The 145 glamour portraits in this book show 94 of the great stars of the golden era in glittering “larger than life” images. One has only to look at these photos to be romanced by the fabulous world of Hollywood glamour.

Originally printed in fan magazines, on posters, and in fashion spreads, these portraits from the Twenties, Thirties, and Forties are choice collector’s items, which are also remarkable as high points in portrait photographic technique.

Famous pairs, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, Charles Boyer and Heady Lamarr are seen in these pictures. There are seven portraits of Greta Garbo, and series which show Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Stanwuck, Bette Davis, and Heady Lamarr at different stages of their careers. Marion Davies, Irene Dunne, John Gilbert, Ginger Rodgers, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Dolores Del Rio, Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, Katherine Hepburn, Rosalind Russell, Tallulah Bankhead, Marlon Brando, and Veronica Lake are among the stars pictured.

Five additional pictures show the studio portrait photographers, who to a large extent created Hollywood glamour, at work. Captions give the year, photographer, studio, the movies that many of the portraits are associated with and the costume designer. The introduction is by John Kobal, from whose collection theses portraits come.