13 Most Glamorous Old Hollywood Actresses Who Defined an Era

13 Most Glamorous Old Hollywood Actresses Who Defined an Era

The golden age of Hollywood gave us stars who weren’t just actresses but cultural icons whose influence extends to this day. From the 1920s through the 1960s, these women graced the silver screen with unmatched elegance and charisma. Their stunning looks, remarkable talent, and larger-than-life personas created a special kind of magic that transformed movies into an art form and shaped our understanding of glamour.

1. Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson’s extraordinary career spanned from the silent era to Hollywood’s golden age, making her one of the first true movie stars.

At the height of her fame in the 1920s, she earned $20,000 a week—equivalent to millions today—while living lavishly in a 22-room Manhattan apartment adorned with royal jewelry. Unlike many silent stars, she transitioned successfully into talkies before retiring at the peak of her career.

Her unforgettable return in Sunset Boulevard—delivering the iconic line, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”—remains one of cinema’s most meta performances.

2. Marilyn Monroe

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, she transformed into the ultimate symbol of sensuality and vulnerability that captivated the world. Her breathy voice and hourglass figure became instantly recognizable in classics like “Some Like It Hot” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

Beyond her bombshell image lay a complex woman who fought for fair pay and started her own production company when female independence was rare in Hollywood. Her tragic death at 36 only cemented her legendary status.

Fun fact: Monroe was actually a natural brunette who spent two hours each week maintaining her platinum blonde hair!

3. Audrey Hepburn

With her delicate features and balletic grace, Hepburn redefined beauty standards in an era of voluptuous bombshells. Her unforgettable role as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” created a template for sophisticated chic that fashion designers still reference today.

Belgian-born with a British accent, Hepburn brought European refinement to American cinema. She survived the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands as a child before becoming one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars.

Later in life, she dedicated herself to humanitarian work with UNICEF, proving her inner beauty matched her famous exterior.

4. Elizabeth Taylor

Those legendary violet eyes framed by double rows of eyelashes (a genetic mutation) made Taylor unmistakable from childhood. Her performance in “Cleopatra” made her the first actor to command a million-dollar salary, breaking barriers for women in the industry.

Taylor’s passionate romances—especially her twice-married relationship with Richard Burton—kept her in headlines as much as her films did. She owned some of the world’s most spectacular jewelry, including the 33-carat Krupp Diamond.

Despite her glamorous image, Taylor showed remarkable courage as one of the first celebrities to advocate for AIDS research when it was still taboo.

5. Lauren Bacall

At just 19, Bacall created one of cinema’s most memorable moments by teaching Humphrey Bogart how to whistle in “To Have and Have Not.” Her distinctive husky voice and smoldering sideways glance (developed to stop her head from trembling with nervousness) became her signature.

Born Betty Joan Perske, she was renamed and remolded by director Howard Hawks. Her marriage to Bogart, 25 years her senior, became Hollywood legend.

Unlike many stars, Bacall aged gracefully in the industry, winning a Tony Award for Broadway performances and maintaining her fierce independence and liberal politics throughout her long life.

6. Grace Kelly

Kelly embodied cool blonde perfection in Hitchcock classics like “Rear Window” before making a fairy tale transition to European royalty. Her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco was watched by 30 million viewers worldwide—a royal spectacle before Diana and Kate.

Despite her aristocratic bearing, Kelly grew up in Philadelphia in a family that initially disapproved of acting as a profession. Her refined style—simple lines, pearls, and structured handbags—created the “Kelly look” that remains timeless.

The Hermès “Kelly bag” was renamed after her when she used it to shield her pregnancy from paparazzi—proving her influence extended beyond films.

7. Sophia Loren

Raised in poverty in Naples during World War II, Loren transformed from a skinny teenager into an international symbol of Italian beauty and passion. Her curves challenged Hollywood’s preference for slender actresses, proving sensuality came in many forms.

Unlike many contemporaries, Loren built a career spanning decades, winning an Oscar for “Two Women”—the first for a foreign-language performance. Her 50+ year marriage to producer Carlo Ponti remained solid amid an industry known for short-lived relationships.

At 86, she returned to acting in 2020, showing the timelessness of true star power and breaking age barriers for women in cinema.

8. Rita Hayworth

Her famous hair-toss in “Gilda” created one of cinema’s most sensual moments, but few knew the Spanish-born actress had undergone painful electrolysis to widen her hairline and dyed her naturally black hair red to appear more conventionally American.

Born Margarita Cansino to a dancing family, Hayworth began performing at age 12. Her five marriages, including one to royalty (Prince Aly Khan), kept gossip columnists busy for decades.

Astonishingly, her image was even painted on an atomic bomb tested at Bikini Atoll—a testament to her explosive impact on American men during World War II.

9. Joan Fontaine

The only performer to win an Oscar in a Hitchcock film (“Suspicion”), Fontaine specialized in portraying women whose refined exteriors masked complex emotional lives. Her famous feud with sister and fellow actress Olivia de Havilland created Hollywood’s most enduring sibling rivalry.

Born in Japan to British parents, Fontaine brought a cosmopolitan sophistication to her roles. Her performance in “Rebecca” as the nameless second Mrs. de Winter perfectly captured insecurity beneath polished manners.

An accomplished pilot, interior designer, and Cordon Bleu-trained chef, Fontaine’s talents extended far beyond the screen—proving glamour could coexist with substantial accomplishment.

10. Ava Gardner

MGM’s claim that Gardner was “the world’s most beautiful animal” wasn’t just marketing hyperbole. The North Carolina country girl possessed a natural magnetism that leapt off the screen in films like “The Killers” and “Mogambo.”

Her tumultuous marriage to Frank Sinatra became Hollywood legend, with Sinatra attempting suicide when their relationship faltered. Gardner’s unfiltered honesty and refusal to conform to studio demands made her both admired and feared in the industry.

Though known for her beauty, Gardner was a serious actress whose performances improved with age as her looks became less emphasized in later roles.

11. Bette Davis

Those unforgettable eyes—immortalized in a 1980s pop song—were just one aspect of Davis’s revolutionary appeal. She fought for challenging roles when studios preferred docile beauties, once even suing Warner Brothers for better parts.

Her performances in films like “All About Eve” redefined what women could be on screen: complicated, ambitious, even unlikable. Davis famously quipped, “When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.”

Her glamour came not from conventional beauty but from sheer force of personality and commitment to her craft—proving star power transcended physical appearance.

12. Jane Russell

Russell’s debut in Howard Hughes’ controversial western “The Outlaw” caused a censorship uproar that delayed the film’s release for years. Her statuesque figure and forthright attitude made her a favorite pin-up among World War II servicemen.

Unlike her bombshell image, Russell was deeply religious and politically conservative. She formed the World Adoption International Fund after adopting three children, helping thousands of children find homes.

Her musical talents shone in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” alongside Marilyn Monroe, where her witty performance of “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love?” showcased her often-overlooked comedic abilities and proved she was more than just a stunning physique.

13. Betty Grable

Her famous pinup—looking over her shoulder in a white bathing suit—became the image most requested by GIs during World War II. Fox insured her legs for a million dollars, generating publicity that cemented her status as the ultimate all-American girl.

Despite being typecast in musicals that showcased her dancing more than her acting, Grable became the highest-paid woman in America in the 1940s. Her cheerful persona and girl-next-door appeal provided much-needed escapism during wartime.

A savvy businesswoman, she negotiated profit percentages from her films decades before this became common practice among stars.