An original 1988 UK distributor promotional press still from Let's Get Lost — Bruce Weber's Academy Award-nominated documentary on jazz trumpeter Chet Baker — featuring an extraordinarily intimate window-light composition: a young, shirtless Chet Baker holding his trumpet to his lips, head bowed in concentration, with a young female companion leaning forward beside him in a moment of profound musical and personal intimacy. A Mainline Pictures UK release, print No. 5 from the numbered press kit.

About the Image
The lower border carries the film's cursive-script title "Let's Get Lost", the credits "a film by Bruce Weber", "starring Chet Baker", and the UK distributor stamp "A Mainline Pictures Release No 5". The image is a stunning high-contrast window-backlit composition that captures the romantic mythology of 1950s West Coast cool jazz — Baker's beautiful young face and lean, athletic build alongside the trumpet that made him an icon, with an intimate companion in classic mid-century styling. The underlying photograph is from the documentary's extensive archival material, drawing on William Claxton's celebrated 1950s photography of Baker (Claxton photographed Baker continuously from 1951 onwards) and Bruce Weber's own production work for the film. The image measures approximately 8 x 10 inches (203 x 254mm). The reverse is blank, as is typical of studio-issued press stills from this era.

Provenance
This original press still comes from the MTV HQ London collection, dating from the period when MTV UK was actively receiving promotional material direct from film distributors — circa 1988 to 1992. These prints were distributed exclusively to media outlets and theatre chains, and were not available to the general public, which makes them a genuine piece of late-80s film publicity history. The Mainline Pictures UK distributor stamp and numbered "Release No. 5" confirm UK studio origin and sequential press-kit numbering.

About the Film
Let's Get Lost is the 1988 American documentary feature, written and directed by Bruce Weber, about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker — who died on 13 May 1988, just months before the film's release. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1989 and winner of the Italian Critics' Prize at the 1988 Venice Film Festival. The film traces Baker's career from his 1950s "West Coast Cool" era playing with Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and Russ Freeman, to the 1980s when heroin addiction had left him a ravaged figure. Weber's juxtaposition of the youthful "James Dean of jazz" with the late-life figure remains one of the great achievements of music documentary cinema. Widely described as a "monochromatic masterpiece" — Björk has said "Baker is my favourite vocalist of the century."

About the Director
Bruce Weber (born 1946) is one of the most influential photographers of the late 20th century — celebrated for his black-and-white work redefining American masculinity in the 1980s through his iconic ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gianni Versace, and Louis Vuitton, alongside extensive editorial work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Life, Interview and Rolling Stone. His signed gelatin silver prints are held in major museum collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, and Deichtorhallen Hamburg.

About the Subject
Chet Baker (1929–1988) was one of the defining figures of 1950s West Coast "cool jazz" — a trumpeter and singer of extraordinary lyrical sensitivity, nicknamed the "Prince of Cool." Jazz historian Dave Gelly described his early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." Charlie Parker reportedly told Miles Davis: "There's a little white cat out on the coast who's going to eat you up." His albums Chet Baker Sings (1954) and It Could Happen to You (1958) remain landmarks of cool jazz.

Condition
Pre-owned, in excellent condition for its age. The print is clean, sharp, and crisp with strong contrast — the bright window-light backlit composition reproduces beautifully. No creasing, folding, foxing or surface marks are visible. The reverse is blank as issued. Light handling only.

Who it's for
A genuine collector piece for jazz history enthusiasts, Chet Baker memorabilia archives, fans of Bruce Weber's photographic and film work, fine-art black-and-white photography collectors, documentary cinema completists, and anyone who values powerfully composed mid-century jazz portraiture. The window-light intimacy and high-contrast composition make this an exceptional display piece — frames beautifully at A4 with a mount.

Estimated Date
1988 (press still). The Mainline Pictures UK distributor stamp dates the print to the film's UK theatrical release period (Let's Get Lost premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 15 September 1988 and was subsequently released by Mainline Pictures in the UK). Print No. 5 from the original UK press kit. The underlying image is from the film's 1950s-era archival material.

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