On Darby's Ranger Photographer Phil Stern 1919-2014

I met Phil “Snapdragon” Stern (September 3, 1919 – December 13, 2014) in late 1997. My interest was in Ranger history and I was told by fellow Rangers about Phil, the official combat photographer of Darby’s Rangers. Post-war, Phil went on to become a Hollywood photographer working on countless sets and photo shoots and also as photographer of political bigwigs. What many people don’t know was that Phil was the photographer of a million jazz album covers. I mean, to say the man was an artist is an understatement. He shot pictures of Marlon Brando (not the nicest of guys, per Phil), Sammy Davis Jr., John Wayne, Bobby Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and many others. 

The most interesting aspect to me was his collection of about 800 or so photographs Phil took as a Signal Corps sergeant of Darby’s Rangers. Phil was not a ‘true’ Ranger in that he did not undergo commando training like the rest of them did. It did not matter. He was close to Colonel Darby and the men and did not escape being badly wounded during combat action in North Africa, and as a result, he missed the majority of combat actions in Sicily and all of Italy, including the destruction of the First and Third Ranger Battalions at Cisterna in January 1944. Phil’s contributions to combat camera were vital and I wanted to make sure things like that would be preserved. As some of us know, donating things to the Ranger Regiment or certain museums meant those items often ended up in the hands of individuals… (James Altieri’s things, upon his death, were stolen from his locker by the property owner and sold on eBay).

Phil was extremely kind to fellow Rangers and never made any money off his military photographs. He allowed me to scan over 100 Darby Ranger images probably in 1997 or early 1998 on a large-bed scanner I owned to preserve them digitally. Some of the pictures ended up on someone’s website via Phil and helped him start a writing career. As a side note, some of the Darby veterans who had been interviewed by the author (who shall not be named) were unhappy about being published in his book – they had contributed interviews for historical preservation, not knowing it was intended for commercial exploitation – but that’s another story. To be fair, when I wrote about Darby’s Rangers in a little book for Osprey, I donated a fair bit of cash to the Ranger Battalions of WW2 Association. https://ospreypublishing.com/darby-039-s-rangers-1942-45

I also helped raise funds for them. Ross Perot (1930-2019) and James Garner (1928-2014), who played Colonel Darby in a forgettable film called Darby’s Rangers, were both very generous donors to this. As some people may know James Garner was considered a mensch – a great human being. His donation to the association came when he was critically ill. Thank you, James!

Anyway, I became good friends with Phil and visited him way too many times – often he’d kick me out when he got tired. His house was a sweet little dump in the heart of Hollywood, full of his life’s work. We didn’t spend much time on his non-military pics. We talked a lot, he told stories mostly - while I listened. He had great stories about Darby and some of the men. His injuries had scared him, and so had some of the events he witnessed during the war. Like witnessing US soldiers murdering enemy soldiers – yes, WWII US soldiers did this – all armies do. He also shared stories about John Wayne and Marlon Brando and a million others. 

One day he made me look at proofs of his many awesome jazz album covers. I mean a ton of them. That reminds me of the great article Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote on Central Avenue, LA’s Hollywood jazz music scene. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-18/central-avenue-los-angeles-jazz

See Phil’s jazz work here: http://www.philsternarchives.com/archive/jazz/album-covers/

It also now reminds me of the great writer Walter Mosley’s series, Easy Rawlins. Anyhoot, I should have paid more attention to those images and stories (like describing Ella Fitzgerald’s shyness or why he would never cross a picket line), not just being a dumbass Ranger worrying about preserving Ranger history… I did not and it was my loss.

Phil was a great guy but there was also a strong narcissistic strain running through him. Maybe this goes with being a great artist. I am sure Patton had nothing on him. While he was in many ways a man of the people, Phil could be rude and in my view, became obsessively selfish once the not-yet-disgraced (sexual assault and harassment) Hollywood director, Brett Ratner, discovered Phil. Oh boy, one would have thought after all the decades of being in Hollywood and nearly killing James Dean with a car (they became friends after that and Phil took the iconic photo of Dean in his black turtleneck), Phil would have filled his need of ego-boosting. Well, he did not. But we all have flaws. The one thing that soured me on Phil was when he forbade me to use his Darby pics for the re-release of The Spearheaders by Jim Altieri. https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/the-spearheaders.

Jim had been friends with Phil ever since WW2, working in Hollywood and promoting Ranger history. Phil said to me “I know I promised but it is now all about me and my pictures.” Okay, why not. He did not own the copyright on the photos taken while on duty with the US Army – public domain, you know, but whatever. I loved Phil but was also disappointed. Of course, he came out with a great book on his career, which included a ton of his Darby pictures as well. https://bookshop.org/books/phil-stern-a-life-s-work/9781576871881

I also had lunch with him and his film producer daughter, Lata Ryan, who was a gem. Unfortunately, she died prematurely of shit-fuck-piss cancer. Really sad. Great person. A son of Phil’s had died in a plane crash years before that from what I remember. Also very sad.

In any event, Phil was overall a very good, determined, kind man no matter how Hollywood makes people crazy. He had a great sense of humor and we’d fax back and forth stupid little notes. I should also say he was kind to my friend who visited him in Cannes when he had an exhibition there, bringing her along to lunch with an attentive and adoring crowd – all the while an oxygen tank trailing nonagenarian, determined Phil. He was a great and interesting person. I wish I could say the same about me – but no.

After I moved to Canada, Phil and I rarely spoke. Another friend of his published his WW2 memoir with a lot of his photographs. It is a beautifully made book – again by the great people at Osprey Publishing: https://ospreypublishing.com/snapdragon

Brett Ratner loomed large, Phil’s time was running out, and he wanted to ensure his legacy. Maybe I had lost interest. It matters not. Phil and I were friends – Rangers. 

SSG Phil “Snapdragon” Stern was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2014.

For some Darby pics see: https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/world-war-ii#darby-rangers

For some of his great work visit: http://www.philsternarchives.com

I miss him.

RLTW!

Phil Stern (http://www.philsternarchives.com/about/) 

Born In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 3, 1919

1937
Works days as apprentice In New York City photo studio and darkroom and nights as photographer for the “Police Gazette.”

1939
Staff photographer at “Friday” magazine covering east coast labor and other social Issues.

1941
Sent to Los Angeles to work at Friday’s west coast bureau. Photographing labor stories again but with Cinema subjects added to the mix. “Friday” soon went bankrupt. Phil remains as freelance photographer for New York newspapers, LIFE , LOOK, Colliers, and other magazines.

1942
Assigned by US Army to a photographic unit in London, England. Volunteers for “Darby’s Rangers” a much heralded fighting unit as combat photographer; nickname 66 snapdragon.” Wounded in North Africa and assigned, after recuperation, to cover invasion of Sicily/Italy.

1944
Assigned by “LIFE” along with John Hersey to produce a photo essay on the homecoming of Darby’s Rangers. In Hollywood appears with film personalities promoting war bonds.

1945
More photo essays for “LIFE” on post war social rehabilitation and the start of serious Hollywood film coverage.

1946 – thru to 80′s
As freelance photographer contributes to many magazines…. served as a “special” still cameraman on numerous film features including “West Side Story,” “Judgement at Nuremburg,” Guys and Dolls,” etc.

Worked intermittently for music labels to produce Jazz album covers for “Verve Records” (Norman Granz)… “Reprise” and “Pablo”.

Periodically from 1960′s thru the 1970′s covered Hollywood’s many film locations in Europe, Africa and South America. Also did a number of of photo essays In the Soviet Union photographing the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mosfilm Studio, and spent a month (1976) on the set of “The Blue Bird” a detante coproduction of USA and USSR. Also Moscow’s Film festival in 1967 as part of the Hollywood delegation.

And ad infinitum to now where, as Phil says, he recycles his youth.

Sergeant Phil Stern Signal Corps US Army

Looking Ranger-like in this photo

North Africa - culture shock for the locals

Near London

Moments after taken this picture Phil got hit. The streaks are scratches on the negative.

This Sicilian family offered a home to Phil if he were willing to desert the army

Ranger legends from L-R - Jim Altieri, Phil Stern and Roy Murray on the movie set of the WB production Darby’s Rangers Copyright: WB

Phil Stern and James Garner on set. Copyright: WB

I am certain this photo was not taken by Phil

A recreation some 50 years later in 1992 near Achnacarry, Scotland Copyright: Phil Stern

Homage to the great photographers Copyright: Mir Bahmanyar

Beautiful country, Scotland that is….

Phil at a Combat Camera seminar Copyright:?

Phil’s wicked sense of humor can be seen in this and the fax below.

Phil Stern - a great artist and fellow Ranger