James Stewart tops our list. Supposedly, her legs were insured for a million dollars by the studio! Hes taking a break to play some solitaire on set in 1934. Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney split a giant wishbone in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Her mother encouraged her to audition when Hollywood talent scouts came to Dallas. Here, shes resting between takes on the set of Ziegfield Girl (1940). Richard Tauber and Lee Perry ring in 1920 with streamers and balloons. The bachelor pads living room featured comfortable modern upholstered furniture clad in lively patterned fabrics, and walls hung with contemporary art; the glass ashtray in the foreground is by Steuben. Most people nowadays will recognize Ms. Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell, The Queen of Thorns from the smash hit Game of Thrones. Working in a series of films during the '20s, her silky voice enabled her to transition seamlessly to talkies when sound became part of movies in the late '20s. She decided to attend film school, where a Swedish film director pulled her for a part in his movie, which then led to Hollywood roles. Actress Adele Mara brought plenty of luck with her into 1946. After WW II, she retired from film and led a life of seclusion until she died in 1990. Shes taking a break in filming with actor James Dean on the set of Giant in 1955. Her earthy Linda Darnell, one of five children of a postal clerk, grew up fast. 3. She was also quite the singer; some even considered her to be the female version of Elvis Presley. When she was 16, Wong ran away to Hollywood to become a dancer. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Also in the 1980s, Joey was arrested for stabbing her manager/boyfriend in the hand and was busted for cocaine possession; however, the search through her purse was found illegal, and the case dismissed. Catherine Deneuve has made quite a name for herself over the years as both an actress as well modeling and even as a producer. 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. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2000 due to complications with brain cancer. 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. Grace Kelly shines in an emerald strapless dress and white shawl during a St. Patrick's Day photoshoot in 1954. James Stewart (1932-1991) James Stewart, an actor from Indiana, Pennsylvania, US, was one of the most famous stars of the 1950s. Ann Rutherford looks Halloween-ready holding a jack-o'-lantern on top of a pile of pumpkins. She leaves behind a rather miserable life in Wisconsin and gets a bit part in A Star is Born. With her huge eyes and gravelly voice, Bette Davis was not the stereotypical Hollywood star of the Golden Age. She performed in a handful of Foster's films, but she spent . 2023 Cond Nast. The sprawling, ranch-style house sat on five and a half acres, and its high brick walls kept us safe and apart from the world outside, the actors daughter Aissa Wayne wrote in AD in 2008. Just six years later she made her Broadway debut in The Boy Freind. The bath, shared with other tenants, was located down the hall. Then, in 2011, a disturbing discovery: Yvettes mummified remains were found in her apartment she had been dead for over a year! 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. Just a few years later, she'd go on to make her Broadway debut in Sing Out the News. The role garnered her first Best Actress Oscar. Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor DBE was a British and American actress. Mae West wanted him hired for her 1933 movie, She Done Him Wrong. Weve been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. She has continued working and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. He remained married to Bacall until his death in 1957. She claims to have starred in over 142 films. But with her legendary beauty, she will fo down in history as one of the great beauties of the 1960s. After her high school graduation in 1947, Grace Lana Turner had an acting ability that belied the "Sweater Girl" image MGM thrust upon her, and even many of her directors admitted that they knew she was capable of greatness (check out The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)). Her popularity declined during the '40s, but she eventually pursued a successful diplomatic career. 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. Although she did have English movies as well, later in her career she starred in The Musketeer which was released in 2001. Purchased in the 1950s and adjacent to the country clubs seventeenth fairway, the two-and-a-half-acre property remained a family getaway until 1995. 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. The following American film actresses are listed alphabetically. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('Unit4'); }); Ms. Heatherton is pictured above on the Perry Como and Red Skelton variety shows. Marilyn Monroe takes on a turkey in this festive 1950 photoshoot. 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. No one nails a festive photoshoot like these icons. She brought the popularity of Westerns in the '40s to the next decade with her getup, complete with a fringed top, hat, and boots. 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 continues to work and seem to look as good as she ever did. His complex performance in Stalag 17 earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. On top of 7 marriages, she had affairs with 2 of Elizabeth Taylors ex-husbands and even mobster Bugsy Siegel. With his nasal voice and distinctive hard-boiled style, he played minor roles in the '30s, eventually leading to his breakout role in 1936s The Petrified Forest, alongside Bette Davis. One of her most recent films was The Butler which was critically acclaimed in almost every category. She also had many other roles on TV and Broadway shows. Destined to be called "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World", Gina possibly had St. Brigid as part of her surname. Shop Lululemon We Made Too Much For Up to 50% Off. Hes with director Alfred Hitchcock on set. Born in Sweden, Ingrid Bergman got her start in a few Swedish films when producer David O. Selznick brought her to America for her first film, Intermezzo (1939). But she also had quite the film career, she even starred in Grandmas Boy as a nymphomaniac senior citizen so we know she had a sense of humor as well. St Petersburg is the city Christopher Hitchens called "an apparent temple of civilization: the polished window between Russia and Europe the, "I never saw Eric Ravilious depressed. She signed her first studio contract at age 16. She went to California and Tell us what you think about this feature. St. Petersburg. 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. 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. When the show made it to Broadway in 1920, Grant found a new home in America. She was the daughter of a furniture manufacturer, and grew up in the pictorial mountain village. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. MacRae was also commonly seen on game shows, with appearances on shows including The Family Feud, Hollywood Squares, and Card Sharks, to name a few. Before she became a princess, Grace Kelly was known for her beauty and talent in Hollywood. The play that fueled her rise to fame, Gigi, would continue on for a few more months before its final curtain call on May 31, 1952. Although Heatherton could act, sing, and dance, her main asset was, without a doubt, her raw sexuality. 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. 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. She starred in hit films from the 60s such as Bullit and The Sweet Ride, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She later married and retired from show biz. To make it easier for Hollywood lovers to know about the famous stars of the 1950s, check out the following list of all the legendary actors and actresses of that era: 1. As one of the neat-freak actresss decorators, Carleton Varney, once observed, There was more clear plastic on that furniture than was on the meat in an A&P supermarket. William Haines, Crawfords longtime friend, who had been a leading man during the silent era, originally decorated the apartment. January 11, 2019 December 13, 2018. Vitti would continue working on into the 80s where she went back to working on stage as both an actress and a teacher before retiring in 1989. This drop-dead gorgeous woman really shouldnt need any sort of introduction. She appeared in such classic 1950s films as Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Admired for his boyish charm and common man persona, Jimmy Stewart had a long and distinguished career in Hollywood. One of Bob Hopes frequent co-stars, Bing Crosby started his musical career in the '30s. Dramatic ruffled curtains screen the picture window, while the chairs sport a Victorian silhouette. Sleeping with Hollywoods A-List did nothing for her career. When Elvis Presley had his Memphis, Tennessee, mansion, Graceland, decorated in 1957, the living rooms 15-foot-long sofa was upholstered in electric-blue fabric and the walls were painted Dresden-blue. They apparently gave her one year to make it before they would make her come back home. Like many girls from the American Midwest, Ms. Landis had aspirations of making it in Hollywood. Her parents were both One of the brightest, most tragic movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Era, Judy Garland was a much-loved character whose warmth and spirit, along with her rich and exuberant voice, kept theatre-goers entertained with an array of delightful musicals.She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on 10 June 1922 in Deborah Jane Trimmer was born on 30 September 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr Trimmer. Afterwards, her tabloid appearances get numerous, with car accidents, arrests, alcoholism, drug abuse, and ultimately committed to a psychiatric clinic. Several famous actresses also thrived in the 1950s. Ekberg died after a long illness at the age of 83 in her home country of Italy in January 2015. Hugh Heffner has stated that he was genuinely concerned a major lawsuit would result from Yvettes bare behind, but nothing materialized. 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). A respected British actor with dreamy good looks and perfect diction, Laurence Olivier began his career on the Shakespearian stage before venturing to Hollywood. Her unpretentious beauty and skilled acting made her an immediate success, and she went on to become one of the biggest stars of the '40s in classics such as Casablanca. Cooper was known for doing his own stunts and for having many different lovers, despite his wholesome portrayals. Janaya is a Lifestyle Editor for Hearst Magazines. Kelsea Ballerini Wore a See-Through Plunging Gown, Lainey Wilson Rocks the Stage in a Lacy Crop Top, A.J. In a book that became to be known as 'The People of the Abyss' London described the time when he lived in the Whitechapel district sleeping in workhouses, so-called doss-houses and even on the streets. Her father had an engineering degree and worked with his father in the family business. . This lovely actress, Claudia Cardinale, ranks up there as one of the most talented females to come out of Italy. 1. Petite and spunky, Audrey Hepburn has remained a fashion icon years after her death in 1993. --The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show-- 6. Later owned by singer Engelbert Humperdinck, the Pink Palace was demolished in 2002. Long before streaming was a thing, people flocked to the movies to escape reality. Lucille Ball Actress | I Love Lucy She was born in France and thats where the majority of her film career took place. Elsewhere in the house were, Burke recalled in her memoirs, eight highly articulate canaries.. Years before actress Heather Angel voiced Mary Darling in the original Peter Pan, she posed as the Easter Bunny. Showman nonpareil Fred Astaire built his Beverly Hills residence in 1959, five years after the death of his first wife, socialite Phyllis Potter. Who was the most popular actress of the 1950s? Looking back at some of the leading ladies of Hollywood during the 1960s, you can immediately recognize that some, if not most, of these talented and lovely ladies are still going strong in their careers, even as we speak, playing in a variety of different roles. The film was an instant hit and made him and his co-star Olivia DeHavilland, another then-unknown in Hollywood, huge stars. Starting out as a child star in vaudeville and moving into theater, Mae West didnt have her first movie role until age 40 in Night after Night (1932). Scroll through below to learn a little bit about some of the legendary actors and actresses from the 50s. I give you the absolutely stunning Raquel Welch. She won Oscars for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938). Once again, Marilyn Monroe didn't leave much to the imagination in this 1951 holiday snap, wearing a two-piece bathing suit and standing inside an oversized nylon Christmas stocking. That immediately cemented her on the list of most beautiful actresses of the 60s. Her father was a transportation worker, and Susan lived a fairly comfortable life as a child, but the precocious little redhead had no idea of the life that awaited her. But it was after a screen test at 20th Century Fox that landed her a seven- year movie deal. Her career has shown no signs of slowing down even though shes up into her 70s. Diana Rigg made her debut in 1957 as a theater actress, but it was when she played the Bond girl in On Her Majestys Secret Service in 1969 that really put her name on the map.