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©Bert Stern Studios, 1955
 

Bert Stern: Original Mad Man is the definitive voyage into the life and work of one of the greatest American photographers of all time. After working alongside Stanley Kubrick at Look Magazine, Stern became an original Madison Avenue "mad man," his images helping to create modern advertising.  Groundbreaking photos of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy and the infamous Lolita image from Kubrick’s film, coupled with his astonishing success in advertising, minted Stern – along with Irving Penn and Richard Avedon – as a celebrity in his own right; indeed, Stern’s photographs of Monroe in her last sitting are considered to be the ultimate images of the 20th century icon. After marrying the stunning ballet dancer Allegra Kent, the kid from Brooklyn was sitting on top of the world...until a dramatic fall from grace.

Filmmaker Shannah Laumeister uncovers Stern - from his bad boy antics (including a liaison with Monroe) to his iconic photography.  Shockingly frank, it explores creativity, celebrity, and desire through the eyes of a man who got everything he wanted.  Almost.