Forgotten Faces of Hollywood's Golden Era

[DallasFanForever]

oh i know and i didn't say anything otherwise

No, you said nothing wrong. I wasn’t implying that at all. I actually laughed at what you said because many times I feel the same way. I just meant that’s what’s great about this thread. I feel like I’m always learning something every time I’m over here.

 

[darkshadows38]

one of my favorite actors that is more well known today is Danny Trejo a really ugly mofo and even he remarks about that but than he laughs when he says my son looks just like me. meaning he's cursed too lol. i First saw him in Desperado (1995) one of the greatest pictures ever made Period. and he's got a name for him since though it took until he was in his no joke in his 60's before he was able to do his 1st Leading role if you can believe that now just out his IMDB page as he has been acting in films since (1985)'s Runaway Train where he played a Thug in jail who gets his ass kicked by Eric Roberts though what makes that even funnier was he taught Eric Roberts how to fight behind the scenes and he in short taught him to kick his ass for the film.

he had been hired for teaching the Fighting than was asked since he was doing so well at it how about a role? and he said how much more money do i get? he was told a number and goes why not? i need the money and his career was born!

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Another actresses that rarely gets any significant baring in our discussions is Norma Shearer. She was a major star from the mid-1920s well into the late 1930s, juggling a decade-long-stint of mega popularity, starring in a host of commercially successful films, sometimes under the guidance of her husband, film producer Irving Thalberg.

She won the Academy Award for The Divorcee in 1930, and played in several other then-controversial films, such as A Free Soul (1930). Her on-screen persona gradually matured and got grander, as she would play in such films as The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) and Romeo & Juliet (1936). She lit up the screen with Clark Gable in Idiot's Delight (1939), and got involved in some off-screen fireworks with Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939).

Her career slowly declined when Irving Thalberg, the head production man at MGM, passed away in late 1936. Still, she was a major star, and she carried the unofficial title of the First Lady of MGM for close to a decade. It's unfair to her and her body of work that we don't mention her more than we do.

I got The Divorcee and A Free Soul last month.

 

[ClassyCo]

To me, that’s the beauty of this thread though. Quite often @Caproni or @Crimson will mention someone I’ve never heard of, or maybe I’ve heard of them but I really don’t know much about them. And that’s what I love about this thread. I feel like I always learn something.

You're absolutely right -- that's the purpose of this thread. I wanted to discuss the men and women of Hollywood's yesteryear that might not have a strong grip on modern-day audiences. Some of them might not even have a hold on self-proclaimed movie buffs.

It's sad that so many talents have been lost in the pages of history. While they may not necessarily warrant their own forums, I figured the least I could do would be to create a banner forum where each of them could have their own little time in the sun.​

oh i know and i didn't say anything otherwise

No offense was taken. Others have shared people that I personally have never heard of before. It's the luxury of a forum like this with so many different voices, tastes, and film exposure to come up with a varied list of men and women that have gotten lost in the shuffle of talent.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

Terry Moore is one of those Old Hollywood B-list actresses that show up in a lot of documentaries about the time period in which she was in her heyday. Often dismissed as a Monroe wannabe, Terry Moore actually had an impressive career that didn't center around a studio publicizing her as an alternative to quintessential Queen of the Movie Blondes.

She born to a Mormon family in California in 1929. She worked as a child model before making her feature film debut in MARYLAND (1940) at age eleven. At different times, she was billed as Judy Ford, Jan Ford, and January Ford before officially adopting the moniker Terry Moore in 1948. She worked rather consistently throughout the early-to-mid-'40s, and was the first actress featured in a bikini top in the movie THE DEVIL ON WHEELS (1947). Moore also found work on radio throughout the decade, most notably on THE SMITHS OF HOLLYWOOD as teenager Bumps Smith.

Moore's career received its biggest break in the late-'40s when she signed a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures. She starred in THE RETURN OF OCTOBER (1948), starring Glenn Ford, and was quickly loaned out to RKO where she received top billing in MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949), a popular B-movie fantasy. Her popularity with audiences began to rise, and she later supported Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster in the film version of COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA (1952). Moore appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1953 with the headline "Hollywood's sexy tomboy". Her career continued successfully throughout the remainder of the decade, usually playing leading and supporting roles in her films. One of her best-remembered performances was as Betty Anderson in the big screen adaptation of PEYTON PLACE (1957), starring Lana Turner. It was a global success and spawned a successful night-time television series in the mid-to-late-'60s.

