“Movie Stars”

BACK IN THE MID-THIRTIES, when this cover was painted, interest in Hollywood was at its height, and the Hollywood press corps was almost as large as those that covered news events in New York and Washington. Movie stars were expected to dispense words of wisdom everywhere they went and were likely to be questioned by reporters on every subject from the latest Paris hats to the Ethiopian question. Some stars looked on all this as an invasion of their privacy, but others welcomed the attention and turned the celebrity interview into a minor art form. The elegantly clad young lady who is conducting this informal press conference seems to belong to the latter group. She knows exactly the right pose to strike for the benefit of her public. She knows how to roll her eyes thoughtfully before answering even the most inane question. She understands that as a star she has certain responsibilities, and she is determined to fulfill them to the best of her ability.

The gentlemen of the press lean toward her. They do not want to miss a single word, but their earnest attitude suggests more than that. Confronted with a star, these hardened newsmen are fans like everyone else. They crowd as close as they can, basking in her glamour, inhaling her fragrance.

Rockwell captures the scene perfectly and imbues it with a gentle irony.