Alfred Eisenstadt --The Man Who ISN'T Groucho

 

See that man on the left? That's Alfred Eisenstadt, a once-famous photographer for LIFE magazine. That's him on the right, as well. What's that? You thought that was someone else on the left? It's not. The classic 70s history of LIFE's coverage of Hollywood, LIFE GOES TO THE MOVIES, reprints an article in which Eisenstadt was made up by makeup legend Wally Westmore to look like various movie and TV people, "that" man being one. Personally, I've never thought it looked all that much like him, although it's clearly recognizable whom he's meant to be portraying. But every year on the anniversary of that man's death, or the anniversary of his birth, or just in sometimes made-up quotes from him in memes, that picture turns up. They say it IS him. They never take it down if I tell them otherwise. They never acknowledge it, and more and more people--also thinking it IS him and ignoring me--continue to share the photo. There are at least two BOOKS I know of that inaccurately include that photo...on their covers!! I don't even know why I'm posting this as it will likely be ignored by all except those who already know.