# Favorite 'Old' Hollywood publicity stills **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186 "2012-02-17T21:07:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/21 "2012-02-19T19:07:27Z")
[Garner, McQueen, Coburn and Sturges](http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/be025238.jpg?w=600&h=460) [The Magnificent Seven](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/-dc-/THEMAGNIFICENTSEVEN.jpg?t=1329678359) ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/22 "2012-02-19T19:56:29Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I used to stumbleupon a lot and there was a russian livejournal community that often showed up called everyday\_I\_show and it was full of collections of old photos from around the world. Sometimes it was focused on celebrities, though and there I found many photos I love like [this one](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4855611615_bb4f68cb7d_b.jpg) of Fred Astaire with his sister or [this one](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4856231358_878a427179_b.jpg) of Elizabeth Taylor or [this one](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4855613987_277a338248_b.jpg) of Bette Davis. > > My favorite is [this one](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5214241500_b5d77a88ec_b.jpg), though because I am incurably shallow. (I was accused of being entirely too young when I first saw it for not recognizing Paul Newman. I recognize him _now_, of course.) What a great picture of Elizabeth Taylor. I didn’t expect to see that. My printer did a great job. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/23 "2012-02-19T20:36:53Z")
Here’s a fave of mine,[Yvonne de Carlo](http://www.fanpix.net/picture-gallery/yvonne-de-carlo-picture-10430143.htm) in a promo still from Slave Girl. My caption: “Care for some post-coital bliss, Master?” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/24 "2012-02-19T21:01:34Z")
This portrait of Susan Hayward in _Where Love Has Gone_ is one of the loveliest ever taken of her: [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIG0KAIAmJ4/Ta278fnFRjI/AAAAAAAATrU/u7IgYCtWDf8/s1600/SusanBS.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIG0KAIAmJ4/Ta278fnFRjI/AAAAAAAATrU/u7IgYCtWDf8/s1600/SusanBS.jpg) And as a big ol’ Marilyn Queen, I love this shot from _Something’s Got to Give_: [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltctqhV3jp1qh0yodo1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltctqhV3jp1qh0yodo1_500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/25 "2012-02-20T02:26:33Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > That’s because you should have been searching for \*\*Veronica \*\*Lake. Well, it’s your fault. You should have told me last night! (Slinks away- what a brain fade). ---
**Author:** ![coolbyrne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@coolbyrne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coolbyrne)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/26 "2012-02-20T05:31:51Z")
I love this one of Cary Grant, because it’s so NOT what immediately comes to mind. [Cary in shadow](http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/post_images/3727/cary-grant-actor-1932.jpg?1300370451) And this one has always brought a smile to my face: [Cary and Kate](http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Cary-Grant-and-Kate-Hepburn.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/27 "2012-02-20T05:40:45Z")
[This pic](http://minaday.com/movies/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/bette_davis.jpg) of Bette Davis. I remember reading that, lacking photoshop, or for that matter, computers, one particular artist used to paint directly onto his negatives to get the effect he wanted. This one strikes me as a likely candidate. Sure, it’s Bette Davis, but it’s also kinda NOT Bette Davis. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/28 "2012-02-20T05:52:24Z")
For anybody interested, I just this week found a cool page on Facebook with lots of great pics. It’s called “Decaying Hollywood Mansions”. The name is a bit of a misnomer as it includes lots of pics of the stars both at their homes and apart from them. (Plus very few of the pics are of decaying mansions; given L.A. real estate prices I’d wager far more are either in excellent repair or long since demolished now than actually decaying, though I still think it was horrible they tore down Valentino’s house a few years ago.) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/29 "2012-02-20T05:53:00Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > [This pic](http://minaday.com/movies/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/bette_davis.jpg) of Bette Davis. I remember reading that, lacking photoshop, or for that matter, computers, one particular artist used to paint directly onto his negatives to get the effect he wanted. This one strikes me as a likely candidate. Sure, it’s Bette Davis, but it’s also kinda NOT Bette Davis. That looks a lot the way she looked in early pictures like Of Human Bondage. I love the old posed publicity stills that would appear in magazines in the 30’s (no, I’m not that old, my first boyfriend was a collector and taught me a lot). Here’s one of [Carole Lombard](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.meredy.com/carolelombard/carole08.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.meredy.com/carolelombard/&h=636&w=512&sz=37&tbnid=WldFIMZ-2fAB-M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=81&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcarole%2Blombard%2Bphotos%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=carole+lombard+photos&docid=a5YE7B8wqnvbMM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=P95BT8b6Iu3YiQKanInKAQ&ved=0CFYQ9QEwDA&dur=4310). Here’s one of my favorite’s of an young [Katharine Hepburn](http://photos.lucywho.com/katharine-hepburn-photo-gallery-c15667854.html). I don’t remember who likely took these photos, but he could really make a black and white camera sit up and beg. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/30 "2012-02-20T13:42:17Z")
