24 Famous Actresses Of The 1940s, Ranked By Film Buffs
Vote for the most timeless starlets from the 1940s.
- Photo:
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio (work for hire)
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Katharine Hepburn was one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses for over 60 years, and she did a ton of great movies in the 1940s, including The Philadelphia Story and The Sea of Grass. She appeared in nine films with her longtime love Spencer Tracy.
- Credits (Film): Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, On Golden Pond
- Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
- Age: Dec. at 96 (1907-2003)
One of the greats?- Photo:
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- MGM / Clarence Bull
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Hedy Lamarr started her career in Germany before signing with MGM. Known as "the world's most beautiful woman," Lamarr appeared in such 1940s classics as Samson and Delilah and The Strange Woman.- Credits (Film): Samson and Delilah, Boom Town, Algiers, Come Live with Me, My Favorite Spy
- Birthplace: Vienna, Austria-Hungary
- Age: Dec. at 85 (1914-2000)
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Gene Tierney made her debut in 1940 in the feature film, The Return of Frank James, and quickly became one of the era's greatest actresses. In addition to being sensationally talented on-screen, Tierney was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in movie history” by studio head Darryl Zanuck.
In 1945, Tierney was nominated for an Oscar for the film noir Leave Her To Heaven. Still considered one of Tierney's best films, The Criterion Collection's Megan Abbott compared the starlet's eyes to Medusa, stating that "they dominate the screen, shifting between seafoam cool and oceanic intensity.” However, her beauty is but a fraction of her Hollywood appeal. With over thirty films with many considered to be classics, Gene Tierney's captivating presence spans lifetimes.
- Credits (Film): Laura, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Night and the City, Leave Her to Heaven, The Razor's Edge
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Age: Dec. at 70 (1920-1991)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- László Josef Willinger
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Ingrid Bergman starred in one of the most popular films of the 1940s and beyond, when she appeared alongside Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca in 1942. Later, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's movies Notorious and Spellbound.
- Credits (Film): Casablanca, Notorious, Cinema Paradiso, Murder on the Orient Express, Spellbound
- Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
- Age: Dec. at 67 (1915-1982)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- Photo:
- Columbia Pictures, photograph by Ned Scott
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Rita Hayworth was one of the 1940s biggest stars. She appeared in Gilda in 1946 and Cover Girl in 1944. She was later immortalized in the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.- Credits (Film): The Shawshank Redemption, Gilda, The Lady from Shanghai, The Strawberry Blonde, The Wrath of God
- Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York
- Age: Dec. at 68 (1918-1987)
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Ava Gardner stole hearts in the 1946 film The Killers, which propelled her into super-stardom. She was under contract with MGM from 1941-1958.- Credits (Film): Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, The Sentinel, The Killers, The Cassandra Crossing, The Night of the Iguana
- Birthplace: Brogden, North Carolina, USA
- Age: Dec. at 67 (1922-1990)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- Studio Publicity
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
After appearing in The Wizard of Oz in the late-1930s, Judy Garland went on to become one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses. In the 1940s, she appeared in such films as Meet Me in St. Louis and Easter Parade.- Credits (Film): The Wizard of Oz, P.S. I Love You, Judgment at Nuremberg, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Family Stone
- Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA
- Age: Dec. at 47 (1922-1969)
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Known for her distinctive voice and lovely locks, Lauren Bacall's 70-year acting career started in the 1940s. She rose to stardom for her roles in several memorable films such as The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and How To Marry A Millionaire. During the 1944 film To Have And Have Not, Bacall starred alongside Humphrey Bogart, whom she married one year later.
- Credits (Film): Misery, The Big Sleep, Murder on the Orient Express, The Shootist, To Have and Have Not
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Age: Dec. at 89 (1924-2014)
One of the greats?Despite being a star from the 1940s, Elizabeth Taylor's glamour and grace remains timeless. Her striking
- Credits (Film): Cleopatra, National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Flintstones, Giant
- Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England, UK
- Age: Dec. at 79 (1932-2011)
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Veronica Lake was a mysterious woman whose beauty and talent captivated moviegoers in the 1940s. Sullivan's Travels, This Gun for Hire, and The Blue Dahlia are just a few of her most memorable films.
- Credits (Film): Sullivan's Travels, The Blue Dahlia, I Married a Witch, This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key
- Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York
- Age: Dec. at 50 (1922-1973)
One of the greats?- Vivien Leigh starred in some of the most popular films of the 1940s, including Waterloo Bridge and Anna Karenina. She was married to the accomplished actor Laurence Olivier from 1940 - 1960.
- Credits (Film): Gone with the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ship of Fools, Waterloo Bridge, Fire Over England
- Birthplace: Darjeeling, West Bengal, British India
- Age: Dec. at 53 (1913-1967)
One of the greats? - Photo:
- Studio Publicity
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Barbara Stanwyck is remembered for her mystifying career spanning over six decades. An actress, model, and dancer, her talent illuminated both the big screen and live stage.
