George Hurrell Portrait Photography

James Cagney portrait by famed Hollywood art photographer George Hurrell - Signed in 1940 with Inscription to George (Yuri) Zoritch - “To Yuri Zurich Good luck Good wishes and thoughts Jim Cagney” This is a original mint quality photograph signed and given to fellow dancer George (Yuri) Zoritch by James Cagney in 1940. Zoritch was rehearsing at MGM at the time. The photograph is a stunning art portrait of Cagney. It is in excellent condition with no tears or creases and has a high quality mat finish on heavy weight photo paper. This is not a reprint. It is an original high quality vintage photograph. George Hurrell is the Master of Hollywood Glamour Photography. He photographed nearly every major actor and actress of Hollywood's Golden Age and his portraits are iconic in the field. During the 1930s and early 1940s, George Hurrell (1904–1992) reigned as Hollywood’s preeminent portrait photographer. Hired by the Publicity Department at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) when he was only twenty-five, Hurrell advanced rapidly to become the studio’s principal portraitist. With a keen eye for artful posing, innovative lighting effects, and skillful retouching, he produced timeless portraits that burnished the luster of many of the greatest stars. James Cagney (1899 – 1986) was an American actor and dancer on stage and in film. He was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing which won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances. Cagney is remembered for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as The Public Enemy, Taxi!, Angels with Dirty Faces, The Roaring Twenties, City for Conquest, and White Heat , finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career.[4] He was able to negotiate dancing opportunities in his films and ended up winning the Academy Award for his role in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him eighth on its list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.[5] Orson Welles described him as "maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera". Cagney's fifth film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for a famous scene in which Cagney pushes half a grapefruit against Mae Clarke's face, the film thrust him into the spotlight. He became one of Hollywood's leading stars and one of Warner Bros.' biggest contracts. In 1938 he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his subtle portrayal of the tough guy/man-child Rocky Sullivan in Angels with Dirty Faces. In 1942 Cagney won the Oscar for his energetic portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me with Doris Day. Cagney retired from acting and dancing in 1961 to spend time on his farm with his family. He came out of retirement 20 years later for a part in the movie Ragtime (1981), mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke. George Zoritch (born Yuri Zoritch 1917– 2009), was a Russian-born American ballet dancer who was the star dancer of Ballet Russe throughout Europe, South America and the United States in the 1930s. In the early 1940s he came to Hollywood and over the next decade was featured in 8 major Hollywood films working alongside Alexis Smith...

This piece is an original photograph from the original negative taken by George Hurrell circa 1934 and printed at a later date. This photograph depicts American actress, Joan Crawfor...

This piece is an original photograph from the original negative, shot by George Hurrell in 1941. This photograph depicts American actress, Bette Davis, wh...

This piece is an original photograph, shot by George Hurrell in 1939 and printed at a later date. It depicts Bette Davis, who was an American actress of fi...

This piece is an original photograph, shot by George Hurrell in 1939 and printed at a later date. It depicts German actress and singer, Marlene Dietrich...

This piece is an original photograph from the original negative, shot by George Hurrell in 1933, and printed at a later date. This photograph depicts American actor and decorated naval officer of World War II, Douglas Fairbanks...

An original black and white photograph from the original negative by George Hurrell, shot in 1937 and printed in 1979. This image depicts "Old Hollywood" actor, Gary Cooper...

This piece is an original black and white photograph printed from the original negative by George Hurrell, shot in 1937 and printed a...

Edition of 250 Signed and numbered.