A still shot from The Graduate with Dustan Hoffman and Katherine Ross. 1967. Still photo by Bob Willoughby.
Bob Willoughby, a California photographer began his career shooting jazz musicians and dancers. In 1954 he got his big break, taking still photos during the filming of Judy Garland in A Star is Born.
In 1967 Mike Nichols directed the 30 year old Dustin Hoffman in the role of 20 year old Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate. The movie was made from a book written in 1963 by a recent Williams College grad named Charles Wells. That movie became one of the highest grossing films ever.
Bob went on to provide stills for many movies. After that he moved to Ireland where he provided photographs to match with the work of Irish poets. (Sound familiar?) He is still best known as the creator of a special genre: “photo-journalistic movie stills.”
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL from the movie The Graduate: