Scroll on below to learn a little more about famous women from the 1950s, and their illustrious film careers. He debuted in films as an extra in Marionette (1939), then started working for the Italian Sophia Loren was born as Sofia Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome on September 20, 1934. Actress June Allyson smiles at the camera during a heart-themed photoshoot. With her iconic looks and wispy voice, Marilyn Monroe defined the classic Hollywood actress. The dining room featured Louis XVI . The inseparable duo starred opposite one another for years. She was previously married to George Burns. A Place in the Sun and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are just a few of her films from the decade. Ms. Julie Andrews was one of the most popular theater actresses of the 1950s. She also was a highly accomplished stage actress with roles on Broadway that earned her a Tony. With her gorgeous violet eyes and creamy white skin, Elizabeth Taylor was a child star, co-starring alongside horses and dogs in National Velvet and the Lassie movies, long before she was a screen siren in movies such as Cleopatra. Despite being just steps from a glamorous stretch of Central Park, James Deans studio apartment on West 68th Street in New York City was decidedly collegiate. Carole also makes a decent living as a WWII pin-up and some USO performances in the South Pacific. After studying acting in New York, Lauren Bacall worked as a model. Just a few years later, she'd go on to make her Broadway debut in Sing Out the News. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Papered with a map of the world, the room featured a three-part portrait of Holdens first wife, Ardis, a Philippines-born actress who used the screen name Brenda Marshall. Bette Davis and her artist husband, William Grant Sherry, along with their daughter, Barbara, stroll through Central Park on their first Easter in New York. Tall, dark and handsome described Gregory Peck, who started going to school for medicine but changed gears once he fell in love with theater. There are holiday parties, and then there are Old Hollywood holiday parties. Here, shes on the set in 1948. She began her career in the early 1940s as a child actor and rose to become one of the most popular stars of traditional Hollywood films in the 1950s. She won Oscars for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938). Shop Lululemon We Made Too Much For Up to 50% Off. Rita's American mother, Volga Margaret (Hayworth), who was of mostly Hedy Lamarr, the woman many critics and fans alike regard as the most beautiful ever to appear in films, was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, Austria. Her father was of Swedish descent and her mother was of English and German ancestry.One month before her 18th birthday, Jean landed the title role in Otto Audrey Hepburn was born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. Outfitted with indifferent, seemingly secondhand furniture and knotty-pine shelves, the small, round-windowed interior had abstract art tacked to the walls and a matadors cape hanging above the bedthe latter possession echoed in one of the books above the built-in desk: Volume 5 of Los Toros, a 1943 encyclopedia of bullfighting by Jos Mara Cosso. She has a role in the film Wild Oats that was released just a few short months prior to this writing. Cooper was known for doing his own stunts and for having many different lovers, despite his wholesome portrayals. Maggie Smith has starred in over 50 films in her long career dating back to the early 50s and is considered to be one of Great Britains most recognizable actresses. One of Ms. Landburys most popular roles in the later part of her career was the detective series, Murder She Wrote. The bath, shared with other tenants, was located down the hall. Moreau was known not only for her work in front of the camera, but behind the scenes as well. Hes on the set here with director Alfred Hitchcock on Rear Window (1954). Over her long career, Redgrave starred in more than 80 films and has even been inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. It was downhill from here. By the mid-1930s, he was a huge star due to films such as It Happened One Night (1934), which won him an Oscar for Best Actor. The most intriguing and beautiful stars of old-school Hollywood at work. She leaves behind a rather miserable life in Wisconsin and gets a bit part in A Star is Born. She attended public school in Brooklyn, where she Eldred Gregory Peck was born on April 5, 1916 in La Jolla, California, to Bernice Mae (Ayres) and Gregory Pearl Peck, a chemist and druggist in San Diego. She claims to have starred in over 142 films. This was a common photo pose for stars of the era. He worked briefly on Broadway before heading to Hollywood in 1943, starring in a string of hits through the '40s and '50s including The Yearling (1946), The Gunfighter (1950), Roman Holiday (1953), Moby Dick (1956), and To Kill a Mockingbird. His early years in Susan Hayward was born Edythe Marrener in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1917. Once their male audiences lose interest, things go downhill fast. By the early 1960s, however, the room had been repainted and the sofa recovered in a woven white material brightened by orange velvet cushions. Born in Italy, she was able to make a name for herself there, as well as around the world. It was the last New Year's Eve for quite some time where the champagne floweda few weeks later, the Prohibition Era began and didn't end until 1933. MacLaine would win numerous awards over the course of her career including a lifetime achievement award in 2012 for her outstanding work over the last five decades. Aimee went on to star in over 70 different films over the course of her career. List of films based on Greco-Roman mythology. She has been featured on hit TV shows like Seinfeld and even had a role in the recent film House of Versace. With her huge eyes and gravelly voice, Bette Davis was not the stereotypical Hollywood star of the Golden Age. Vanessa Redgrave has been considered to be one of the greatest living actresses of our time according to Tennesse Williams and Arthur Miller. James Dean, Jerry Lewis, and William Holden were also popular 1950s male actors. A Look at Sally Field's Iconic Life in Photos. I thought it was awful. On the cocktail table stands a sculpture by Italian artist Marino Marini. That same year, she worked with Raymond Burr in Bride of the Gorilla (full movie below). Later in 1986 the U. S. Attorneys office in New York charged her with income-tax evasion. She appeared in her first major film in 1936. