In Focus

A look inside MPTV's archive of images from Hollywood's Golden Age all the way up to the present day.

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"Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!" is a new HBO two-part film directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that explores the life, career, friendships, and loves of legendary writer, director, producer, and performer, Mel Brooks.

"It’s a basically chronological telling of the life and work of a man who helped shape the comedy of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, and as an influence, of the ‘80s and ‘90s and beyond — there is perhaps no “Airplane!,” no “Austin Powers,” without the trail blazed by “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.”"

— Robert Lloyd, Television Critic for The Los Angeles Times

Pictured, an Ed Thrasher photo of Brooks at a live studio recording for the album "2000 and Thirteen with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks," 1973.

To see more photos of Mel Brooks, including behind-the-scenes pictures from many of his hits, including "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein" and "Spaceballs," please contact us.

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"Mr. Scorsese" is a new documentary on Apple TV+ that focuses on director Martin Scorsese's life and career. In a recent interview, Steven Spielberg remarked of the auteur:

"He is a cornerstone of this entire art form. There's been nobody like him. There never will be anybody like him again."

To see more behind-the-scenes photographs of Martin Scorsese, please contact us.

Pictured, a Bruce McBroom photo of director Martin Scorsese taken at Chicago's Shubert Theatre while he was directing the play, "Shine It On" (aka "The Act"), 1977.

To see more photo of Martin Scorsese, click here.

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Pictured, Andrews at home during a 1967 photo session with Curt Gunther.

“The Sound of Music” came out 60 years ago and the movie musical’s anniversary is being celebrated worldwide. Taking home five Oscars, the best picture winning film starring Julie Andrews—who is celebrating her 90th birthday this year—is being commemorated in a variety of ways. From a restored and remastered version of the film in 4K to the release of rare photos from our archive that go behind-the-scenes of the commercial hit.

For help marking the occasions of both the film’s 60th and Andrews’ 90th, please contact us.

To see more photo of Julie Andrews, click here.

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"Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story," is set to be released on July 10th and is the only authorized documentary about the making of the 1975 smash film. Premiering on National Geographic, and then streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, it contains a wealth of behind-the-scenes photography, footage and newly-filmed interviews with some of its key players.   The documentary features images represented by mptv Images.   Pictured, director Steven Spielberg during the problematic production of the movie that would cement his place, early in his career, as one of our great filmmakers.

To see more photos from "Jaws," click here.

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"My Mom Jayne," an HBO documentary directed by Mariska Hargitay, daughter of Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, is due out in June.

"Through intimate interviews and a collection of never-before-seen photos and home movies," according to the documentary's synopsis, "[Hargitay] grapples with her mother’s public and private legacy and discovers the layers and depth of who Jayne was, not only to her audience but to those who were closest to her.”

The documentary features the work of several photographers and private collections represented exclusively by mptv Images.

Pictured, Mansfield at home during a 1956 photo session with Lou Jacobs Jr.

To see more photos of Jayne Mansfield, click here.

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“VOGUE: Inventing the Runway" is a spectacular new immersive exhibition exploring the history of the fashion runway show, from the intimate couture salons of the early 20th century to the unforgettable pop-culture events of the present.

Featuring never-before-seen photographs by Mark Shaw, The Telegraph describes the experience as,

“The closest you can get to seeing a fashion show without being there...Unmissable.”

Now open at Lightroom in London until 26 April 2025.

Pictured, models backstage at the Pierre Balmain couture show taken by Mark Shaw in Paris, 1954.

To learn more about Mark Shaw, click here.

To see more photos by Mark Shaw, click here.

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"Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes," is the first official feature documentary to explore the life and career of Humphrey Bogart. The film, to be released in select theaters on November 15th, will be available worldwide on December 9th. According to the Humphrey Bogart Estate, "For the first time ever, narrated in Bogart’s own words and using previously unseen archives," including pictures by mptv Images photographers Sid Avery and John Engstead,

"the film definitively explores the impact of one of the most influential cinematic and cultural icons of all time."

Pictured, a key shot by Avery of Bogart aboard his yacht the Santana in 1952 taken for a Saturday Evening Post article entitled, 'The Adventures of Humphrey Bogart.'

To see more photos of Humphrey Bogart, click here.

To watch the trailer, click here.

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"Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames," recently premiered on PBS. The documentary, an exploration of the director, screenwriter and producer, is chock-full of exclusives from mptv Images by Bob Willoughby and Bruce McBroom, who combined, photographed Edwards on several of his most iconic films, including "The Great Race," "10" and "The Party." While primarily known for his other cinema classics like “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” “Days of Wine and Roses” and the “Pink Panther” series, this episode of American Masters explores the entire life and career of the cinematic genius.

"I don’t think I ever met a man as charismatic, as wicked, as funny, as vulnerable, as angry at times, as adorable and sweet as Blake.”

— Julie Andrews

To see more photos of Blake Edwards, click here.

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"Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes," a new HBO Original Documentary premiering on August 3rd on HBO Max, features newly unearthed interviews revealing the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend. According to HBO, the documentary:

" . . . allows Elizabeth Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a megastar of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from an early childhood."

