Milford chronicle., 1961-11-24
He Points Curves
On Girls
By JEAN SPRAIN WILSON
AP Fashion writer


NEW YORK (AP) = With the
help of white clown paint and
subtle lighting techniques, you
could probably photograph to be as
glamorous as Hollywood star.
In fact, even though you're only
average in looks, you're n
doubtedly more interesting with
out any of these tricks than were
the beauty idols of Jean Harlow's s
day.
At least connoisseur o
womanly eauty, Ted All e n
thinks SO. "Those makeup artists
then shaved the eyebrows off and
painted the same face on every fe-
male, the same hairline, and
those awful cupid's bow lips,
remembers the veteran chesse-
cake photographer of more
than 80 years.
Fortunately, those stars seldom
came face to face with their pub
lic."
But Allen, who knew Harlow in
the days when she had eyebrows,
winces at the current heavy eye
makeup trend. He's afraid we
might be reverting to those old,
uninteresting carbon copy beauty
days.
He likes to photograph the fresh,
imperfect kind of loveliness that
Joan Crawford, with her wide
mouth and freckles, and June AL
Tyson, with her shiny nose, made
popular. And he hopes it's here to
stay.
Dapper Aliens William Powell
type mustache and curly hair are
graying now. But he was hand
some, black-haired and only %
when, as head of the MGM photog-
raphy department, he began turn
ing out the pin-ups of Jean Har-
low, and later Virginia Bruce,
Claudette Colbert and Madeleine
Carroll.
Madeleine Carroll was the most
says. I'VE used to cut her full
face photo in half and compare
the two sides. 1t was amazing, they
were so perfectly matched"
With white clown paint Allen
brushed weight on Carole LOm-
bard and Constance Bennett, who
were always little skinny
On movie queens not generous
ly endowed he painted the illu-
sion of bosoms. 'This trick made
me the most popular stills man
in Hollywood" he jokes.
And also with his white paint
and lighting and camera h e
heightened or shortened nos e S,
widened cheek bones or set eyes
farthr apart.
But his subjects don't insist on
lying cameras any more. Its get
ting easier for women to accept
themselves with honesty. They
know they can work on what
needs correcting"
Even in her private life Mar
lene Dietrich uses her professional
knowledge, he says. She surveys
the room before entering it, then
takes her place where the light
ing will do the most to enhance
the gaunt planes of her face.
OF course, the average woman
does not have the advantage of
this experience, Allen readily ad-
mits. However, he thinks she
should be consoled anyway to
know that if she did, she would
undoubtedly be as beautiful.
The only cameraman in the
Clan, Allen, is at present waxing
enthusiastic about the lively beau
ty of Rita Lee, Frank Sinatra's s
find That she is currently star
ring in Franks latest picture has
nothing to do with it, he insists.
Allen married when he was 81.
His wife, Jean, was at his bed
side when, under sedatiOn follow
ing an operation, the handsome
photographer called out the names
of some of his beautiful subjects.
Their marriage survived the crisis
Jean just isn't jealous" he
says. 'tMy wife knows / see these
women as they are, and without
the camera tricks some are far
less alluring than she is"
The ground hog-or woodchuck
-SlpeDS so SOund1y when hiher-