- Credits (Film): Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, Forty Guns, Titanic, Ball of Fire
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Age: Dec. at 82 (1907-1990)
One of the greats?- Photo:
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- Unknown publicity photographer
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Though she really came into her own in the 1950s and 1960s, Natalie Wood made her feature film debut as a child in the 1940s. Who could resist her sweet innocence as Susan Walker in the classic 1974 holiday film Miracle on 34th Street? Natalie Wood's Hollywood fame continued with classics like Rebel Without A Cause, West Side Story, and Splendor In The Grass.
Tragically, in 1981 the beloved actress died under mysterious circumstances during a boating trip to Catalina Island, California, which still garners media attention and speculation today.
- Credits (Film): West Side Story, The Searchers, Rebel Without a Cause, Miracle on 34th Street, Splendor in the Grass
- Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
- Age: Dec. at 43 (1938-1981)
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Greer Garson was by far one of the most popular actresses of the 1940s. During that decade she was nominated for an Oscar a record-setting five years in a row. She took home a statue for her performance in the 1942 film Mrs. Miniver.- Credits (Film): Mrs. Miniver, Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar, Goodbye, Mr. Chips
- Birthplace: London, England, UK
- Age: Dec. at 91 (1904-1996)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- MGM Studios
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Femme fatale Lana Turner was one of the great beauties of Hollywood's golden years. During the 1940s, she appeared in The Postman Always Rings Twice and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.- Credits (Film): Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Bad and the Beautiful, Imitation of Life, Johnny Eager
- Birthplace: Wallace, Idaho, USA
- Age: Dec. at 74 (1921-1995)
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- Dancer/actress Cyd Charisse started her career in the 1940s with roles in Fiesta and The Unfinished Dance. In 2006, she was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities.
- Credits (Film): Singin' in the Rain, Brigadoon, Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, The Band Wagon
- Birthplace: Amarillo, Texas, USA
- Age: Dec. at 86 (1922-2008)
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Ginger Rogers is best known for her partnership with Fred Astaire. This dancing duo appeared in 10 films together, including The Barkleys of Broadway in 1949.- Credits (Film): Top Hat, Swing Time, The Gay Divorcee, Stage Door, Monkey Business
- Birthplace: Independence, Missouri, USA
- Age: Dec. at 83 (1911-1995)
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- Gracenote
Claudette Colbert appeared in some of the most memorable films of the 1940s including Since You Went Away and The Palm Beach Story. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the 1944 film Since You Went Away.
- Credits (Film): It Happened One Night, The Palm Beach Story, It's a Wonderful World, Hitchcock, Since You Went Away
- Birthplace: Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France
- Age: Dec. at 92 (1903-1996)
One of the greats?- Photo:
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- Studio Publicity
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Long before she became America's favorite housewife on The Donna Reed Show, Donna Reed appeared in the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life in 1946. She went on to win an Oscar for her role in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity.
- Credits (Film): It's a Wonderful Life, From Here to Eternity, Cinema Paradiso, The Picture of Dorian Gray, They Were Expendable
- Birthplace: Denison, Iowa, USA
- Age: Dec. at 64 (1921-1986)
One of the greats?- Photo:
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- CBS Television
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Lucille Ball may be best known for playing the zany Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy, but she previously appeared in dozens of films. In 1945, she appeared in Ziegfeld Follies and Without Love.- Credits (Film): All the Right Moves, Top Hat, Stage Door, Room Service, Follow the Fleet
- Birthplace: Jamestown, New York, USA
- Age: Dec. at 77 (1911-1989)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- Photo:
- Frank Powolny
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Betty Grable worked primarily with 20th Century-Fox on her most memorable films. In the 1940s, she had roles in such classics as I Wake Up Screaming and The Dolly Sisters.- Credits (Film): The Gay Divorcee, Cavalcade, How to Marry a Millionaire, Follow the Fleet, Tin Pan Alley
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Age: Dec. at 56 (1916-1973)
One of the greats?- Photo:
- Photo:
- Pictr73
- flickr
- CC-BY-NC 2.0
Joan Blondell has over 100 credits to her name, many in the 1940s. She played Aunt Sissy in the classic coming-of-age tale A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in 1945.- Credits (Film): Grease, The Public Enemy, The Cincinnati Kid, Support Your Local Gunfighter, The Champ
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Age: Dec. at 73 (1906-1979)
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- Jane Eyre
- Twentieth Century Fox
Margaret O'Brien was a child actress in the 1940s, but that didn't make her any less of a star. She appeared in such classic films as Meet Me in St. Louis, Little Women, and Jane Eyre.
- Credits (Film): Meet Me in St. Louis, Jane Eyre, That's Entertainment!, Little Women, Heller in Pink Tights
- Birthplace: San Diego, California, USA
- Age: 88
One of the greats?- Photo:
- Photo:
- Warner Bros./Vitaphone
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public domain
Ruby Keeler was a popular singer and dancer when she decided to retire from the movie business. She played Betty Blake in the 1941 film Sweetheart of the Campus.- Credits (Film): 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, Go into Your Dance, Dames
- Birthplace: Dartmouth, Canada
- Age: Dec. at 82 (1910-1993)
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