Brigitte Bardot, 1955
“When I first photographed Brigitte Bardot, she was going through a divorce from director Roger Vadim and was rather unhappy.
Everything had been arranged for the shoot when I received a telephone call from Mlle Bardot saying that she didn’t want any photographs taken: she was exhausted and would be returning to France in a few days. I assured her that the pictures would not take long and I would be able to convey her youthful sensuality while she was fully clothed.
The publicity director felt that the best thing to cheer her up would be a bottle of Champagne. After a few glasses, she started giggling and curling up on the floor, looking rather provocative, and I began to see how she had achieved her reputation. She was rather self-conscious about her slightly buck teeth, and would put her wrist up to her mouth in order to hide them – a little like a cat pawing away some milk. The publicity director chuckled and said, ‘She is like a sex-kitten’ and that is where the term came from.
Unfortunately as the session progressed the effects of the Champagne caused her to keep falling asleep. As the hours wore on she became more and more lethargic but, being a true professional, I continued to photograph her until she was out for the count.” - Cornel Lucas
David Bowie & Elizabeth Taylor
there are just so many wonderful things about this picture
