Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Caricaturist : Al Hirschfeld dies at 99

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-20-2003, 12:57 PM:

Famed Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld has died in NY. He was 99. Later this
spring they were going to rename the Martin Beck Theatre after him.
He was famous for drawing many stars since the 1920's.

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-20-2003, 01:02 PM:

No more "Nina"'s. Very sad. RIP Al.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 01-20-2003, 05:14 PM:

Another true immortal artist gone. [Frown]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-20-2003, 05:39 PM:

Who is/was Martin Beck and why is he no longer deserving of being memorialized?

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-20-2003, 05:46 PM:

Martin Beck was a Broadway Producer. Some of the theatres, over the years have been renamed after (critics, playwrights, actors). Mr. Hirschfeld's name is going up on this theatre. For all the work he did for Broadway. June 21st was to have been his 100th birthday.

[ 01-21-2003, 05:11 PM: Message edited by: Bill Gabel ]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-20-2003, 06:52 PM:

Al Hirschfeld was one of the 20th century's truly great illustrators and raised the craft of caricature into respectable art. Most anyone could easily identify his distinct drawing style. But unlike many other illustrators with a certain style, his style endured through many decades.

To me, Hirschfeld is as much a titan to commercial illustration as fellows like Norman Rockwell.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 01-20-2003, 08:33 PM:

Since she was a toddler, my daughter would eagerly count the "Nina's"
in his drawings in the NYTimes. (She's 23 now, and has been working in museums in Houston and NY.) I was hoping he'd make it to his 100th birthday, but am consoled that he died in his sleep. He was productive to the very end.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-20-2003, 08:35 PM:

Meaning no disrespect to the estimable Mr. Hirschfeld, I just don't like renaming. Perhaps from a generic name but I don't even like that. But certainly not when someone has been honored with something named for them then it should not be taken away. It's disrespectful and suggests that despite having something or other named for them we have forgotten who they were or why they mattered, precisely the reason for the naming. If having this theater named for Martin Beck did little to preserve his memory then why would the Hirschfeld family want such a dubious "honor"?

Let them build something new and name that for the honoree.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-20-2003, 08:42 PM:

I agree with Steve,
Re-naming a place after someone that has had that honor bestowed upon them...especially after they have kicked the bucket is pure stupidity in itself and very disrespectful of that persons family! There is plenty of room for them to build something else and dedicate it to him. Gee, What if they re-named the Ed Sullivan Theatre The David Letterman Theatre??? Overall, only someone with no brains and that survives on pure stupidity would ever consider doing something like this.....
Mark

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-20-2003, 09:34 PM:

Ah, but the Ed Sullivan Theatre used to be the Oscar Hammerstein Theater. (No, not that Oscar Hammerstein. The familiar one was Oscar Hammerstein II; the theater was named after the grandfather.) Renaming it for Letterman is no more disrespectful to Ed than CBS was to Mr. Hammerstein.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 01-21-2003, 04:51 PM:

I agree it's a shame to change the name of a theater or other place named in honor of someone for whom it was intended to evoke the contributions of the person after whom it was named. Oh, in the case of someone who disgraced his name, perhaps, I'd agree to change it.
But today sports stadiums have their appelations changed to advertise corporations who restore them, or merely buy--or rent--the right to name them for advertising purposes. That makes it difficult to know exactly where a game will be played, unless you keep up with the business pages.

I was hoping Al Hirschfield would reach the age of 100 to join the ranks of the 1,787 New York City centenarians (year 2000 censes, up
23% from 1990).
More Live Past A Century
He was "Mr.Theater" in New York, and has probably been to more plays, known more actors and directors, and witnessed more theatrical history than anyone in U.S. history. He deserves to have a theater BUILT for his memory, not just named. I'm curious to find out the provisions of his will. He lived very modestly, yet his original drawings sold well in a specialty art gallery. I suspect he may have left a legacy to the Actors' Fund and the Actors' Home.

His obit and some of his recent drawings (he sketched the Marx Brothers, whom he knew well, last Saturday) are worth a look:
Al Hirschfield, 99, Dies; He Drew Broadway

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-21-2003, 09:38 PM:

Indeed, he will be missed. I was very pleased that they did a piece in Fantasia 2000 based on his style. That is probablly my favorite piece in the whole movie.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 01-31-2003, 09:49 PM:

More Al Hirschfeld drawings and prints, fron the 1920's through 2003, may be viewed at the online gallery run by Margo Feiden, at

http://www.alhirschfeld.com/random/index.html

I find this site wonderful to browse.
You can save the images if you don't click to enlarge them, as Ms Feiden retains the reproduction rights. Originals and reprints may be purchased at the online gallery or at the Margo Feiden Gallery in New York.

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 08-22-2004, 10:00 AM:

It has been 568 days since the last post.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 08-22-2004, 10:00 AM:

Does anyone know if he ever designed any theatrical movie posters?

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 08-22-2004, 02:40 PM:

Looks like he did at least this one:

The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-22-2004, 04:01 PM:

quote: Heinrich Himmler, the Soup Nazi
It has been 568 days since the last post.
--------------------
Automatically generated system notice.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. It's bringing up obituaries, for crying out loud.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 08-23-2004, 12:21 AM:

Now I have got to see that movie! And get the poster. [Big Grin]

Tim, those notices are generated when someone makes a post after a long time has passed since the last post. That post was created because of my post, not the other way around. The System Notice really should be posted after my post.

Brad: WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS? I agree with Tim, it's pretty ridiculous.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 08-23-2004, 07:12 PM:

Yeah, beacuse "It's been 568 days since the last post, well except for the last post, that was just made." would make so much more sense.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-26-2004, 02:03 PM:

Ohhhhhhh... okay, Ken, thanks for clearing that up. I didn't realize that. I thought it was just randomly scanning the system and saying, "Hey, here's a thread that nobody's posted to for a while, think I'll bring it up!"

It makes sense now. It's alerting everyone that they are posting to an old thread, which can be helpful if you don't routinely pay attention to the dates and might mistake it for a current topic.