Man behind iconic photos dies at 81

HOLLYWOOD photographer Bob Willoughby, known for his iconic shots of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, passed away in Cork over the weekend.

Mr Willoughby, 81, lived in Kilbrittain Castle, in Courtmacsherry Bay, for 17 years, until the 1990s, and often returned to the area.

The US photographer moved to Kilbrittain Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland, in 1972, with his wife, four children and his mother-in-law.

He illustrated ancient Irish poetry text with photographs of the countryside. He translated a book of early Irish poetry; Voices From Ancient Ireland.

In the early 1990s, Mr Willoughby sold the castle to Roy Disney, Walt Disney’s nephew.

Between 1948 and 1954, Mr Willoughby’s exhibitions of photographs of jazz musicians and dancers led to a contract with Globe Photos.

He was then assigned by six magazines to photograph Judy Garland during the filming of A Star is Born. He was hired by Warner Brothers to film the extensive “Born in a Trunk” sequence. His favourite subject, however, was said to be Audrey Hepburn.

In 1963 Mr Willoughby built the first remote radio-controlled camera for on-set still photography. This led to other innovations which enabled him to take still photographs identical to the film footage.

Mr Willoughby more recently lived in Vence, France. He was presented with the Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Still Photography for Motion Pictures, in New York in 2004.