The epitome of beauty and glamor
There’s nothing quite like old Hollywood beauty. Oozing glamour and sophistication, actresses during Hollywood’s Golden Age set the standards for beauty. But, despite an emphasis on blonde looks, not every actress fit into Hollywood’s cookie-cutter mold. Some fought back against Hollywood’s rigid standards and others just let their natural beauty shine through, paving the way for generations of women to see the beauty in their own “flaws”.
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, regarded by many to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, worried that her beauty held her back as a serious actress. However, she won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for her work in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire.
Lana Turner
A blonde >beauty with an hourglass figure, Lana Turner capitalized on her beauty to become one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1940s. Her acting skills were limited but she starred in several massive hits, including The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Hedy Lamarr
Considered by many to be the most beautiful film actress of all time, Hedy Lamarr frequently portrayed femme fatales, as in Samson and Delilah. Also a brilliant scientist and inventor, Lamarr developed the earliest technology that forms the basis of today’s WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS systems.
Ann-Margret
Known for her vivaciousness as much as for her beauty, Ann-Margret has had a long and iconic career, starring in films as diverse as Viva Las Vegas, Carnal Knowledge, and Grumpy Old Men.
Grace Kelly
With blond hair, blue eyes, and delicate features, Grace Kelly was a timeless beauty. Her second role, in High Noon, propelled her to stardom. She went on to act in several classic films including Rear Window and High Society before leaving Hollywood to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe’s sultry and curvaceous beauty earned her the nickname, “The Blonde >Bombshell”. Despite her iconic glamour, Monroe once reminisced: “No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't”.
Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman’s natural beauty and insistence on low-key make-up while on set allowed her exceptional acting abilities to shine brightly. Cast in over 40 films, Bergman remains best known for her role as Ilsa in Casablanca.
Brigitte Bardot
French actress Brigitte Bardot is an iconic beauty. Doe-eyed, with blonde hair and pouty lips, Bardot is considered one of the sexiest women of all time. After starring in almost 50 films between 1951 and 1973, Bardot left the entertainment industry and became a renowned animal rights activist.
Archivio Cameraphoto Epoche via Getty Images, Wikimedia Commons
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor’s second film, Lassie Come Home, launched her into stardom when she was only 11. As her film career progressed, she became renowned for her beauty, particularly the combination of her fair skin, raven hair, and violet eyes.
A. L. Whitey Schafer, Wikimedia Commons
Judy Garland
Most famously cast as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland had a unique beauty that set her apart from contemporary actresses. Although she was often typecast as the ugly duckling girl next door, Garland was undeniably a star.
NBC Television Network, Wikimedia Commons
Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner was signed to MGM when she was 18, based on her looks alone. She had no acting skills or training but her alabaster skin, green eyes, and exquisite bone structure kept her in demand in Hollywood. She acted in bit parts as well as critically-acclaimed roles in films such as Mogambo and Bhowani Junction.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Rita Hayworth
Glamorous, with a natural, raw beauty, Rita Hayworth trained as a dancer before being discovered for the movies at age 16. She is best known for her leading role in Gilda, where she portrayed one of the most iconic femme fatales in movie history.
Edward Cronenweth, Wikimedia Commons
Dorothy Dandridge
The petite and curvaceous Dorothy Dandridge was often cast as a sultry temptress. She is best known for her work in Carmen Jones, which famously earned her an Oscar nomination as Best Actress—the first nomination in that category for an African American.
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn defied the mold of Hollywood beauty. Naturally beautiful with long legs and big eyes, Hepburn could be glamorous but preferred wearing sportswear and pants, long before it was acceptable for women to do so. Her film career spanned six decades and included Bringing Up Baby and On Golden Pond.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Jane Russell
The sultry and curvaceous Jane Russell was known as " The Brunette >Bombshell." She was chosen to star in her first film, The Outlaw, specifically because of her figure. Considered scandalous for its time, the film was delayed by Hollywood’s censorship board largely because of the prominent display of Russell’s bustline.
