Richard Avedon and Funny Face

Richard Avedon was one of the best known and most influential portrait and fashion photographers of his day. He changed the concept of what was fashion photography and how it was presented. He has remains an artistic hero to many, right to this day. Born in 1923, in New York City, Avedon’s parents were both in the fashion business. His father, Jacob Avedon, owned and ran Avedon’s Fifth Avenue, a clothing store. With his family background, young Richard took an early interest in fashion and began photographing outfits from his father’s store. When he was twelve years old, Richard became a member of the Camera Club at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association.

Dancing Lady (1933) Robert Z. Leonard

The same year Warner Brothers released 42nd Street (1933) MGM came out with Dancing Lady, a backstage musical complete with a Busby Berkeley style finale. If you had to compare the two, the win would certainly go to 42nd Street, one the great Warner Brother musicals of all time. However,  Dancing Lady is entertaining if not exactly a knockout, the film can certainly hold its head high. It is just not in the stratosphere of great musicals like its better known counterpart.

The film has a pedigree cast with Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone in the leading roles. Joan is Janie “Duchess” Barlow, a virtuous downtown burlesque dancer whose dream is to make it to the big time on Broadway. Slumming one evening with his multiple girlfriends is millionaire playboy Tod Newton (Franchot Tone). The Burlesque house is raided that same evening and Janie and the other girls are all hauled off into court. Tod and his entourage decide to go to court for the entertainment value of the proceedings. Once there Tod suddenly takes a surprising interest in Janie and ends up paying her bail.