The 1940’s were filled with lovely ladies. It was time where sex symbols where in their prime, following the great depression that Hollywood had helped people to endure. (Read more about that in “Fashion Icons of the 1930’s: The Stars that Brought Beauty into Where There was Only Depression“) It also came before the innocence of the fifties filled the screens, so some still verged more on the side of risque, as well as a few new fresh faced gals. Here are my personal top 5, in no particular order.
1.) Betty Boop
Who can forget the cartoon icon that became so endearing to generations of women and men alike? She has not lost her power of the years, or her ability to make little girls and grown ladies swing their hips in imitation. Read more about her in the article “Betty Boop the Legend“
2.) Ingrid Bergman
Love her or hate her, this forties beauty showed it was not only okay for women to not think for themselves sometimes but look downright sexy and strong for admitting it too. You can read more about the movie she was so famous for and the scandals that followed in “The Birth of Tabloid Journalism: The Ingrid Bergman – Roberto Rossellini Scandal“
3.Katharine Hepburn
There is not another woman, for me and a lot of others, that showcases what old Hollywood starlets are all about. Her beauty and class and grace where truly one-of-a-kind and there are few women who can even come close to touching her. As she was a beauty icon in the 1940’s, so she was even in her last years, her glowing talent never faded. Read more about her in “Woman’s History Month – Katharine Hepburn: “The First Lady of Cinema“
4.) Vivien Leigh
That haughtiness, that eyebrow, the furrowed brow and pouty lips that first drew in men and women moviegoers alike. Coming right at the turn of the forties decade, she was one of the first female vixens that we loved to hate. No matter her later movies, I will never forget the feelings she invoked in the first classic movie I remember watching. (I practiced in front of a mirror until I could arch my eyebrow in the same way.) Read more about Gone With the Wind and her in the “Biography of Actress Vivien Leigh“
5.) Barbara Stanwyck
Probably the most risque of them all, this woman played the sex kitten in everything from comedies to dramas. She also proved to be quite a versatile actress throughout her long career, proving that not all women who start in sexy roles are doomed to be stuck in them always. Read more about her in “The Best Actress of the 1940s: Barbara Stanwyck“
I know that there are many more beauty icons of the 1940’s that deserve to be on this list. These are my personal top 5 because of how they stood out in the mainstream cinema of the day. For other gals, read “The Femme Fatale Actresses of the 1940’s“
Additional Information:
Want to capture some of the style of these screen sirens? Check out these three great articles to find out how:
Tips for Applying 1940’s Makeup
Fashion in the 1940’s
How to Capture the Glamour O 1940’s Fashion