Who was more beautiful than [Joan Bennett](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=joan+bennett&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1393&bih=684&tbm=isch&tbnid=iX6H7ntnWyov3M:&imgrefurl=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/joan-bennett/&docid=yH-aZMHKHkuMmM&imgurl=http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/hollywood/portraits/joan_bennett.jpg&w=280&h=350&ei=yUxCT-CrM-2B0QHhpeC4Bw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1076&vpy=158&dur=1851&hovh=251&hovw=201&tx=119&ty=143&sig=113230927000470549607&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=112&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=0CGcQrQMwBw)? I don’t know. Maybe it was [Anita Louise](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=anita+louise&um=1&hl=en&biw=1393&bih=684&tbm=isch&tbnid=x9UMUqta11y2gM:&imgrefurl=http://www.librarising.com/astrology/celebs/anitalouise.html&docid=Pw_6P1QNVzbHCM&imgurl=http://www.librarising.com/astrology/celebs/images2/A/anitalouise.jpg&w=394&h=480&ei=kk1CT736KKL10gG8hOnkBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=175&vpy=160&dur=2597&hovh=248&hovw=203&tx=133&ty=167&sig=113230927000470549607&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=117&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=0CEYQrQMwAA). ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/31 "2012-02-20T14:17:13Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Who was more beautiful than [Joan Bennett](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=joan+bennett&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1393&bih=684&tbm=isch&tbnid=iX6H7ntnWyov3M:&imgrefurl=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/joan-bennett/&docid=yH-aZMHKHkuMmM&imgurl=http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/hollywood/portraits/joan_bennett.jpg&w=280&h=350&ei=yUxCT-CrM-2B0QHhpeC4Bw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1076&vpy=158&dur=1851&hovh=251&hovw=201&tx=119&ty=143&sig=113230927000470549607&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=112&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=0CGcQrQMwBw)? “Let’s speak of Lamarr, that Hedy so fair. Is it true that Joan Bennett wears all her old hair?” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/32 "2012-02-20T14:18:22Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I still think it was horrible they tore down Valentino’s house a few years ago.) They tore down Falcon Lair?! I knew Pickfair and Jaynie’s Pink Palace were demolished, but I had hoped Falcon Lair still existed. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/33 "2012-02-21T01:40:34Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > They tore down Falcon Lair?! I knew Pickfair and Jaynie’s Pink Palace were demolished, but I had hoped Falcon Lair still existed. The main house was bulldozed as it would have cost more to restore than to build something new. (I found this surprising considering Doris Duke, not known for being stingy, owned the place until her death.) A guesthouse was gutted and greatly enlarged into the house currently on the property, but other than some of the original tile flooring and style it’s totally different and modernized. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/34 "2012-02-21T02:18:13Z")
[Naughty, naugty Jennie!](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LNKME2EuKpI/THUAw1isU2I/AAAAAAAAFGc/_jDSUSL1k-4/barbara-eden-nude-4.jpg) NSFW. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/35 "2012-02-21T02:32:56Z")
Here’s some I’ve found: [Clark Gable with Marilyn Monroe](http://peschel.tumblr.com/post/15564531679/photographer-eve-arnold-died-on-friday-among-her) (NSFW due to some mild cheekiness) [Jimmy Cagney about to be machinegunned.](http://peschel.tumblr.com/post/14683165489/director-william-wellman-in-the-center-of-the) Apparently they used real bullets back then. [Frank Sinatra and his bride, Mia Farrow.](http://peschel.tumblr.com/post/13163083588/in-hollywood-gone-wild-on-nov-22-1967-mia) Of which Ava Gardner cracked, “I always knew one day Frank would be caught with a boy.” And, to be fair to Bette Davis, [one of Joan Crawford from “Johnny Guitar”](http://peschel.tumblr.com/post/13061674045/in-hollywood-gone-wild-on-nov-20-1953-joan) that she probably wished came true. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/36 "2012-02-21T06:30:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [Naughty, naugty Jennie!](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LNKME2EuKpI/THUAw1isU2I/AAAAAAAAFGc/_jDSUSL1k-4/barbara-eden-nude-4.jpg) NSFW. Barbara Eden did nude?!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/37 "2012-02-21T16:32:11Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Barbara Eden did nude?!? :eek: I believe she did just the one nip slip photo, and I don’t know that it was intentional on her part. Like a lot of young hotties of her era, she did some semi-nude photos. Of course, there were the occasional fully nude shots of actresses prior to the Hayes Code. Here’s a young Joan Blondell fully nude. Note that her pubic hair is shaved … something you don’t generally see in vintage nudity. I am spoiler boxing the link because it is TOTALLY NSFW: [Joan Blondell nude](http://www.erosblog.com/2009/07/31/vintage-nudist/) ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/38 "2012-02-21T16:50:14Z")
A still I adore but have never been able to find is Clark Gable from GWTW, the scene where he makes his appearance at the bottom of the staircase at Twelve Oaks. \ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/39 "2012-02-21T17:22:14Z")
[Lauren Bacall](http://www.brianocallaghan.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/lauren_bacall11.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sandra\_Battye](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sandra_battye/32/552_2.png) [@Sandra\_Battye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandra_Battye)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186/40 "2012-02-21T17:43:03Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > A still I adore but have never been able to find is Clark Gable from GWTW, the scene where he makes his appearance at the bottom of the staircase at Twelve Oaks. \ [This one](http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&biw=1600&bih=799&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=WjQ35a8PYcSiGM:&imgrefurl=http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/03/22/gone-with-the-wind-tara-twelve-oaks-aunt-pittypats-house/&docid=PzyZMC75wCtJ3M&imgurl=http://hookedonhouses.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/12oaks-bottom-stairs-rhett.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=EtdDT9HSAsemiQLAteWOAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=374&vpy=150&dur=743&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=174&ty=122&sig=104665819498445538479&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=181&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=0CEoQrQMwAQ)? Or a few seconds later when he has his close-up? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-old-hollywood-publicity-stills/613186.md?page=3)