Hurrell was known for putting his subjects totally at ease and catching them off guard as he worked to create the special moods and drama he captured in his portraits.  My dad used music, antics, and his signature lines to keep stars from focusing on the camera or stiffening their pose. 

With some jazzy music playing, Dad would run from the camera to his lights, making small adjustments, or moving to the stars to help adjust a pose, their costumes, or a prop.
One last check under the focusing cloth to make sure the shot was exactly what he was seeking, then a film holder was loaded, the slide pulled to expose the film, and then just before he would squeeze the shutter bulb, he’d shout: “Coming in to Altoona, All aboard!” and click!, the picture was taken.  Then, as the film holder was flipped quickly and the slide pulled again to be ready for the next shot – out came: “Okay, once more around the park for a quick cup of coffee!”, and again he squeezed the shutter. Or, with the star getting stiff after a prolonged period of trying to get the pose and lighting just right, Dad would shrug and say -- “Well, As C.B. DeMille would say, a rock is a rock, a tree is a tree,…. let’s shoot it in Griffith Park!” – and click!, another exposure.  Soon, he would have the shots he wanted with the star often not even realizing how many pictures had been taken.

To capture the enigmatic Garbo, Dad tried all of his usual antics, but still was struggling to break through and throw her off guard.  Frenetically moving about, Dad tripped over some lighting cables and almost tumbled to the floor; Garbo laughed out loud at his clowning.  With the shutter bulb in his hand as he struggled to keep from falling, he instinctively squeezed off a shot. The result was a rare portrait of a happy, laughing Garbo.