Russian-born, French photographer of the stars Sam Lévin snapped over 6,000 portraits in his lifetime and helped establish a European version of the Hollywood star system in the '30s and '40s. The CinémathÉque québécoise show Sam Lévin, photographe des stars features 150 of Lévin's best works and is the first North American exhibit of his photographs. The show includes shots of "golden age of Hollywood" stars who Lévin caught while touching down in Europe, like a cigar-loving Orson Welles and glamourpuss Ava Gardner.
Lévin set up a studio in Paris in the early '30s and became Jean Renoir's favourite photographer. Renoir subsequently introduced Lévin to the big directors of the time, which led to Lévin's blossoming into the photographic darling of French cinema. Lévin helped launch the careers of such young hopefuls as Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon and Jeanne Moreau and photographed nearly every major star from the '40s through to the '80s. C'est chic, quoi... At 335 de Maisonneuve E., until September 10. :
Russian-born, French photographer of the stars Sam Lévin snapped over 6,000 portraits in his lifetime and helped establish a European version of the Hollywood star system in the '30s and '40s. The CinémathÉque québécoise show Sam Lévin, photographe des stars features 150 of Lévin's best works and is the first North American exhibit of his photographs. The show includes shots of "golden age of Hollywood" stars who Lévin caught while touching down in Europe, like a cigar-loving Orson Welles and glamourpuss Ava Gardner.