50 Female Celebrities From The Past That Left The World In Awe

Today's actresses work in the shadows cast by the actresses that came before them in all genres, from romantic comedies to noir, costume dramas, and musicals. During Hollywood's Golden Age, between the 1920s and early 1960s, it was the American actresses whose very presence in major motion pictures challenged the status quo in the industry. Many of these iconic women earned countless awards and nominations, credits under Hollywood's many box office hits, and broke down barriers in a gender and racially-underrepresented industry. One thing that the women who graced the big screen in the '40s, '50s, and early '60s all shared was a level of glamor.

Olivia de Havilland had many successful roles early on in her career, such as playing Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind in 1939. Olivia also starred in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City, and They Died with Their Boots On. 

Maureen O'Hara was a red-headed Irish actress and singer known for playing fiercely passionate heroines. She starred in The Black Swan, How Green Was My Valley, Miracle on 34th Street, The Quiet Man, McLintock!, and The Parent Trap. 

Margaret O'Brien starred in her first film, Babes, on Broadway in 1941 at just four years old. However, when she was five years old, she received praise for her performance in Journey for Margaret. At the age of seven, she co-starred in You, John Jones, in which she played Adele. 

Debbie Reynolds was nineteen years old when she starred in Singin' in the Rain in 1952, and that was just the start of her career. She went on to star in The Unsinkable Molly Brown and The Singing Nun. 

Rhonda Fleming starred in more than forty films during the 1940s and 1950s and was one of the most glamorous actresses of her day. She was nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor" because of how well she photographed. Some of the films that she starred in include Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Spellbound. 

Joan Collins' feature debut was in Lady Godiva Rides Again as a beauty contestant. She then went on to star in The Woman's Angle, Judgment Deferred, and I Believe in You. Collins is also an author and columnist and has received many awards throughout her career. 

Shirley Jones has been in show business for sixty decades and has starred in musical films like Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man. She is probably best known for her role as Shirley Partridge in The Partridge Family.

Doris Day started her career in the 1940s as a big band singer until she was convinced to move to the silver screen. Before she started acting, she had two number-one hits, including "Sentimental Journey" and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time." 

Joanne Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s by playing complex women. She is also one of the first film stars to have an equal presence on television, and she has received many accolades. 

Audrey Hepburn was an icon of her time and starred in many films throughout her career. She starred in Sabrina, The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, and Charade. She was the first actress to win a Golden Globe, Academy Award, and BAFTA for a single performance. 

Marilyn Monroe is the quintessential sex symbol of her era and one of the most famous actresses of all time. She gained attention after her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. She went on to star in Don't Bother to Knock and Niagara, and her "dumb blonde" persona was used in several films. 

Bette Davis got her start on Broadway, but two decades later, she made it to Hollywood in the film All About Eve. Davis became the first person to earn ten Academy Award nominations. 

Joan Crawford found success in the 1920s and 1930s, but then she saw her popularity fade. However, she made a triumphant return in 1945 when she starred in Mildred Pierce. 

Katharine Hepburn was a permanent Hollywood presence for more than sixty years and appeared in both comedies and dramas. She starred in several films, including The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Woman of the Year, Morning Glory, The Lion in Winter, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and On Golden Pond. 

Diahann Carroll was an actress and singer in the 1950s and appeared as a supporting character in productions such as the character Carmen Jones in Porgy & Bess. 

Hattie McDaniel was an actress, singer, and comedian, and she is best known for being the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940. She won the Oscar for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind. 

Ava Gardner's career took off after she starred in The Killers in 1946, and she was considered to be one of the most beautiful women to have worked in cinema. 

Judy Garland was an all-around entertainer and was respected for her versatility across the board. She initially signed with MGM as a teenager and starred in more than twenty films. Her most famous role was as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. 

Dorothy Dandridge had an immense list of achievements throughout her career, and many of them came from her performance in the film Carmen Jones. She became the first African-American woman to be nominated for Best Actress. 

Vivien Leigh was often overlooked when it came to her acting abilities simply because of her beauty. She is most known for her roles in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. 

Mae West began her career in vaudeville but later moved to Hollywood, where she became an actress and comedian. She was known for her beautiful double entendres and was often wrapped up in controversy. 

Greta Garbo was a Hollywood icon from the silent age to the onset of sound in cinema. She made waves with her first performance in Flesh and the Devil, which launched the actress internationally. 

Shirley Temple was one of the most famous child actors and began her career at just three years old. She first found fame in the film Bright Eyes, which showcased her charm. She then starred in Curly Top and Heidi. 

Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress best known as the heroine of Michael Curtiz's classic Casablanca. She is also known as the star of Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, but it was her role in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that really started her career. 