Moore allegedly married eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes in 1949 by a ship captain. According to Moore, an angry Hughes destroyed all documentation of the marriage and the two officially separated in 1956. Although Moore's relationship with Hughes was quite publicized during the period, their marriage has often been disputed by historians.

Even so, Moore's career tapered off in the 1960s. She failed to find roles that sustained her popularity, although she worked more or less continuously over the next two decades in both film and television. Her final appearance (to date) was as the "Lady in Black" in the low-budget movie called SILENT LIFE (2019).

Terry Moore is still alive and is (as of this posting) 92 years old.​

 

[darkshadows38]

i'd need to look her up to see if i've seen her in anything

 

[ClassyCo]

i'd need to look her up to see if i've seen her in anything

Terry Moore?

You've probably seen her in movies without noticing it. She's in several movies but sometimes in smaller roles.

 

[darkshadows38]

well there are plenty of times that has happened so maybe i have i dunno?

 

[DallasFanForever]

Terry Moore certainly seems to have had an “under the radar” career. She’s definitely one of those actresses you know you know her from somewhere but quite often the name may escape you. I know her mainly from Peyton Place, where I thought she was perfectly cast and turned in a terrific performance. She was quite pretty as well!

 

[darkshadows38]

i did see one of her films Postmark for Danger (1955) a film Noire if i recall it was a good one too

 

[ClassyCo]

I was thinking about the husky-voiced Lauren Bacall last night when I was listening to the song "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins. I've enjoyed her in everything I've seen her in so far.

Lauren Bacall was born in The Bronx in 1924. Her family was middle class and after the age of five, she rarely (if ever) saw her father again. She started taking lessons at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1941. She did some modeling work which eventually led her to screen test for TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT in 1944. Bacall was so nervous during her screen tests that she pressed her chin against her chest to calm her nerves. She eventually won the female lead in the film opposite Humphrey Bogart. Bacall and Bogart later started a romance and they were married in 1945.

Warner Brothers launched an extensive publicity campaign to ensure TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT would be successful at the box office and to promote Bacall as their newest movie star. Bacall's next movie was CONFIDENTIAL AGENT (1945), co-starring Charles Boyer, after which she was paired with Bogart again in THE BIG SLEEP (1946), which solidified her status as an icon of film noir. Her other films with Bogart, DARK PASSAGE (1947) and KEY LARGO (1948), were also successes.

Bacall's career continued successfully into the 1950s, where she starred with Gary Cooper in BRIGHT LEAF (1950), and also fore-fronted YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950), a jazz musical co-starring Kirk Douglas and Doris Day. In the meantime, she and Bogart starred together in the radio series BOLD VENTURE. After a three-year absence from films, she returned to star in HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953), the first CinemaScope comedy. Although third billed below Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe, Bacall arguably plays the lead as Schatze Page, the unofficial leader of a trio of gold-digging models trying to land rich husbands. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1953. She starred in WOMAN'S WORLD (1954), a MILLIONAIRE imitator that failed to match the earlier film's success. Bacall's hits from the late-'50s include WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) and DESIGNING WOMAN (1957).

Bacall's film career began to slow in the 1960s. She eventually ventured to the stage where she appeared in productions of CACTUS FLOWER (1965), APPLAUSE (1970), and WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1981). She played John Wayne's leading lady in the actor's final film, THE SHOOTIST (1976).

Lauren Bacall continued to work practically up until her death in 2014. She was 89 years old.

 

[ClassyCo]

How about Carol Channing? She was a big stage star, but forgotten in shuffle now.