George Hurrell, Wikimedia Commons
Carole Lombard
Blonde, blue-eyed, and sultry, Carole Lombard was Hollywood’s first blonde beauty. She began her film career during the silent era and easily transitioned to the talkies, beginning with High Voltage in 1929. Her life and career were tragically cut short by a plane crash in 1942.
Pathé Exchange, Wikimedia Commons
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, one of the world’s most beloved and iconic actresses, began her film career as a teenager. A classic Italian beauty, Loren was credited as “Sofia Lazzaro” in her earliest roles, a nod to the joke that her beauty could raise Lazarus from his rest.
Michael Donovan, Wikimedia Commons
Audrey Hepburn
Awarded the Best Actress Oscar for her breakout role in Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn’s gamine beauty set her apart from contemporary Hollywood stars. Hepburn remained dismissive of her natural beauty throughout her life, saying, “I never thought I'd land in pictures with a face like mine”.
Eartha Kitt
An acclaimed singer, dancer, and film star, Eartha Kitt is best known for her role as Catwoman in the final season of television’s Batman series. Almost 40 years later, Kitt’s sultry, sensual beauty continues to define the beauty standards for that role in film and on television.
Eartha Kitt, Wikimedia Commons
Jayne Mansfield
Nicknamed “Broadway's Smartest Dumb Blonde”, Jayne Mansfield was a skilled actress often cast for her beauty and physical assets rather than her acting chops. Her biggest box office hit was The Girl Can’t Help It. She was featured in Playboy magazine several times.
Yvonne de Carlo
When Yvonne de Carlo was cast for the television series The Munsters (1964-66), her co-stars balked, saying: “She’ll never fit in. She’s a movie star”! At the time, de Carlo was an established film actress, renowned for her acting skills and unique beauty. She starred in several hit films of the 1940s and ‘50s, including The Ten Commandments.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was a third-generation Asian-American who battled racism and stereotyping to perform in over 50 films, often cast as a seductive temptress. In 1938, she was named by Look magazine as the “The World’s Most Beautiful Chinese Girl”.
One of her best-known roles was in Shanghai Express.
1937 Paramount Productions, Inc.
Gina Lollobrigida
A classic Italian beauty with dark hair and eyes, Gina Lollobrigida made her mark as an actress, model, and photojournalist in both Italy and America. She received top billing, above Anthony Quinn, for her role as Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956).
Suyk, Koen / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
Mae West
Mae West was a child star in vaudeville and performed on Broadway for decades before beginning her film career began at age 40. Perhaps best known for her steamy role in I’m No Angel, the blonde beauty was nicknamed “The Statue of Libido”.
Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Veronica Lake
Born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman, Connie changed her name at the behest of producer Arthur Hornblow Jr. Hornblow suggested the new surname because the actress’ eyes were “calm and clear like a blue lake”. She remains best known for Sullivan’s Travels and The Blue Dahlia.
Ginger Rogers
A long-legged blonde beauty known for her dancing skills, Ginger Rogers was famously paired with Fred Astaire for ten films. She also starred in dozens of dramatic roles, including her turn in Kitty Foyle, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar.
Teresa Trimm, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maureen O’Hara
Of Irish descent, Maureen O’Hara was stunningly beautiful, with green eyes, a dazzling wide smile, and fiery red hair that earned her the nickname “Big Red” in Hollywood. Her screen debut was as Esmeralda in the earliest cinematic version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). She went on to star in several classic hits including Miracle on 34th Street, Parent Trap, and How Green Was My Valley.
Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard was a natural, all-American beauty who could mesmerize any man—and she knew it too. Secretly married to Charlie Chaplin in 1936, Goddard appeared as his leading lady in Modern Times and The Great Dictator.
