Bob Willoughby and Audrey Hepburn
Shortly before he passed away last year, Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby signed 1,000 copies of Taschen’s latest release, “Bob Willougby, Audrey Hepburn; Photographs 1953-1966.” Willoughby shot dozens of actors over the course of his career, including Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne and Elizabeth Taylor, but Hepburn belonged to a small group of “special people,” and he always referred to her as his muse.
Willoughby got his break shooting Judy Garland for a behind-the-scenes job on the 1954 A STAR IS BORN. Warner Brothers like his work so much they kept him on set to document certain scenes specifically for sale to the press, marking the first occasion a studio hired a photographer to take photographs to sell exclusively to magazines. The result was his very first LIFE cover and the rest of his career. He shot behind-the-scenes on over 100 films, including THE GRADUATE, ROSEMARY’S BABY, MY FAIR LADY and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? But no matter what his professional commitments were, he always came back to Audrey. Their relationship, “one of photography’s great platonic love affairs,” led to series of photographs that are not only stunning, but an intimate look into one of the greatest icons in film.
“Bob Willoughby and Audrey Hepburn” Collector’s Edition in a clamshell box, $500. Available September 30, 2010 from Taschen.