 

[ClassyCo]

Josephine Baker was the first black star by any measure. Because of her race, she fled to Europe, and became a big stage star and dancer overseas in the 1920s. She was famous for her topless banana dance. Her popularity led her to making a handful of films, which found success only in Europe. Although she was weary to return to America, she was lured back in 1935 to star in the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES on Broadway. She was given equal billing with Fanny Brice. Critical reviews for Baker's performance were brutal, and within weeks, she was replaced with Gypsy Rose Lee. She returned to America infrequently thereafter.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

She was famous for her topless banana dance.

I don’t think I’ve seen any of her films but that’s sure about to change after reading this!!

 

[darkshadows38]

Josephine Baker i don't think she's forgotten they did a movie in the 90's and that's where i first learned about her so no i don't think she's forgotten i don't think Carol Channing is one that's been forgotten either

 

[ClassyCo]

Marie McDonald was one of many a Hollywood actress who was well-known for her good looks. During her career, she was publicized as "The Body Beautiful" or simply "The Body" because of her fit and attractive physique.

Born in Kentucky in 1923, her mother had performed in the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway. After her parents were divorced, she eventually moved with her mother and stepfather to Yonkers, New York. At the age of 15, she started participating in beauty pageants. She won such titles as "Miss Coney Island" and "Miss Yonkers" during this time. McDonald was crowned "Miss New York State" in 1939, which led to her Broadway debut in GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS OF 1939 that same year. When she was 17, she got a job as a showgirl in EARL CARROLL'S VANITIES at the Earl Carroll Theatre on Broadway.

It wasn't long before McDonald packed up for Hollywood, where she hoped to initiate a show business career. She continued to model and act in small theatrical productions as she awaited the movie roles she coveted. After auditioning for Tommy Dorsey in 1940, she joined Dorsey & His Orchestra on their radio show. She also appeared successfully with other big bands of the time period. It was Dorsey that suggested "Marie Frye" (her maiden name) become "Marie McDonald", a name that stuck. In 1942, she was given a standard contract with Universal Pictures, where she earned $75-a-week. She was immediately assigned small roles in a string of films, most notably PARDON MY SARONG (1942), starring Abbott and Costello, which earned her the nickname "The Body".

After her Universal option was dropped, McDonald moved over to Paramount Pictures, where she earned $100-a-week. She was given a sizable role in LUCKY JORDAN (1942), where she played Alan Ladd's secretary. Paramount lent her to Republic Pictures to make A SCREAM IN THE DARK (1943), a B-movie film noir that gave her the female lead opposite Robert Lowery. During World War II, McDonald became a popular pin-up girl for the servicemen overseas. She posed frequently for YANK, a military-aimed magazine, on numerous different occasions. While she did not necessarily mind being labeled "The Body", McDonald, like many other actresses of the time, tired of being known solely for her looks. She longed for greater movies roles where she could strengthen her acting skills.

The majority of her films at Paramount placed in her secondary roles. In GUEST IN THE HOUSE (1944), she supported Anne Baxter, this time receiving good notices for her performance. Producer Edward Small gave McDonald the leading role in GETTING GERTIE'S GARTER, a silly 1945 screwball comedy. It was only a mild box office success. She moved to MGM in 1947, where she was given a top role in LIVING IN A BIG WAY (1947), co-starring Gene Kelly. McDonald and Kelly feuded during production and the film was ultimately a critical and box office dud. This led to McDonald buying out the remainder of her MGM contract and instead moving over to Columbia Pictures. It was there she appeared in the Rosalind Russell comedy TELL IT TO THE JUDGE (1949).

In 1950, McDonald appeared in ONCE A THIEF and HIT PARADE OF 1951, two lackluster films that would be her final silver screen appearances for the next eight years. For the majority of the 1950s, she focused on her stage and singing career. She signed up with RCA Victor in 1957, and thereafter released the LP called THE BODY SINGS. She toured internationally in a successful nightclub act for many years. She returned to the silver screen in 1958 when she appeared in THE GEISHA BOY, a Jerry Lewis comedy. Her last on-screen appearance was in PROMISES! PROMISES! (1963), which starred Jayne Mansfield.

Aside from her show business career, the most interesting aspect of McDonald's life was her 1957 kidnapping scandal. You can read about it in detail on Wikipedia, but basically McDonald faked her own kidnapping as a publicity stunt. She was inspired by the novel THE FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN, the story of a famous actress being kidnapped.

