Clarence Sinclair Bull

Clarence Sinclair Bull (May 22, 1896 – June 8, 1979) was a portrait photographer who worked for movie studios during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was head of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stills department for nearly 40 years.

Biography

Clarence Sinclair Bull was born in Sun River, Montana, in 1896.^[1] His career began when Samuel Goldwyn hired him in 1920 to photograph publicity stills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's stars. He is most famous for his photographs of Greta Garbo, taken between 1926 and 1941. Bull's first portrait of Garbo was a costume study for the silent romantic drama film Flesh and the Devil in September 1926.^[2]

Bull was able to study with the great Western painter, Charles Marion Russell. He also served as an assistant cameraman in 1918.^[3] Bull was skilled in the areas of lighting, retouching and printing.^[4] He was most commonly credited as "C.S. Bull."^[5]

Bull died on June 8, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, aged 83.^[1]

Gallery

• Photographs by Clarence Sinclair Bull
• 
  Charles Laughton, 1934 (publicity photo for film The Barretts of Wimpole Street)
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  Una Merkel, 1934
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  Madge Evans, circa 1935
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  Greta Garbo (publicity photo for film Ninotchka, 1939)
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  Hedy Lamarr, 1940
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  American actress Lynne Carver, 1940
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  Van Heflin, 1941
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  Conrad Veidt, 1941
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  Judy Garland, 1943
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  June Allyson, 1944