SVENGALI / JOHN BARRYMORE PORTRAIT (1931)

Vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm.) single weight glossy silver gelatin print still photo, USA. John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Donald Crisp, Bramwell Fletcher, Carmel Myers, dir: Archie Mayo; Warner Brothers. John Barrymore’s brilliant performance as the telepath who uses hypnotism to control the singing voice — though not the heart — of his muse, a young woman named Trilby, is still one of the most disturbing characterizations put on film. The art direction and cinematography were influenced by German expressionism (inherent in this portrait, too), and the film was nominated for Academy Awards in both categories. The portrait is ink stamped on the back by Irving Lippman. FINE.