Cornel Lucas

Photographer of the stars

Cornel Lucas, who died at 92 on Nov. 8, was famous for taking lustrous still pictures of the stars of moving pictures. Born in London, the Royal Air Force veteran gained prominence after he shot Marlene Dietrich during production of the 1951 release No Highway in the Sky. After studying his photos with a giant magnifying glass, Dietrich, who was famous for knowing what she wanted, retouched them with an eyebrow pencil. When she saw the revised prints, she welcomed him to the world of moviemaking with the words, "Join the club, Mr. Lucas!"

Working on sets in Europe and the...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!