Rating: NNNNN
WHAT: The Idealization Of The Human Form, Pentimento Gallery (1164 Queen East, 416-?406-?6772), to June 1.
WHY: The title may be clunky, but this show of glamorous black-?and-?white prints from the golden age of Hollywood is a knockout. Images of luminaries like Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire, Luise Rainer and Betty Grable, plus lesser-?known actors, demonstrate the craftsmanship of anonymous studio photographers. Three striking Clarence Sinclair Bull head shots convey the breathtaking beauty of Garbo, and fashion photos by Horst remind us that masterful manipulation of shadows rather than titillation once sold products. Fascinating anecdotes accompany many of the images.
BUZZ: Gallery owner John Rait, who’s collected these photos for years, says members of the digital generation are checking out this show for a new appreciation of the sharpness and drama achieved by film photographers.
