You may not know the name Gloria Grahame—but you certainly know her face. With her bottle-blond hair, sultry appeal, and drive for fame, she started appearing in roles that painted her as risqué seductress or fallen woman.
In 1946, a twist of fate turned Grahame into a star. While on loan-out from MGM, she nabbed a role in the classic Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life, starring Hollywood titan Jimmy Stewart. True to type, Grahame played the cheeky Violet Bick, the flirty woman who narrowly avoids a life of "shame" at the end of the film.
Today, it’s one of her most famous roles—yet it only led to heartache.
