Weegee (1899-1968) was equally fascinated and inspired by cinema and all of its tangents, from Hollywood movie stars to ordinary civilians going to the movies. While Weegee is typically associated with crime/disaster images, the broad theme of "entertainment" is a major component of his oeuvre. 

An interesting and provocative sub-genre of his cinema-related work are his images of couples (often heavy-petting) in movie theatres. 

Click here to see a selection of Weegee's images of the movie-going public in the dark. 

Recent scholarship has established that many of Weegee's supposed clandestine images were actually staged or arranged with friends or co-operative strangers.

Nevertheless, Weegee created these photographs in the dark with an array of clever techniques including infrared film, filtered flashbulb and triangular prism lens. Employed in shots such as this one, the prism lens would allow the artist to “see around corners,” useful at times when his subjects were in compromising locations. 

 These images of kissing couples, Weegee wrote in 1959, were “his best seller, year in and year out.”

This image is held in the permanent collection of the International Centre of Photography, New York. 

Questions about this artwork? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720

"Sailor and Girl at the Movies, New York"

Annotated “Children” and “426” in pencil verso.

Silver gelatin print

USA, circa 1943

8"H 7"W (work)

15"H x 14"W (framed)

Framed with museum glass

Detailed condition report upon request.