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1950s Coleen Gray Actress Lobby Card 5 x 7 Photo Vintage Photo at the best online prices at eBay! He went on to star in many '40s classics including High Sierra (1941), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Casablanca (1942). Here, she starred in the 1934 film, Imitation of Life and is seen with co-star, Louise Beavers (left), who plays her mother in the movie. . --The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show-- 6. So much more than just a sex symbol, this actress starred in a series of '50s films before dying in 1962 of a drug overdose. Musicals and romantic comedies were still wildly popular throughout the decade, but suspense thrillers and dark dramas were also bringing in money at the box office. review process. She starred in hit films from the 60s such as Bullit and The Sweet Ride, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. . The film includes James Stewart, Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers, Carole Lombard, Bing . The raven-haired beauty was the 1949 Washington, D.C. entry into the Miss America pageant. Her film career started to slow down after she appeared in the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Ann Rutherford looks Halloween-ready holding a jack-o'-lantern on top of a pile of pumpkins. She was the daughter of a furniture manufacturer, and grew up in the pictorial mountain village. Showman nonpareil Fred Astaire built his Beverly Hills residence in 1959, five years after the death of his first wife, socialite Phyllis Potter. Merry Christmas from Old Hollywood Stars Glamour Daze presents a special Merry Christmas from Old Hollywood Stars video, featuring some of Hollywood's most enduring and loved actresses and actors from the 1940s and 1950s. His parents divorced when he was five years old. (She, did, however, have some help from a designer friend, Hazel Wray Davey.) Nichols also becomes involved in a special program at NASA that helped recruit minority female personnel for the space agency. Cheerfulness kept creeping in." Shortly after their 1956 wedding, Marilyn Monroe and her second husband, playwright Arthur Miller, stand in the unkempt garage of their Roxbury, Connecticut, estate. In 1952, Debbie Reynolds appeared in one of the most iconic musicals of all-time, How Marilyn Monroe And Ella Fitzgerald's Friendship Gave Them Both Their Careers, Inside Debbie Reynolds And Carrie Fishers Rocky But Loving Mother-Daughter Relationship, The Best Actresses to Ever Win Oscars for Best Actress. After many minor roles (and studio-ordered electrolysis to raise her hairline! Shes having her makeup touched up on the set of The Merry Widow (1952). Joan Crawford and her 7-year-old daughter, Christina, model their matching Easter bonnets while vacationing in La Quinta, California. Yvette lived a full life, but her later years were lonely and sad. She appeared in many silent films and a series of small US films before being offered a role in Destry Rides Again, a 1939 American film starring Jimmy Stewart. Unfortunately, her private life sometimes overshadowed her professional Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, comedienne, singer, and model. She was briefly married to actor, producer and director Orson Welles in the mid-40s and is seen on the set of his movie The Lady from Shanghai (1947). In the mid 1950s, actress Ava Gardner decorated her newly built brick house at La Moraleja, a suburb of Madrid, with antiques she purchased at local shops. She appeared in such classic 1950s films as Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, and Gentlemen Prefer Blonde s. Shirley Knight started her career in the late 50s as a Television actress on the hit western on NBC, Buckskin. The store used her in a short advertising film, which helped her get minor parts in Swedish films. The role garnered her first Best Actress Oscar. Learn more about our 100 . She auditioned for many roles as an extra, but her breakthrough role was in the 1930 Howard Hughes hit, Hells Angels. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Beverly E. Fisher dies at 67; Errol Flynn's final girlfriend", "71-Year Old Black Actress Who Made Soap Opera History in the 1980's Refuses to Retire", Most popular American actresses on Wikipedia, with user comments on traffic jumps, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_American_film_actresses&oldid=1134124692, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 03:22. He won an Oscar for The African Queen (1951). This Chicago, Illinois born Italian bombshell landed the role in One Million Years B.C. Her last movie was The Accidental Detective which was released in 2003 but has since retired. James Dean, Jerry Lewis, and William Holden were also popular 1950s male actors. She became one of the world's most enduring iconic figures and is remembered both for her winsome embodiment of the Hollywood sex symbol and her tragic personal and professional struggles within the film industry. He had Irish (from his paternal grandmother), English, and some German, ancestry. They apparently gave her one year to make it before they would make her come back home. The house itself had been built in 1783, and Monroe and Miller added