Phil Stern
Philip Stern (September 3, 1919 – December 13, 2014), also known as Snapdragon, was an American photographer noted for his iconic portraits of Hollywood stars, as well as his war photography while serving as a U.S. Army Ranger with "Darby's Rangers" during the North African and Italian campaigns in World War II. Settling in Los Angeles after the war, Stern was staff photographer for LOOK magazine. He also worked for Life magazine and Collier's. He was present on numerous film productions as still photographer, and in that capacity took photographs of a huge cross-section of the film community.
Also recorded as Phil "Snapdragon" Stern · Philip Stern
Phil Stern
Phil Stern (1919-2014) [1] · Photoplay, December 1954 · Public domain
- Name
- Phil Stern
- Born
- 3 September 1919
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
- Died
- 13 December 2014
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, US
- Occupation
- Photographer
- Known for
- War and film industry photographer
- Nationality
- United States
- Honours
- Lucie Award
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q7182447 · wikipedia · Phil Stern
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The documentary record
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Institutions cited
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek · Getty Union List of Artist Names
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Biography
Biography
In 1972 Stern, at the instigation of Gary Merrill was in Nova Scotia for several weeks to document Merrill's friend, artist Jack L. Several cine-reels shot by Stern from that period have survived. Stern's images of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Marlon Brando and musician Louis Armstrong have become widely recognized icons. In a 1998 interview with American Legends website, Stern recalled a photo session with James Dean on a studio lot that yielded a series of famous photos: "There are some people who you don't have to do anything with. There's one shot where Dean peeks out of a sweater. I didn't use a tripod or Strobe lights. I had a hand held Nikon. We broke all the rules that day." A lifelong smoker, Stern died at the age of 95 in Los Angeles from COPD and congestive heart failure which he had been battling for over three and a half decades.
Anne Francis by Phil Stern, 1954
Phil Stern (1919-2014) [1] · Photoplay, December 1954
May Wynn by Phil Stern, 1954
Phil Stern (1919-2014) [1] · Photoplay, December 1954
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Phil Stern • Born — 3 September 1919 • Birthplace — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US • Died — 13 December 2014 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, US • Occupation — Photographer • Known for — War and film industry photographer • Website — www.philsternarchives.com
Documentary record
Phil Stern lived from 1919 to 2014 and was a photographer. The birth of Phil Stern is recorded in 1919, and the death in 2014. Phil Stern was born in Philadelphia, according to the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and the Getty Union List of Artist Names. The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek records the fuller form Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The place of death of Phil Stern is recorded as Los Angeles, Calif. by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and as Los Angeles (Los Angeles county) by the Getty Union List of Artist Names.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1919
Phil Stern was born on 3 September 1919.
2014
Phil Stern died on 13 December 2014.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Philadelphia.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7182447: Phil Stern
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Phil Stern”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Phil Stern, revision 1362127997 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mclellan, Denis. Phil Stern dies at 95; photographer captured wartime and Hollywood. Los Angeles Times. 2014-12-14.
- 2.George, Lynell. Artistry on the sly. Los Angeles Times. 26 October 2003.
- 3.Weinstein, Shelli. Phil Stern, Photographer Who Shot Top Stars, Dies at 95. variety.com. December 14, 2014.
- 4.Phil Stern Interview. www.americanlegends.com.
- 5.McFadden, Robert D. Phil Stern, Who Made Candid Images of War and Hollywood, Dies at 95. New York Times. 2014-12-15.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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