Exclusive photos by mptv Images photographers are featured throughout: Bob Willoughby Sid Avery David Sutton Chester Maydole

To see more photos of Elizabeth Taylor, click here.

To watch the trailer, click here.

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Pictured, Liza Minnelli imitating her mother, Judy Garland, for photographer Bob Willoughby in 1962. Just one of the many rarely seen archival images supplied by mptv Images for Bruce David Klein's documentary, "Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story," which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival this month.

" . . . a film that deploys a wealth of great archival material plus intimate access to the subject and those closest to her to build a gorgeous portrait of a legendary showbiz survivor, warmly celebratory but also unquestionably authentic."

— David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter

To see more photos of Liza Minnelli, click here.

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Pictured above, The Beatles (Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney & George Harrison) during their first American tour, 1964. Photo by Curt Gunther

"The most pivotal year of the 1960s, arguably, is 1964. That’s the year American culture fractured and eventually split along ideological lines, establishing the poles of societal debate that are still raging today. The Beatles led a British Invasion of popular music, Muhammad Ali, who called himself “The Greatest” shocked the world and became the heavyweight champion, three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi, and Fannie Lou Hamer declared “I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired.” 1964 was a year of remarkable transition that prefigured 60 years of tumultuous change."

— Monroe Gallery of Photography

“1964” - an exhibition of photographs, drawn from Monroe Gallery’s archive of photojournalism, explores the year the ‘60s really began. With an opening reception on Saturday, April 20th, from 4:00 - 6:00, the exhibition will continue through June 23rd.

To learn more about Monroe Gallery of Photography, click here.

To see more photos by Curt Gunther, click here.

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Pictured above, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman during a break in filming "Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!" 1958. Photo by Sid Avery

"The Movies” - an exhibition of photographs from classic films of the 20th Century has opened at Monroe Gallery of Photography. The exhibition began on January 26th, with a public open house reception on Saturday, February 17th, from 4:00 – 6:00. “The Movies” will continue through April 14th. "The 96th Academy Awards" will be presented on March 10th.

"On the set of every movie is a still photographer, documenting the movie's action (often alongside the camera) to be used in publicizing it. They provide the images for posters, photographs in newspapers and magazines, and other media. Additionally, Hollywood portrait photography came into existence at the beginning of the 20th Century as studios needed to create interest in their motion pictures by promoting the actors who starred in them. Over time, photographs from classic movies have developed historical and cultural importance. "The Movies" also features several classic photographs of vintage theaters and their marquees."

— Monroe Gallery of Photography

To learn more about Monroe Gallery of Photography, click here.

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Out now from Viking Books: “My Name Is Barbra” According to the publisher (Penguin Random House), "No entertainer’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans."

The living legend's carefully curated choice of photos for the book's interior include exclusive material by mptv Images photographers:

Bob Willoughby Mario Casilli Gary Lewis

To see more photos of Barbra Streisand, click here.

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Out soon from Bloomsbury USA: “Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Acclaimed author Philip Gefter, according to the publisher, tells the story of the play and film, "in full for the first time, tracing 'Woolf' from its hushed origins in Greenwich Village’s bohemian enclave, through its tormented production process, to its explosion onto screens across America and a permanent place in the canon of cinematic marriages."

"This deliciously entertaining book explores how two couples—one fictional, one all too real—forced a nation to confront its most deeply held myths about relationships, sex, family, and, against all odds, love."

The book also features many never-before-seen photos from the making of the film, including exclusive imagery by mptv Images photographers, Bob Willoughby and Mel Traxel.

To see more photos by Bob Willoughby, click here.

To see more photos by Mel Traxel, click here.

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Kate Storey's latest book, "White House by the Sea: A Century of the Kennedys at Hyannis Port” is now available! The book, published by Scribner, features a cover photo by Mark Shaw (exclusively represented by mptv Images).

The book, by Storey, is an "intimate, multigenerational story of the Kennedy family as seen through their Hyannis Port compound on Cape Cod—the iconic place where they’ve celebrated, mourned, and forged the closest of bonds—based on more than a hundred in-depth interviews by a Rolling Stone editor whose pieces have appeared in such publications as Town & Country, Esquire, and Vanity Fair."

— Simon & Schuster's website

To see more photos by Mark Shaw, click here.

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Out now from People Magazine, a Mary Tyler Moore cover story featuring a portrait by photographer Bob Willoughby: “The Mary Tyler Moore No One Knew.”

“I was brought up to be a perfect person, or to look like a perfect person.”

— Mary Tyler Moore

The article illustrates the many sides of Moore that are also explored in HBO's new two-hour documentary on her life and career: "Being Mary Tyler Moore."

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Out soon from Hachette Book Group: "Head Over Heels: Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman”

A gorgeous photographic peek at one of America’s most iconic couples, including never-before-seen images from the enduring love story of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

Visually immersive, “Head Over Heels” is a deeply personal look into the private world of two public figures, affectionately curated by their daughter Melissa Newman. The collection chronicles their romance through the work of an impressive list of contributors, including: Sid Avery Sanford Roth David Sutton These striking images are accompanied by snapshots, letters, hand written notes, and family treasures. Together they beautifully illuminate the connection between two complex, passionate artists who opened their hearts and minds to each other for over half a century. This book is an homage to the possibility and power of love.