Lauren Bacall was one of the last actresses from Hollywood's Golden Age before her death in 2014. She was a former model who appeared opposite Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not in 1944. She starred as femme fatales in other films such as Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, and Key Largo. 

Josephine Baker had a very successful career as a dancer and actress, but her career began in France. She was known for her 1930s finger waves and for setting the standard for beauty during that time. She was Europe's highest-paid performer and also worked for the French Resistance during World War II. 

Dolores del Rio is considered one of Hollywood's first Mexican film stars, and she made her film debut in the film Joanna. That performance earned her her first starring role in Resurrection. 

Lucille Ball was most known for her comedy role on the sitcom I Love Lucy. She initially rose to fame as a model and actress in the 1940s and co-starred with her husband, Desi Arnaz. She is a legend of Hollywood's Golden Age, and her show I Love Lucy is one of the best sitcoms in history. 

Ursula Andress was a Swiss-German actress and model who starred in American, British, and Italian films. She had her breakthrough as the Bond girl Honey Ryder in 1962. She also starred in films such as Fun in Acapulco, 4 for Texas, The Southern Star, Red Sun, Slave of the Cannibal God, and Clash of the Titans. 

Sharon Tate was a talented and beautiful actress, but she led a very troubled life. She mostly played small television roles and then some films and was often featured in fashion magazines as a model. She was referred to as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers. 

Barbara Eden was and still is a beloved personality in Hollywood. She is most known for starring as Jeannie in the popular sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. She played a two-thousand-year-old genie. 

Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress who is most known for playing Sylvia in the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. She was also a fashion model early in her career, competing in various modeling shows. 

Jaclyn Smith is an actress and a serious businesswoman who is most known for portraying Kelly Garrett in the Charlie's Angels TV show. In addition to her acting, she runs various brands of clothing and perfume and even launched a wig collection. 

Natalie Wood earned three Oscar nominations before she was even twenty-five years old. She was born to Russian immigrant parents and started appearing in films when she was only four years old. 

Julie Gibson began her acting career in 1935, and it lasted well into the 1990s. She was one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood in the 1940s. She was most acclaimed for her role in the popular comedy show The Three Stooges. 

Kim Novak began her career in 1954 and became one of Hollywood's top box office stars. She has appeared in hits including The Man with the Golden Arm, Picnic, Vertigo, Bell, Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet and Of Human Bondage. 

Hedy Lamarr was one of the world's most beloved Austrian-American actresses. She appeared in films such as Boom Town, Lady of the Tropics, and White Cargo. She appeared in the film Ecstasy when she was just eighteen years old. 

Grace Kelly started her career when she was twenty years old and became a massive star during the Golden Age of Hollywood in the early 1950s. Her role in the film Mogambo in 1953 launched her career with Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. 

Elizabeth Taylor began as an MGM child star and became one of the most prolific actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her first success was with her role in National Velvet in 1944 and starring roles in Father of the Bride, Giant, A Place in the Sun, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. 

Rita Hayworth was a dancer and actress, and she appeared on the cover of Life magazine five different times. She was a very popular pin-up. Her most well-known roles in films include Gilda, Cover Girl, The Lady from Shanghai, and Pal Joey. 

Loretta Young began acting at just three years old, appearing in the silent film Sweet Kitty Bellairs. She appeared in almost one hundred movies over a seven-decade career. She was known for her talent and immense beauty. 

Jane Russell starred in the 1943 film, The Outlaw, introducing the world to her sex symbol status. She later appeared in His Kind of Woman, The Paleface, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 

Mary Astor began her career in silent films in the early 1920s. Later, she transitioned to talkies, but it was rocked by a scandal. She was sued by her parents and branded adulterous by her ex-husband. 

Anne Baxter started her career with a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox and very quickly had a commendable list of credits. 

Irene Dunne was an actress and singer throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. She starred in Cimarron, The Awful Truth, Theodora Goes Wild, Love Affair, and I Remember Mama. She is also known for singing “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” in the 1935 musical Roberta. 

Marlene Dietrich was a German actress who began her career in Berlin in the 1920s. She began working mostly on stage and silent films. She gained international fame after her performance as Lola-Lola in Joseph von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel. 

Joan Fontaine signed a deal with RKO Pictures at the same time as she started a stage career. In addition, she appeared in more than forty-five films over five decades. 

Jean Harlow was known as a sex symbol during the 1930s. She starred in films such as Hell’s Angels, Dinner at Eight, Red Dust, and Reckless. She earned herself the nickname “Blond Bombshell.” 

Susan Hayward began her career as a New York fashion model, and in 1937, she secured a film contract in Hollywood. She started with some minor roles and then was recognized after the first of five Oscar nominations arrived for her performance as an alcoholic in Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman.