Shooting Stars

Terry O'Neill captured Hollywood's most alluring stars on camera.

Here, he gives an insight into the people behind the images in his favourite pictures, featured in a new London exhibition, Celebrity

Frank Sinatra with his stand-in (front) and protective escorts Arriving on location in Miami Beach, 1968

I MET Sinatra in Miami when he was filming during the day and singing every evening in a nightclub. I had been introduced to him by Ava Gardner and we got on immediately. He was an incredible man. His shows were unforgettable.

There will never be another Sinatra - or Dean Martin, for that matter. I hung out with Sammy Davis and Sinatra, but Dean Martin was quite private.

He wasn't that fabulous character he plays on stage. I noticed Frank Sinatra used to study him. He always looked up to Dean, who had this amazing timing and sense of humour. Sinatra was the lead personality in the Ratpack, though, and held the three of them together. There was no rivalry.

In this shot Sinatra is walking along the boardwalk outside the Fontainebleau Hotel with two guys from the hotel who look like gangsters, his number one guy, who was actually a New York cop, and his stand-in.

He looks like a Mafia don.

Paul Newman and Lee Marvin (left) In costume for Pocket Money, Tucson, Arizona, 1972

PAUL Newman was producing this film. I went on the set and Lee Marvin wasn't talking to anyone.

That's movie stars - they drink and get into a bait or something.

No one had got any good pictures of Lee. They were all frightened of him. I was only there for a couple of days, so I had to grab the bull by the horns.

I find that if I introduce myself and explain what I'm doing, things work out great. Lee loved to make people think he was really tough, but he was such a gentle man - one of the nicest men I ever met.

They don't make movie stars like that any more. Look at the way they pose so confidently. In the end it was used as the poster for the film.

Newman and Clint Eastwood (right) A chance meeting at a motel in Tucson, Arizona, 1972

NEWMAN and Eastwood were filming at the same time on different movies.

Believe it or not, they had never met, so this was a really hot photograph to get.

I went to this hotel and they were both in the bar. I used to be a jazz musician and there was a trio playing.

I asked the drummer if he minded if I sit in for a couple of numbers.

Afterwards, Clint asked if I was English and I took the opportunity to say I'd love to take his picture with Paul. I couldn't find a great background, so I had to do it wherever I could. As Clint was a good six inches taller than Paul, I had to get him to slide down a bit.

Faye Dunaway The Beverly Hills Hotel the morning after winning an Oscar for Network, 1976

I WENT to the Oscars with Faye and her husband and although she was a really good actress, she was genuinely surprised when she won. I had always wanted to photograph someone with an Oscar and make an interesting picture out of it, instead of that classic shot of the winner holding their award. I wanted to capture the moment the next day because that is when your life has changed beyond recognition.

Faye had been to bed but only just - she had stayed up until 4am, which is late for LA. I almost had to haul her out of bed. It was 7.30am, we were by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel and I had to take the picture when nobody was around. She's looking at the Oscar and the penny is just dropping: when you win your money goes up and everything changes.

Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau, 1976 I WAS quite friendly with Peter. He was fabulous, yet a very sad man. He didn't really believe in himself. He used to throw tantrums, but really he was lonely.

He had a brilliant brain, but he couldn't balance anything in his life. He hid behind all these characters.

I'd known him a long time; we used to hang out socially. He had a wonderful nature but wouldn't let himself enjoy life.

You'd wonder why people didn't fall in love with him.

You were always consoling him, yet he had more than anyone could wish for.

Brigitte Bardot Spain, 1971

THIS was done in Spain in between takes while she was filming a French Western. When the wind blew at the right time, it was the perfect iconic shot. I was stunned by how beautiful she was. She has a really great face.

I had always thought Brigitte was like a little 5ft 4in sex kitten, but in fact she was 5ft 91/2in and a really classy, beautiful woman. I was staggered.

She was probably in her late thirties here and she had done quite a bit of acting - mostly French films.

I can't remember who she was with at the time, but she was always with someone.

That was her weakness; she was never alone for long. But she was a lot of fun.

. Celebrity, Hackelbury Fine Art, 4 Launceston Place, W8, from 23 January to 5 March.

Copyright 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.