sliding glass doors to its rear faade and created a one-room studio where the playwright could work. 40 Rare Photos of Old Hollywood Stars on Set - Behind the Scenes Movie Photos. On a trip to America to visit Olivier (who was filming Wuthering Heights), she won the coveted role of Scarlet OHara in Gone with the Wind (1939). This drop-dead gorgeous woman really shouldnt need any sort of introduction. He often played gangster roles in the '30s and '40s but is best loved for portraying the composer George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), which allowed him to showcase his amazing energy and singing and dancing abilities. When she wasnt working to further her career, she was working to help charitable causes such as The American Cancer Society and Childrens Burn Foundation. Heatherton was a long-time member of Bob Hopes USO troupe between 1965 and 1977, delighting soldiers with her enticing singing, dancing and provocatively revealing outfits. She was also quite the singer; some even considered her to be the female version of Elvis Presley. Additionally, throughout the 1960s, she interspersed her variety show appearances with strong dramatic turns in theatrical films and on numerous episodes of series such as Route 66. She appeared in such 1950s films as Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. As a young man, he married his much-older acting coach, and the couple moved to L.A., where Gable was signed to MGM in 1930. In 1963, Barbara Payton, former movie starlet and tabloid sensation, sat down with an opportunistic ghostwriter named Leo Guild to tell the story of her tortured life. The bedroom features frescoes of the four seasons, which were moved there from another room in the house; the Louis XVI painted bed was made in Tuscany. She was an actress, known for A Damsel in Distress (1937), The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) and The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939). 100 Black . Now, I must admit I could be slightly biased on this one, because this might be my personal favorite on this list. Fredi Washington was a talented actress and stunning green-eyed beauty, who eventually worked as an activist for other African-American stars in the entertainment industry. She appeared in such 1950s films as Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Scroll through below to learn a little bit about some of the legendary actors and actresses from the 50s. The 1950s may have had less plastic surgeons, but my guess would be that they were highly ethical and talented surgeons who took their work seriously. Please consider making a donation to our site. Grace Kelly shines in an emerald strapless dress and white shawl during a St. Patrick's Day photoshoot in 1954. Weve been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. She had a few small roles before she became involved with Laurence Olivier. And, if youre honest, youll just drag up from the depths all the times youve hated or felt passionately about something and play it. Her parents were well-to-do, with her father a successful attorney . Asian art picked up on worldwide travels is tacked to a wall of actor John Waynes living room in the San Fernando Valley. Born in Sweden, Greta Garbo worked in a department store as a teen to support her impoverished, fatherless family. As for the houses decor, she added, My father loved Asian art and furniture, which he would mix in with other styles. As his wife Nancy recalled, The house consumed so much energy, and involved so much intricate wiring, that a special switch box had to be installed on the outside. The couple sold the house in 1981, after Reagan was elected president. Her first major role came just two years later in the film Les Cousins. Cary Grant left school at age 14 to join a comedy troupe in his native England. The Golden Age of Hollywood reverberated with glamorous women in elegant gowns (Marilyn! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Oscar-winner William Holden relaxes in his home in Toluca Lake, a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley; the modest Georgian-style house was designed by African-American architect Paul R. Williams and was later owned by Denzel Washington. All rights reserved. Crooner and actor Bing Crosbys adobe house in Rancho Santa Fe, California, was the centerpiece of the entertainers 65-acre horse-breeding operationconveniently located near the Del Mar racetrack. Above him hang two Pablo Picasso paintings that he and his wife Anne purchased in 1960. Marilyn Monroe tops our list. Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Harry & Meghan Reportedly in Talks Over Frogmore, Charles & Camila Will Visit France & Germany, William & Kate Reunite with Norwegian Royals, Festive Photos of Old Hollywood Stars Celebrating the Holidays Through the Years. Her girlhood was uneventful for the most part, but one of the things she desired was to become an actress which she had decided on at an early age. 1. In his first film, he played the sullen Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (1939). Shirley MacLaine is still regarded as an amazing actress, but she got her start in the 1955 movie The Trouble with Harry. Actress Lona Andre sits by a row of cornstalks for a Halloween photoshoot. Up through the early Sixties, McDonald starred in a couple dozen films, some good some bad, including the 1963 film, Promises! The biggest career killer of them all was a sexual relationship with the famed producer Darryl F. Zanuck; after she ended the affair, he made sure she was blackballed. The actor lived in the rented space, off and on, from 1953 until his death in a car crash two years later. