*The Sea Lion (1921) Hobart Bosworth and 50 similar items

Vintage original 8 x 10 in. US double-weight matte photograph from the classic 1920's silent film adventure/drama romance, THE SEA LION, released in 1921 by Associated Producers Inc. and directed by Rowland V. Lee. The image features a close interior studio shot of the film's star, Hobart Bosworth, in costume and character as "John Nelson," as he holds his pipe while listening to something off-camera. As indicated in the lower left corner, this photograph was taken by the renowned Hollywood photographer, Melbourne Spurr, whose photographs are very sought-after by collectors. It is in very fine condition as shown. Melbourne Spurr arrived in Hollywood around 1917 and worked for the noted photographer Fred Hartsook taking portraits of the early stars. Spurr photographed Mary Pickford while working at the Hartsook studio and so impressed her that she personally helped launch his career as a Hollywood portrait photographer. By the mid 1920s he was one of the premier celebrity portraitists in the world. By this time, though, the major movie studios were mandating that their stars could only be photographed by their own photographers. Spurr chose to keep his own studio, and was eventually shut out in favor of men like George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Eugene Robert Richee and others who worked for the big motion picture studios. Spurr shined in Hollywood for one glorious decade - the "Roaring 20s" - but then moved on to photographing other notables like US presidents, artists, authors and dancers.