On October 21, 1965, McDonald's body was found slumped over her dressing table by her sixth husband Donald F. Taylor. Her death was ruled by the coroner as being caused by "active drug intoxication due to multiple drugs". Her death was eventually ruled accidental. She was 42 years old.

 

[ClassyCo]

One of my grandmother's favorite actresses was Esther Williams. For some reason, however, my grandmother had the mistaken belief that Esther was from Lake Erie, Pennsylvania (my grandmother's home town).

Esther was actually born in Inglewood, California in 1921. She was very enthusiastic about swimming during her youth, and she became a competitive swimmer. She took a job counting towels at a local pool to help pay entrance fees for swimming competitions, and she took lessons from the male lifeguards she met through her job. Sometime around 1940, she came into contact with showman Billy Rose, who put her in his Aquacade show. Williams so impressed Rose that he paired her with Olympic swimmer and TARZAN star Johnny Weissmuller. She had planned to train for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but it was canceled because of the outbreak of World War II.

It was Aquacade that Williams was brought to the attention of MGM. She impressed studio head L.B. Mayer with her good looks, and he signed her to a contract hoping she would be a swimming counterpart to Fox's skating star, Sonja Henie. Almost immediately she was sent overseas to visit soldiers in army hospitals, where she would recite the funniest jokes from Jack Benny and Bob Hope's radio broadcasts. Three weeks after she signed with MGM, director George Sidney directed Williams' first screen test. It was originally thought she would star with Clark Gable in SOMEWHERE I'LL FIND YOU, but after Lana Turner divorced Artie Shaw, she rejoined the film and Williams was left out in the cold.

She was finally given the star treatment in BATHING BEAUTY (1944), co-starring comedian Red Skelton. The film was popular and MGM had a new star. Williams starred with Van Johnson in THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945), and took over Myrna Loy's role in EASY TO WED, a 1946 remake of LIBELED LADY. She tackled a more serious role in THE HOODLUM SAINT (1946), a drama co-starring William Powell. FIESTA (1947) was a musical comedy where she played Ricardo Montalban's twin sister in a story about bullfighters. Williams thought the movie was silly, but it was a big hit with audiences. Equally popular was THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (1947), co-starring singer Johnnie Johnston.

Williams became well-known for starring in a string of so-called "aqua-musicals", movie musicals with elaborate water sequences. Williams' success continued into the 1950s, where her film DUCHESS OF IDAHO (1950) had her proclaimed the most popular female of the year at the American box office. One of her most successful films was MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1952), a biographical picture about the life of Annette Kellermann. The title of the film has since become synonymous with Williams and her star image. She also had a successful on-screen partnership with Howard Keel, who co-starred with her in three films, the most successful being JUPITER'S DARLING (1955). In the film DANGEROUS WHEN WET (1953), she co-starred with then-husband Fernando Lamas and animated stars Tom and Jerry.

Williams became disinterested with her film career in the mid-'50s. After refusing the lead role in THE OPPOSITE SEX (1956), she was threatened with suspension from MGM. Instead, Williams walked out on her contract after 15 years with the studio. Williams redecorated her room to accommodate returning star Grace Kelly, and moved to Universal Pictures, where she had signed a lucrative new contract. Her only two films for the studio were THE UNGUARDED MOMENT (1956) and RAW WIND IN EDEN (1958) were critical and financial disappointments. She appeared in just two more films -- THE BIG SHOW (1961) and MAGIC FOUNTAIN (1963) -- before she retired from the screen.

Esther Williams died on June 6, 2013, aged 91, from natural causes.

 

[DallasFanForever]

She was quite attractive. I think she reminds me a lot of Jane Russell. I see similar facial features.

 

[ClassyCo]

She was quite attractive. I think she reminds me a lot of Jane Russell. I see similar facial features.

I'm not quite sure I see any resemblance to Jane Russell. Maybe it's because Esther's hair was lighter.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I'm not quite sure I see any resemblance to Jane Russell. Maybe it's because Esther's hair was lighter.

I could be wrong. I see some kind of facial resemblance but maybe I’m off.