them

Black and white photograph of a man directing a pregnant young woman

Black and white photograph of two men and a woman intently reading a book

Black and white photograph of a group of people in front of a city building

Black and white photograph of a man sitting in a director’s chair, wearing a pope hat, and holding two fingers up while holding a book and looking at the viewer

BULLITT, 1968
Directed by Peter Yates. Screenplay by Alan Trustman & Harry Kleiner after a novel by Robert L. Fish.
With Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland.

In 1968, Peter Yates released his San Francisco thriller Bullitt, a critical and box-office success, the story of a Lt. Frank Bullitt, a cop assigned as a bodyguard to a syndicate witness. Lt Bullitt wants to find out who killed the witness and clashes with the mob in the process.

The film won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing, especially considering the scenes from the highly charged car chase through the streets of San Francisco (most driving was done by McQueen himself, without stunt men, and the scene was one of the first filmed with cars at full speed instead of using sped-up film). Photographs on exhibit show personal moments on and off set between the film stars and the crew, who also became close personal friends.

Black and white photograph of four men having a discussion, two of them gesturing and speaking

Black and white photograph of a woman speaking to a group of young schoolgirls

Black and white photograph of two men looking sternly to the left

Black and white photograph of a man wearing sunglasses surrounded by a group of schoolgirls

Black and white photograph of a group, focus is on two men smiling at each other from across a table

Black and white photograph of a streetcar full of people with a woman running alongside it

Black and white photograph of man and woman in conversation while eating

Black & white photograph of three policemen in conversation with a man

Black & white photograph of people in a cafeteria, focus is on a woman and a man holding trays

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, 1965

Directed by David Lean. Screenplay by Robert Bolt after a novel by Boris Pasternak.

With Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay.

The romantic epic based on the 1957 novel by Boris Pasternak that shifted the perception of Soviet Russia in the West was turned into a major production in 1965. The book was banned in the Soviet Union for decades. Hatami photographed the director David Lean and the film’s theme of the love between the doctor Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and Lara Antipova (Julie Christie) amidst the turmoil of World War I, the Soviet Revolution and the pursuant Russian Civil War (1917-1922). Photographs on view include Omar Sharif and Geraldine Chaplin warming up from their scenes in the harsh Finnish tundra and David Lean rehearsing in the snow. The film, shot in Finland and Spain, was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won five. Best Picture was awarded to The Sound of Music. Doctor Zhivago is the eighth highest-grossing film of all time in the US, adjusted for ticket-price inflation.

Black & white photograph of a woman in an early-1900s style dress and a man in a beard standing behind a table with flowers on it

Black & white photograph of a woman sitting near a tea set and reading a letter

Black & white photograph of a winter scene with horses in front of a castle

Black & white scene of a woman walking amid rubble in front of a fire-damaged building

Black & white portrait of a middle-aged man with a mustache wearing a winter hat, scarf, and coat and looking to the left

Black & white photograph of an older man reading a book and a young woman holding a letter siting beside each other

Black & white portrait of a woman standing in front of two political posters and looking at the viewer

Black & white photograph of a man grasping the arm of a woman in a fur coat and hat holding an instrument

Black & white photograph of a woman in a black coat in a winter scene

Black & white photograph of a woman with long hair looking down and to the right

Black & white photograph of people dressed in ragged winter clothing, in a line

Black & white photograph of a woman sitting at a table, holding a letter, and smiling at a man facing away from the viewer

Black & white photograph of a man leaning against a wooden beam and looking to the left

Black & white photograph of people standing on a staircase, focus is on a man looking through a spyglass

A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG, 1967

Directed by Charles Chaplin. Original screenplay by Charles Chaplin.
With Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Charlie Chaplin, Sydney Chaplin, Tippi Hedren, Patrick Cargill.

Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed his last film, shot at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. It is a comedy about an American diplomat (Marlon Brando) who leaves Hong Kong via ship and discovers a stowaway in his stateroom, a white Russian countess (Sophia Loren) who is a refugee without a passport because she fled the revolution and ended up as a barmaid in Hong Kong. Charlie Chaplin and Sophia Loren can be seen in photographs sitting together; other images show Chaplin conducting his own music score and rehearsing scenes with Brando.

The script was planned in the 1930s for Paulette Goddard, but production was never completed. Chaplin’s 1968 film was a critical and box office failure but the success of the music score, written by Chaplin, covered the budget gap. The film’s theme music became a worldwide hit song reaching #1 in the UK, #3 in the United States.

Black & white photograph of a woman in a bathing suit swimming and looking at the viewer

Black & white photograph of an older man in a hat sitting and speaking with a woman

Black & white photograph of three men standing in a room, focus on a man facing away from the viewer and reading a book

Black & white photograph of people in the city, focus is on a man saluting the camera and a woman smiling while walking together, with a sign reading “Wall’s Ice Cream sold here”

Black & white photograph of an older man wearing a women’s hat holding up a brassiere and looking at it next to a bed

Black & white photograph of two men standing and talking and a young woman sitting between them with her head resting on her hand

Black & white photograph of an older man getting out of a car and holding his arms out to the side while looking to the left

Black & white photograph of an older man pointing at an orchestra with a film playing on a screen in the background

Black & white photograph of a man laughing and a woman covering her face

Black & white photograph of two men in dark clothing in an interior scene, both leaning on a sofa

Black & white photograph of a film set, focus is on a man standing and conversing with a woman sitting in an armchair

Black & white photograph of a woman in a dress wearing a flower garland and looking to the right

Black & white photograph of a woman in a white evening gown holding the arm of a man in a suit, in an interior scene

Black & white photograph of a film set, focus is on a man standing and looking at a man sitting, with a woman sitting and smiling in the background

DIRECTOR'S CUT 1960s VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

DIRECTOR'S CUT
1960s VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY