Ask any young person who their favorite Old Hollywood actress is and nine times out of ten they'll cite Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn.
Thanks to the commodification of their images, anyone can go out and buy themselves an Audrey Hepburn throw pillow or a Marilyn Monroe tote bag.
Now, I will admit that I, myself, am a great fan of Audrey Hepburn: she was a beautiful and talented woman who dedicated the last years of her life to helping children in impoverished countries. But, at what point do we ignore the other great actresses of the Golden Age in favor of Marilyn and Audrey?
Below, you will find a list of the five greatest actresses of Old Hollywood, along with their key films for which they are well known.
1. Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas. A child of poverty, Joan worked her way up from the chorus into major leading roles at MGM (Metro-Goldwyn Mayer). Joan was a top star in the 30's, but, by the end of the decade her star power waned and was labeled 'Box Office Poison'. As if by luck, Joan Crawford starred in Warner Bros' 1945 classic "Mildred Pierce" and gained her fame back overnight. She would later win her first and only Oscar for the role of Mildred. Sadly, Joan passed away in 1977 from a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy of great films.
Key Films: "Mildred Pierce", "Humoresque", "The Women", "Rain", and "Possessed"
2. Barbara Stanwyck
Before she was Barbara Stanwyck, she was Ruby Catherine Stevens, a Brooklyn girl with a no-nonsense attitude. Barbara was known for her 'natural' acting style and ability to play a variety of roles. By 1944 she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood, a major feat for a woman in a system fueled by sexism. Her most famous role was that of the black widow femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson in 1944's "
Double Indemnity". Stanwyck worked well into old age with such television shows as "The Big Valley" and "The Colbys". She died in 1990 at the age of eighty-three with more than ninety film, television, and stage credits to her name.
Key Films: "Double Indemnity", "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers", "The Lady Eve", "Stella Dallas", and "Christmas in Connecticut".
3. Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney led quite the charmed life while she was a girl in Brooklyn: she was educated in Switzerland and was a debutante at age fifteen. However, Gene became bored with society life and set her sights on being an actress. She started off in the legitimate theatre on Broadway and was soon discovered after her in appearance in "T
he Male Animal", thus setting her on the road to stardom. Gene became one of 20th Century Fox's major leading ladies, appearing in both comedy and drama pictures. In 1945, Gene received her first Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film "
Leave Her to Heaven", but she ended up losing to Joan Crawford. Gene died in 1991 at the age of seventy-one in San Antonio, Texas.
Key Films: "Leave Her to Heaven", "Laura", "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", "Dragonwyck", and "The Razor's Edge".
4. Rita Hayworth
Christened Margarita Carmen Cansino, Rita Hayworth was already accustomed to the show business ever since she was twelve years old and apart of the Dancing Cansinos with her father. Rita was dubbed "The Love Goddess" because of her sex appeal and flaming red hair, however, Rita was often described by friends and colleagues as both quiet and shy. It was the 1946 Film "Noir
Gilda" that cemented Rita's status as a major sex symbol, an image she would later try to grow out of. In her later years, Rita developed Alzheimer's and succumbed to it on May 14th, 1987.
Key Films: "Cover Girl", "Tonight and Every Night", "Down to Earth", "Gilda", and The Lady from Shanghai".
5. Lauren Bacall
Perhaps one of Film Noir's favorite Femme Fatales, Lauren Bacall practically invented sex appeal with her husky voice and sultry eyes. Born Betty Joan Perske in 1924 to Jewish parents, Lauren started off working as a model while she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She made her Hollywood debut in 1944 in Ernest Hemingway's
"To Have and Have Not" along with Humphrey Bogart (her future husband). Bacall, like Stanwyck, worked well into old age and left behind a legacy of over 46 film and television credits. She died in 2014.
Key Films: "To Have and Have Not", "The Big Sleep, Dark Passage", "How to Marry a Millionaire", and "Key Largo".
