Director Blake Edwards, Peter Falk, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood
1964 Warner Brothers © 1978 Bob Willoughby
location for ‘The Lion in Winter,’ Wicklow Mountains in Ireland,
AVCO Embassy Pictures, 1968; © The Bob Willoughby Photo
Archive.
September 8–October 20
McKune Room | Open During Library Hours*
*Exhibit closes 30 minutes prior to the library’s closing.
Venture backstage into the golden age of Hollywood with this exhibition that explores the photography of Bob Willoughby. Widely recognized as a pioneer of photography in the twentieth century, Willoughby was the first outside photographer invited by studios to take photos on film sets. The exhibition features photographs from the sets of 17 iconic Hollywood films, including Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Alfred Hitchcock on the set of Marnie, Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby, and Marilyn Monroe in Let’s Make Love. Willoughby developed friendships with some of his subjects, including Audrey Hepburn. When speaking of meeting Hepburn, he recalls “She took my hand like . . . well a princess, and dazzled me with that smile that God designed to melt mortal men’s hearts.”
Awarded the Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Still Photography in New York in 2004, Willoughby’s photographs are in the permanent collections across the US and Europe. The magazine Popular Photography has called him “the man who virtually invented the photojournalistic motion picture still.” Responding to the many logistical challenges of working on film sets, he was a technological innovator, creating the silent blimp for 35mm still cameras so that he could photograph silently on set, capturing intimate moments of the stars.
In many ways, Willoughby’s spontaneous approach set the standard of celebrity portraits as we think of them today, casting the candid eye of his camera across the most
famous faces to fill them with renewed vitality. Backstage Hollywood will captivate audiences as they learn about the impact this photographer had in developing the genre of celebrity portraiture.
Backstage Hollywood: The Photographs of Bob Willoughby is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Special thanks to the Friends of Chelsea District Library for their sponsorship of this exhibition.
CDL Celebrates Film and Theater This Fall!
Theater and film hold a significant place in American culture—as medium for storytelling, they invite emotion, build connection, and offer an escape in entertainment. Providing an accessible means of exploring new cultures, places, and ideas, Americans have flocked to stage and theater for generations. Come get a glimpse of the gilded era of Hollywood at the exhibition and join us for these engaging programs to complement Backstage Hollywood exhibition!
Move Murder Mystery Party
Friday, Sep. 11 | 6–7:30pm OR Saturday, Oct. 3 | 3–4:30pm | Library Lobby | Click your preferred date to register.
Join us after hours to help solve a Hollywood movie murder happening right before your eyes. Find the clues within CDL’s Backstage Hollywood exhibition. All attendees will be assigned roles to play and will be emailed details after registration.
Purple Rose Theatre Company Concert Reading
Saturday, Sep. 12 | 10:30am–12:30pm | Zoom Webinar | Registration required
Chelsea District Library and the Purple Rose Theatre are pleased to offer full-cast readings of upcoming or debut plays by new and established playwrights. Enjoy professional quality plays and acting with no admittance costs, and get a chance to share your thoughts and feedback with the director, playwright, and actors.
From Broadway & Hollywood with Love
Saturday, Sep. 19 | 4:30–5:30pm | Reading Garden | Registration preferred
Join us after hours in the Reading Garden for a concert featuring songs from your favorite musicals performed by Gemily! Gemily—San and Laz Slomovits, (of Ann Arbor’s music duo, Gemini) and San’s daughter, Emily, will sing and play well-loved songs from musicals such as Oklahoma, The Music Man, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, and movies such as, My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music and more. Come hear — and sing along with — Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, Edelweiss, I Could have Danced All Night, Sunrise, Sunset, Getting to Know You, I Got Rhythm, Blue Skies, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Try to Remember, Moon River, and more.
