CANNES UNCUT: The Golden Years

'I arrived in Cannes in 1976 as a 22-year-old rookie. My first assignment was to photograph Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, two of my screen heroes, who were there to promote 'That's Entertainment, Part II'. I had created a dark room in a very dodgy-looking caravan in the hills in Valbonne, from where I processed the film.' 'I had no idea at that point that I would go on to become an official photographer for the US and UK Film Industry at the Cannes Film Festival for nearly 20 years, running my own lab there, processing and printing 24 hours a day.' Richard Blanshard's Festival photography filled the trade magazines like the Hollywood Reporter and some nights they would make over 1,000 prints for different publications. Stars and celebrities were brough to Cannes to promote their films or raise money for a film. He was assigned to photograph Mohammad Ali launching Freedom Road who never once declined to have his picture taken with anyone. 'He was a wonderful character, but his entourage was a scary bunch.' Ann-Margaret, Elvis Presley, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, we are taken from David Carradine and Oliver Reed partying in 1978, and the great names like Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder, Johnny Depp and Jamie Lee Curtis in 1990, Grace Jones dancing, Richard Gere, the cast of Wilt at the Hotel du Cap, poolside photo calls, often ending with photographers splashing in the pool, glitzy hotels, seaside and beach life, in costume, posing in pairs for the camera. Here are tributes to stars of yesteryear from feature films and TV in a real chronical of the Festival and an atmosphere the like of which may never be seen again. With a foreword by David Puttnam, approximately 300 quality mono photos, 224 huge pages, 25.5 x 35cm.
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