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George Frederic Cannons (1897-1972) was a Hollywood portrait photographer of the 1930s. Professionally known as Cannons of Hollywood. Cannons worked in both Hollywood and London.
George Frederic Cannons | |
|---|---|
 Self-portrait- date unknown | |
| Born | 8 July 1897 London, England |
| Died | 27 April 1972 (aged 74) Salisbury Wiltshire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Portrait photographer |
| Spouse(s) | Mae Margareet Spencer, Ruby Grace Estes. Vera Brightling Tester |
| Children | 5 |
| Parents |
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George Cannons was born July 8, 1897, and after serving in France during World War I and working as a photographer for a leading radiologist in London he went to California via Canada in 1922. His reputation as a stills photographer was first established during the silent film period, whilst working for Mack Sennett[1] from 1924. Cannons was the official photographer of Mack and specialised in portraits of Sennett's bathing beauties.
During 1927 Cannons opened his Little English Studio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, opposite the new Garden of Allah Hotel. Cannons divided his time between his own independent work and that with Mak Sennett. During the past year[1927] Mr Cannons' services were sought by most of the prominent stars and players in Hollywood.[2]
In the early 1930s he continued working in Hollywood with portraits of leading stars including Dolores del Río and Jean Harlow. After returning to England in 1934 he set up his own studio in Dover Street in central London known as Cannons of Hollywood and exploited his Hollywood credentials and specialised in glamour portraits.
Cannons found work hard to come by due to the number of established photographers in London's West End. This led Cannons to seek work as a stills photographer for J. Arthur Rank who was based at Pinewood Studios and he was assigned to work with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger[3] on two of their finest films. In 1946 he created the colour portraits of Jean Simmons during the filming of Black Narcissus. These images were featured in film annuals like Film Review by F. Maurice Speed.
In 1948 he was promoted to the position of principal stills photographer on The Red Shoes and responsible for the iconic stills of Moira Shearer during the ballet sequence. His publicity portraits of Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Leonide Massine and Ludmilla Tchérina for The Red Shoes are also particularly striking. This undoubtedly elevated his career and along with Fred Daniels he was credited as the best portrait photographer to work with Powell and Pressburger. He continued to work for the Rank Organisation and in 1949 he took a series of portraits of Valerie Hobson which are in the National Portrait Gallery[4] collection in London. He died in Salisbury, Wiltshire 27 April 1972.
- ^ Taylor, John Russell; Kobal, John (1986). Portraits of the British Cinema. Salem House. ISBN 0-88162-151-X.
- ^ Pearson, Elmer (8 May 1927). "Seventeen Years of Comedy, Mack Sennett, A Man". Theatre Management. 21 (108): 56.
- ^ The Archers: Powell and Pressburger Portraits/Portrety Fred Daniels ISBN 978-83-930435-2-1 Published by Twarda Sztuka Foundation 2012
- ^ National Portrait Gallery - Cannons