Studio publicity still, Wikimedia Commons
Merle Oberon
Born of Welsh and Ceylonese (now Sri Lankan) descent, Merle Oberon had a unique and exquisite beauty. With her delicate features and expressive eyes framed by wavy dark hair, Oberon defied Hollywood’s blonde beauty standards. She starred in several critically acclaimed roles, including that of Cathy Linton in Wuthering Heights (1939).
Wid's Films and Film Folk, inc., Wikimedia Commons
Carmen Miranda
Portuguese by birth, Carmen Miranda first achieved superstar status as a singer in Brazil in the 1920s. A few years later, she began a film career in Brazil before moving to the United States in 1939. Fondly remembered for her bright smile, expressive eyes, and iconic fashion choices, one of Miranda’s most memorable American film roles was in The Gang’s All Here.
20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
Anita Page
Known as “The Girl With the Most Beautiful Face in Hollywood” during the 1920s, Anita Page got her start on the silver screen during the silent film era. She starred in dozens of films over nine decades but is best known for her work in The Broadway Melody, the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Frances Farmer
Howard Hughes considered Frances Farmer the best actress he ever worked with. Classically beautiful with blonde hair, blue eyes, and sculpted cheekbones, Farmer was the darling of Hollywood for a few short years. She began her career in 1936 with the dual role of mother and daughter in Come and Get It. But by 1943, she was institutionalized for mental health concerns.
Golden Boy program (1938), Wikimedia Commons
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a reluctant film actress. She moved to Hollywood as a last resort, after Broadway faltered during the Great Depression. She quickly became the highest-paid movie star in America, known for her acting chops, trademark bangs, big eyes, and stunning legs. She fully expected It Happened One Night to be a flop, but that film swept the Academy Award categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing in 1934.
FilmAffinity, Wikimedia Commons
Clara Bow
Silent film star Clara Bow acted in an astonishing 58 films between 1922 and 1933. Petite, with an unruly mop of curly hair, cupid’s-bow lips, and expressive Betty Boop eyes, Bow was a unique and stunning beauty. When sound was introduced to film, her popularity waned and she retired from the silver screen to raise her sons.
D.D.Teoli Jr., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rosalind Russell
Dignified and beautiful, Rosalind Russell often portrayed wealthy and stylish characters. Initially under contract to MGM, Russell made one film for Paramount when she was later between contracts. She is quoted as saying, "Paramount made me seem more beautiful than I’d ever been at MGM".
Hildydildyjohnson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Marilyn Maxwell
Once compared to that other blonde actress of the same era who was also named Marilyn, Marilyn Maxwell quipped, “Hey, I’m the blonde with her clothes on”! Although less famous than Monroe, Maxwell acted in several films including The Lemon Drop Kid, in which she introduced the classic Christmas carol, “Silver Bells”.
ABC Network, Wikimedia Commons
Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney acted in dozens of roles over the course of 70 years, even starring in Beetlejuice at the age of 78. At the height of her popularity, in the mid-1930s, the Southern California Cosmetologists decided that her face was the perfect beauty standard due to its symmetry and perfect oval shape.
CINEGRAF magazine, Wikimedia Commons
June Lang
June Lang was a luminous and striking natural beauty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She began her career as a child in vaudeville revues and attended the Hollywood Professional School before taking a part as an extra in Young Sinners. Her popularity on the silver screen surged in the late 1930s and she was in high demand as an actress throughout the 1940s.
Otto Dyar for Fox Film, Wikimedia Commons
Kim Novak
Kim Novak was mesmerizing on the screen, thanks to her natural beauty, acting talent, and charisma. She first worked as a model, moving from Chicago to Los Angeles to pursue modelling opportunities. But she was quickly tapped by studio executives and began appearing in bit parts before acting in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, one of the greatest movies ever made.
Natalie Wood
Making her film debut at the age of five, Natalie Wood appeared in over 20 films as a child actress. Her innate acting talent combined with her natural beauty—especially her amazing, doe-like eyes—earned her roles in many classic films including Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, and Splendor in the Grass.
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