VANITY FAIR

March 2003

No. 511

Features

SAYING FAREWELL TO A FRIEND: HERB RITTS, 1952—2002 In the cutthroat world of fashion and celebrity photography, Herb Ritts was an anomaly, not only supremely talented but kind and generous as well. With his last shoot on its cover, V.F. salutes a man who recognized beauty—of the body, the heart, and the mind ... 275

BEN'S OPEN ROA D Half of the most gossip ed-about movie couple since Liz and Dick, Ben Affleck, who hits theaters this month in Daredevil, has also become one of Hollywood's most bankable leading men. At Affleck's no-frills L.A. pad, Leslie Bennetts pops the questions everyone's been wanting to ask—about the engagement to J.Lo, Gwyneth's reaction, his stint in rehab, etc.—and gets some surprisingly forthright answers. Photographs by Herb Ritts ... 276

CARTIER-BRESSON'S DECISIVE MOMENT In an exclusive interview at Henri Cartier-Bresson's Paris apartment, David Friend finds the provocative 94-year-old pioneer of photojournalism, who has a major retrospective and a new book, more in tune with the ghosts of Matisse and Cezanne than with the impact of his camera. Portraits by Rene Burri.282

IT'S A MAD, MAD MISS WORLD The decision to take the struggling Miss World Pageant to predominantly Muslim Nigeria during the holy month of Ramadan cost more than anyone could have imagined. In the ensuing riots, 250 people were killed, while for the 90 contestants, as Judy Bachrach reports, the beauty-queen business turned very ugly indeed.294

THE TALENTED MR. EPSTEIN Veiling much of his fantastically lavish lifestyle in mystery, Jeffrey Epstein claims to be protecting his billionaire clients. Is he simply protecting himself? Looking beyond the private Boeing 727 (with trading room) and the personal island, Vicky Ward investigates New York's bachelor Financier .... 300

WINNER LO S E A L L After successfully manipulating a computerized racetrack betting system, Chris Harn and two of his fraternity brothers thought they'd found the perfect scam. Then a 43-to-l long shot won the Breeders' Cup Classic, and the odds turned against them. Bryan Burrough charts the fallout from a $3.1 million payday.306

FOR LOVE OF ASPEN A tiny mining village has become America's A-list wilderness retreat, populated by enough celebrities to stage an Oscar broadcast. Talking to such Aspenites as Kevin Costner, Hunter Thompson, and Jill St. John, Mark Seal takes a hard but deeply affectionate reading of the town's real-estate boom, its social sets, and its soul. Photographs by Jonathan Becker .312

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Fanfair

31 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF THE CULTURE Piano Boy—jazz prodigy Peter Cincotti. Hot Reels: Bruce Handy on Bend It Like Beckham; Coming Attractions—Walter Kirn gets to The Core; Chris Mitchell reviews Laurel Canyon. Elissa Schappell's Hot Type. Lisa Robinson's Hot Tracks. James Wolcott with Ali G. Edward Helmore previews The Play What I Wrote; Henry Alford on Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. My Stuff—designer extraordinaire Philippe Starck; Hot Looks; Evgenia Peretz gets Fresh.123

Columns

LIVING PROOF A toast to all those killjoys who frown every time Christopher Hitchens lifts another glass. Vindicated—no, elated—by the New England Journal of Medicine's imprimatur, he expounds on the secret of his success: booze, and plenty of it. (But watch the gin!) Photo illustration by Geof Kern.152

WHAT IF THEY GAVE A WAR AND NOBODY CARED? Since Americans have largely ignored environmental destruction, corporate rip-offs, and civil-liberties violations, it's no surprise to see the country sleepwalking into full-scale war on Iraq. But James Wolcott blames the deafening silence in part on a pre-emptive propaganda strike by flag-waving hawks. Photo illustration by Hugh Kretschmer.160

ROUND TWO WITH THE KENNEDYS Keeping a diary is not for sissies. This month, Dominick Dunne reacts to Gary Condit's $11 million slander suit and fact-checks Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 14,000-word Atlantic Monthly apologia for Michael Skakel. Portrait by Michael O'Neill ... 168

CAMBRIDGE REDS Michael Roberts spotlights the new, four-part BBC drama about Britain's most notorious—and glamorous—espionage ring.174

THE CAMERA WARS With snaps of Ben and Jen selling for as much as $ 100,000, the paparazzi will do whatever it takes for a catch. Hanging out with two top shot-makers, Kevin Mazur and Phil Ramey, Nancy Jo Sales assesses their radically different tactics: schmoozing versus stalking. Portraits by Richard Burbridge.176

BUTTERFIELD 8 CALLS BACK Rereading the 1935 novel BUtterfield 8 as it gets reissued by the Modern Library, Fran Lebowitz discovers that John O'Hara's all-too-knowing tone masks genuine sophistication, wisdom, and literary daring.192

HALL OF FAME Jeremy Eichler nominates composer John Adams, whose Nixon in China and El Nino have helped make opera relevant again. Portrait by Alastair Thain .196

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TAKING IT ALL OFF This spring, the musical that capped Gypsy Rose Lee's va-va-va-voom legend is back on Broadway. Laura Jacobs supplies the unvarnished backstage drama of three women: the celebrated stripper; her enormously talented sister, stage and movie star June Havoc; and their viciously controlling mother, Rose. Portraits by Firooz Zahedi.198

Vanities

BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AdamLefifand Richard Rushfield's Intelligence Report: Power Restaurants. George Wayne interviews Dyan Cannon. Neal Pollack exploits fatherhood. Out & In: looking forward to Strom Thurmond's 101st birthday.223

Special Section

MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY As part of its 20th-anniversary celebration, V.F. pays tribute to Annie Leibovitz, whose magical work behind the lens has produced 104 iconographic covers and a museum's worth of unforgettable portraits for the magazine.233

Et Cetera

EDITOR'S LETTER: American Master.96

CONTRIBUTORS.100

LETTERS: The Killing Game.110

CREDITS.346

PLANETARIUM: Make your pick, Pisces.348

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Bill O'Reilly.350