Ted Allan

A photographer of the stars, Ted Allan got his start in his teens, taking pictures of aspiring actors in a dime-store on Hollywood Boulevard, and went on to build a reputation in the entertainment industry that earned him the nickname, “Rembrandt,” at MGM studios and inspired Frank Sinatra to dub him “Farley Focus.” He was first noticed for his retouching skills, which served him well over the course of a career devoted to transforming mere mortals into the otherworldly actors and actresses of America’s Golden Age of entertainment. By 1933, he had established his own portrait studio, where he turned out artfully posed, dramatically lit, and expertly retouched portraits of people like Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, and Shirley Temple. Allan was later hired to take pictures for MGM studios, CBS Radio, and ABC Television, and as Sinatra’s personal documentarian.