"Anna May Wong represents not only a Chinese American woman trying to make it in film. She represents an entire generation." After becoming Hollywood's first Asian American movie star, Anna May Wong left the film industry twice due to the rampant racism she experienced. Though she made a big splash as the lead actress in "The Toll of the Sea," Wong found herself more frequently cast as supporting characters. Furthermore, her roles often ended up being caricatures of what white audiences thought Asian characters should be like, or exotified personas that emphasized her "untamed" beauty. In some cases, Wong even found herself being passed over for roles of Chinese characters that were given to white actresses instead. While she found greater success and more creative freedom in Europe, she eventually returned to the United States, where she would make a name for herself as a fierce advocate for Asian American rights.

Angela Lansbury With Her Children

Actress Angela Lansbury with her children.

Lansbury was a legendary British-born American actress with an 80-year career across film, stage, and television. Renowned for her versatility, she earned Oscar nominations, five competitive Tony Awards, and global fame as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote. She was also a Dame Commander, celebrated for her iconic performances.

Anita Ekberg

Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress and model who rose to international fame, particularly for her iconic role in Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita. Her seductive frolic in Rome's Trevi Fountain became one of cinema's most celebrated and enduring images, cementing her status as a global sex symbol.

Prior to her breakout role, Ekberg was a beauty queen, winning Miss Sweden and subsequently venturing to Hollywood. Though her early film roles were often minor, her stunning beauty and curvy figure garnered significant attention. She later worked predominantly in Italy, where she became a permanent resident.

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner, a Golden Age Hollywood star famous for her roles in films like The Killers and Mogambo. Her personal life, including marriages to Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra, often garnered as much attention as her film career.

Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress revered for her powerful, versatile performances across film, stage, and television. Known for portraying strong-willed women, she excelled in dramas like Stella Dallas and noir classics such as Double Indemnity.

Despite never winning a competitive Oscar, she received an Honorary Oscar and multiple Emmys, cementing her legacy as a Hollywood icon.

Bette Davis

Bette Davis, an American actress known for her intense, often unsympathetic, characters and her distinctive eyes.

A two-time Academy Award winner for the movies Dangerous and Jezebel, she was a force to be reckoned with during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot is a French former actress who became a global sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. Known for her stunning looks and provocative roles, particularly in And God Created Woman, she embodied a new era of female liberation.

After retiring from cinema, Bardot became a devoted and outspoken animal rights activist. However, she also became infamous for inciting racial hatred.

Carole Lombard And Clark Gable

Carole Lombard, a comedy actress known for her elegant yet eccentric roles, and Clark Gable enjoying some watermelon.

Claudia Cardinale Dancing Barefoot

Actress Claudia Cardinale dancing barefoot in Rome, Italy. Circa 1959.

Diahann Carroll

American actress and singer Diahann Carroll, the first Black woman to star in her own non-stereotypical TV series, Julia. Carroll also won a Tony Award for her performance in No Strings and garnered an Oscar nomination for Claudine.

Elaine Stritch Harold Prince And Jane Russell

Elaine Stritch, a Broadway actress known for playing brash characters, enjoying drinks with Harold Prince and Jane Russell.

Elizabeth Taylor

English-born American actress Elizabeth Taylor was known for her emotional and intense performances. A two-time Oscar winner for Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, she was one of the rare child stars who made a seamless transition into more mature roles.

Gene Tierney

Stage and film actress Gene Tierney, best known for her roles in noir classics like Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance in Leave Her to Heaven.

Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers, the actress, dancer, and singer known for her iconic partnership with Fred Astaire in multiple musical comedy films, including Top Hat and Swing Time. Rogers also won an Academy Award for her role in Kitty Foyle.

Ingrid Bergman

Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, a three-time Academy Award winner known for classic films like Casablanca and Gaslight. She faced some scandal in the 1950s due to an affair with director Roberto Rossellini, but managed to make a triumphant comeback.

Jean Harlow's Seductive Pose

Jean Harlow striking a seductive pose.

Lauren Bacall

First discovered as a model, Lauren Bacall made her film debut opposite Humphrey Bogart in the movie To Have and Have Not, making her an instant Hollywood star. She later found great success on Broadway, earning two Tony Awards.

Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball, the legendary actress, comedian, and studio executive. After years as a contract player in Hollywood, she achieved unprecedented stardom as Lucy Ricardo in the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy. She later became the first woman to preside over a Hollywood studio.

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich, a German American actress and singer known for her roles in The Blue Angel and Shanghai Express. During World War II, she bravely renounced Nazism and entertained Allied troops.

Marta Toren

Swedish actress Märta Torén, best known for appearing opposite Humphrey Bogart in Sirocco. Her promising career was tragically cut short at age 31 when she died from a brain hemorrhage.

Mary Astor

Mary Astor, the film and stage actress best known for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon, and her role as Sandra Kovak in The Great Lie.

Myrna Loy On A Train

Actress Myrna Loy, known for her role as Nora Charles in The Thin Man.

Natalie Wood And Robert Wagner

Natalie Wood with her husband Robert Wagner. Their rocky relationship came to a sudden, tragic end after her mysterious death by drowning at the age of 43.

Wagner was later named as a "person of interest" in the case, but he has reportedly refused to talk to investigators.

Olivia De Havilland At A Naval Air Station

Two-time Academy Award-winning actress Olivia de Havilland visiting the Naval Air Station in Kodiak, Alaska.

Known for her roles in Gone with the Wind and The Heiress, de Havilland also famously sued Warner Bros. and won a landmark case that granted actors more freedom from restrictive studio contracts.

Rita Moreno

Puerto Rican actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno, the first Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award for her iconic role as Anita in West Side Story. She is also one of the rare EGOT winners.