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Purchased in 1952 by her future husband, producer Carlo Ponti, it was restored with architect and garden designer Imerio Maffeis and decorated by costume-and-set designer Ezio Altieri. She played in many 1930s comedies and soon commanded one of the top salaries of the time. 3. If you enjoy what we do, please consider becoming a patron with a recurring monthly subscription of your choosing. "There was more than a love affair," Mickey once said of their relationship, "It was so special. In 1957 she got national attention by claiming to have been kidnapped by two men. Pink shag carpeting covered the ceiling, walls, and floor of the actresss bath, and the heart-shaped tub glittered with gold mosaic tiles. The Art of Surfing: 10 Of The Greatest Big Wave Surfers In History, The First Female Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Edith Wharton, DeAutremont Brothers Train Robbery Gone Wrong, Frances Beneficial Assistance to America in the Revolutionary War, Famed Author of Uncle Toms Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe. She has continued working and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Over her long career, Knight has starred in more than fifty feature films as well as countless TV appearances. One of her most recent films was The Butler which was critically acclaimed in almost every category. He was married to Leigh for more than two decades, and they often played on stage and in films together. Considered one of the 1950s' biggest box office draws, William Holden is most famous for starring in Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sabrina (1954), and Stalag 17 (1953). (The photograph here was published in Life magazine, six months before Dean was killed.) The 1950s featured the rise of blonde bombshells, their beautiful brunette counterparts, method actors, and zany comedians. Her mother, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra, was a Dutch noblewoman, while her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was born in zice, Bohemia, to English and Austrian parents.After her parents' divorce, Actress | Jane Russell Shes on set here with W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee (1940). Sophia continued to work well into her later years starring in hit films such as Grumpier Old Men with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. No one nails a festive photoshoot like these icons. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The house, which Crosby and his first wife, Dixie Lee, bought shortly after their marriage in 1930, had been constructed in the 1840s by the first mayor of San Diego, Juan Osuna, and enlarged in 1910. Her hit film, The Inner Circle, was released just a few months after the holiday. His real-life lover, Vivian Leigh, also launched her film career this year in Gone with the Wind. But the film was awful, and Joeys reputation was permanently besmirched. His complex performance in Stalag 17 earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. I give you the absolutely stunning Raquel Welch. As her youth faded, so did her career. Ann-Magret is one of those actresses that just doesnt seem to age, or better yet seems to get better with age. Her debut film was Ridere Ridere Ridere in 1954 but it was when she linked up with Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian film director, that she became internationally known. Marcello Mastroianni was born in Fontana Liri, Italy in 1924, but soon his family moved to Turin and then Rome. Her golden voice, youthful innocence and spirited personality made her an international sensation almost immediately. Her natural and unpretentious beauty and her immense acting talent made her one of the most celebrated figures in the history of American cinema. 14. Hugh Heffner has stated that he was genuinely concerned a major lawsuit would result from Yvettes bare behind, but nothing materialized. Just six years later she made her Broadway debut in The Boy Freind. But with a topic like this, I suppose it couldnt have ended any other way. In 1985 she was arrested in Long Island for skipping out on an unpaid hotel bill of nearly $5000. The year before had been a big one for the child actress, who appeared in her first major feature film Stand Up and Cheer! Here Burke is photographed in the beamed study, which she furnished with countrified furniture, masses of memorabilia, and charming art, including a portrait, at left, of her daughter, Patricia Ziegfeld. One thing is for sure, pretty much anything that she does is usually loved by all. He remained married to Bacall until his death in 1957. Ms. Payton got some Hollywood buzz via the 1949 film noir Trapped, with Lloyd Bridges. From Cary Grant to Sophia Loren to Doris Day, here are 27 swoon-worthy stars from Hollywood's golden years. In 1986 she was arrested for assault for attacking a clerk while waiting in line to receive a passport because she did not receive preferential treatment. Who was the most popular actress of the 1950s? Martha Hyer Martha Hyer Ekberg died after a long illness at the age of 83 in her home country of Italy in January 2015. Whether a room was decorated in early American or modern, there would always be a piece, here or there, inspired by the Orient.. Vera retired from her Hollywood career in 1995, but before doing so she made appearances on hit TV shows such as Murder She Wrote. Anyone who loves B-movies of the 1950s appreciates this lovely actress Allison Hayes. Many of these actresses have graced the pages of some of the top magazines, newspapers, and websites in the world. Shirley Jones started her career as a stage actress after her parents allowed her to move to New York City with $100 in her pocket. During the course of her career, she won Oscars for Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Often remembered for her famous bathing suit pin-up pose during World War II, Betty Grable started with bit roles in her early teens before becoming the biggest paid star in the country by 1947. Musicals and romantic comedies were still wildly popular throughout the decade, but suspense thrillers and dark dramas were also bringing in money at the box office.