The Times of Bill Cunningham Movie Review

Legendary New York Times’ street’ and fashion photographer Bill Cunningham was interviewed back in 1994 by the off-camera writer, director, producer, Mark Bozek, which has now become the compelling documentary, ‘The Times of Bill Cunningham’ by Greenwich Entertainment.
The film gives us bits of Bozek asking questions that pertained to photographs he then flashes on the screen for us to see.
Bozek took an immense amount of time and poured through an enormous amount of material, (millions of Cunningham’s photos taken throughout the years) to get these archives to us. The least we could do is watch what had to have been tedious and time-consuming work. Trust me when I say it’ll be a fascinating task for you to explore.
If you like photography alone, what Cunningham was able to round up will astound you. From Rose, Bobby, Jackie, and John Kennedy Jr. to Nixon to even Andy Warhol, Cher, and the famous hermit, Greta Garbo, this collection, as well as this film, are absolute must-sees.
Bill was known as the Nostradamus of fashion and society. He and the bike he rode to take snaps of unsuspecting members of the industry seemed to know where and when to be somewhere. If Cunningham didn’t take a magnificent photo of a famous person out on the street by accident, he was invited to their gatherings and took them when they were dressed up to the nines and prepared for him. What he liked best was to capture them in their everyday garb, showing their personal style, which aroused him much more than who was in the clothes ever could.

The documentary goes reasonably deep into Cunningham’s youth. He was raised by a conservative family and went to church every Sunday. It was there, in 1939, that he started noticing women’s hats. He had an active interest in them and millinery. He eventually became a hat designer working under the name William J., which he did because he didn’t want his family knowing of his passion for headgear. As his name started getting around, his clientele became bigger and bigger. It didn’t take long before stars such as Ginger Rogers, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and other high society women were knocking on his door.
Cunningham moved into Carnegie Hall Studios in the mid-fifties, where he lived for fifty years. Jessica Lange used to crash on his couch. Other residents were composer Leonard Bernstein and actor Marlon Brando, who found it to be the perfect place to escape the groupies. Judy Garland liked to practice for roles on the rooftop, and often Bobby Short played the Studio’s piano. The history of Carnegie Hall Studio was assembled for a film called ‘Lost Bohemia’ by director Josef Birdman Astor. It might be one to see, as well as another documentary on Cunningham called, ‘Bill Cunningham: New York’ by Richard Press.

The film is narrated by a woman who knows quite a bit about fashion herself, ‘Sex and the City’ actress and producer Sarah Jessica Parker. I want to think she was just as surprised as I was to hear Cunningham say, ‘Hats were over’ when speaking of Jackie Kennedy wearing the pink pillbox hat on that tragic day in Dallas. However, he did follow it up with, ‘…it suited her.’
We see that Cunningham is almost childlike in some replies. He’s also uncomfortable talking about himself, cutting himself down as much as possible. He not only downplayed his work but never once saw that he had a lot to offer the world. He’s asked who and what Bill Cunningham is. It was heartbreaking to hear him answer, ‘I’m not talented.’ He, (with what he considered his amateur photography, but you’d call intriguing), showed us beautiful and exotic people and clothing. He also intrigued us in many ways, with pictures taken on the street. He became a historian of several decades in the United States. He shined a spotlight on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Before the film is over, another example of what a wonderful soul he was shows itself. He breaks down when asked about the talent that was lost throughout the years due to Aids. Before he passed, he gave millions to Aids research. Millions. An amateur doesn’t make millions. Too bad he couldn’t see his own worth​

Showing at Phoenix/Scottsdale at Harkins Shea 14