Webb before he was Waldo Lydecker, Castle after she was "and Vernon."
Between 1909, when he was not yet twenty, and 1944, when he became an Oscar-nominated movie star with his performance in "Laura", Webb had a successful career as a song-and-dance man in light comedies and musicals, mostly on Broadway. He also appeared in a handful of silent films. After the death of Vernon Castle in 1918, his widow continued her film career for four more years, eventually married three more times, became a fashion and society columnist as well as a staunch animal-rights activist, but by 1929 had mostly retired from dancing.
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Here, in the essay written for Vogue by Webb, himself, he laments the current state of ballroom dancing.
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Though I was unable to find any further information, it appears that Castle and Webb had paired up before.
Here, a photograph captioned "Paris, 1922", though I wonder if it wasn't taken slightly later.
Slim, lithe bodies; sexy clothing; sublime movements and compelling faces....what more could a photographer ask for? Some 1933 photos are not always attractive today but Edward Steichen's seem to have a timeless quality.
ReplyDeleteYes, timeless quality. A time of graces.
ReplyDeleteThey were IT in their time!
ReplyDelete