Al Hirschfeld

A showbiz legend whose quirky caricatures were a surefire signal of one's arrival in the entertainment industry, artist Al Hirschfeld's renderings of popular celebrities are held in such high regard that they are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and numerous other renowned museums. A native of St. Louis who studied at New York's Art Students League, Hirschfeld would later study painting in Paris and London. It was while attending a play featuring Sacha Guitry's American debut that Hirschfeld made a quick doodle of Guitry on his program, and the artist's theatrical press agent friend quickly delivered the drawing to the New York Harold, who in turn printed it. Subsequently finding work with The New York Times, Hirschfeld would eventually win a special Tony for his affectionately tart characterizations. A 1996 documentary entitled The Line King would later celebrate the whimsical doodler's life and success. The artist would frequently inject hidden tributes to daughter Nina in his sketches, and in 2002 it was announced that the popular Martin Beck Theater would be renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theater on Hirschfeld's 100th birthday. Sadly, Al Hirschfeld would not live to see the ceremony. On January 20, 2003, Hirschfeld died of natural causes in New York City. He was 99.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide