"Glamour," Hurrell said, is "just another word for a sexy picture." His big Hollywood break came in 1929. Norma Shearer wanted the racy title role in The Divorcée, but Irving Thalberg, the head of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer—and her husband—thought her insufficiently alluring. Shearer had seen Hurrell's photos and hired the photographer to prove she could play a sexpot. Hurrell mussed Shearer's hair, pulled her silver robe down on her shoulder, and played jazz records to help her relax. He convinced Shearer to show some leg—not her best feature, she protested—by promising to shoot at a flattering angle.

Photographing Shearer taught Hurrell that sexiness depends less on nudity, forbidden by the studios, than on the right facial expression, which in turn requires making the subject feel comfortable. The photograph's glamour comes not just from the sultry look but from its believability. We see not a proper lady pulling a stunt but a natural seductress enjoying herself. Shearer got the part, eventually winning an Oscar for the role, and MGM hired Hurrell to shoot its publicity portraits.