Mentored by the biggest star in the world: Inside Steve McQueen’s ‘Adam at 6 A.M.’

Closely resembling twenty-tens superstar Scarlet Johansson is a stunning shot of then struggling actress Lee Purcell modeling in Los Angeles circa 1967. Purcell was part of Screen Gems Studios’ New Talent program until she earned her big break in “Adam at 6 A.M.” with Michael Douglas. Photography by Harry Langdon

Lee Purcell got her first big Hollywood break on account of Steve McQueen. When the undisputed King of Cool decided to implement near-absolute creative control over his movie career, he and veteran producer Robert Relyea established Solar Productions in 1966. The resounding critical and commercial success of the action-packed, Solar-sanctioned…