# Most Beautiful Actress of the 1930s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157 "2009-05-30T13:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/1 "2009-05-30T13:33:34Z")
About 15 years ago I read an obituary of an obscure movie actress who had recently died. I had never heard of her. The obituary said she was a minor star who mainly had small parts in B movies. But she was widely acknowledged to be the most beautiful actress in Hollywood. The obituary did not have a picture of her and I was unable to locate one. Today it occurred to me that with the internet I should be able to track down a picture. One problem: I don’t remember her name! When I Googled “Most Beautiful Actress” I got many sites on the subject, but none seemed to refer to this actress, they were filled with pictures of well-known actresses. Does anyone know who was likely the subject of the obituary I saw? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/2 "2009-05-30T14:04:41Z")
Some people claim that Hedy Lamarr was the most beautiful actress in Hollywood during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. She was also interesting in other ways: > **[Hedy Lamarr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr)** > > Hedy Lamarr (/ˈhɛdi/; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914\[a\] – January 19, 2000) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American actress. She was a film star during Hollywood's Golden Age. > After a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial Ecstasy (1933), she fled from her first husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris. Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie con... Others suggest Rita Hayworth, although she’s a little late to be thought of as a 1930’s actress: > **[Rita Hayworth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hayworth)** > > Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987) was an American actress. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II. > Hayworth is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir Gilda, opposite Glenn Ford, ... Another possibility is Lana Turner, although again she’s more of a 1940’s actress: > **[Lana Turner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lana_Turner)** > > Julia Jean "Lana" Turner (/ˈlɑːnə/ LAH-nə;\[a\] February 8, 1921 – June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. In the mid-1940s, she was one of the highest-paid American actresses and one of MGM's biggest stars, with her films earning more than $50 million (equivalent to approximately $852 million in 2023) for the studio during her 18-year contr... There’s also Greta Garbo: > **[Greta Garbo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Garbo)** > > Greta Garbo\[a\] (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson;\[b\] 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. > Garbo launched her career with a secondary role in the 1... ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/3 "2009-05-30T14:21:39Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Some people claim that Hedy Lamarr was the most beautiful actress in Hollywood during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. She was also interesting in other ways: > > [Hedy Lamarr - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr) > > Others suggest Rita Hayworth, although she’s a little late to be thought of as a 1930’s actress: > > [Rita Hayworth - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hayworth) > > Another possibility is Lana Turner, although again she’s more of a 1940’s actress: > > [Lana Turner - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lana_Turner) > > There’s also Greta Garbo: > > [Greta Garbo - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Garbo) Yes, they were all beautiful, Hedy Lamar being number one on my list of the most beautiful actresses of all time, but none of them were obscure. The more I think about it, the more I think the actress I’m thinking of could have had a last name beginning with an “H”, perhaps “Hamilton.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/4 "2009-05-30T14:24:18Z")
I’m sorry, but that’s contradictory. How could she be both obscure and widely acknowledged to be the most beautiful actress in Hollywood? I think the obituary you read was merely making up that claim. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/5 "2009-05-30T14:42:18Z")
Joan Bennett wasn’t obscure, but less well known today: [http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/\_iNLtcc6dW9Q/SXNg87uwDjI/AAAAAAAABvk/0VD9sQRJ67U/s320/Joan%2BBennett3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hollywoodheyday.blogspot.com/2009/01/march-12-1932.html&usg=\_\_UKyiTFif\_TwVR-3AhxJ\_g8IdedA=&h=320&w=250&sz=11&hl=en&start=77&um=1&tbnid=m4IAIxhrz1hNkM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djoan%2Bbennett%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF-8A](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iNLtcc6dW9Q/SXNg87uwDjI/AAAAAAAABvk/0VD9sQRJ67U/s320/Joan%2BBennett3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hollywoodheyday.blogspot.com/2009/01/march-12-1932.html&usg=__UKyiTFif_TwVR-3AhxJ_g8IdedA=&h=320&w=250&sz=11&hl=en&start=77&um=1&tbnid=m4IAIxhrz1hNkM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djoan%2Bbennett%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF-8A) And I always thought she was the most beautiful blonde in Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/6 "2009-05-30T14:49:27Z")
OH. Starts with an H? Check. Semi-obscure? Check. Died in 1981, a little farther back than you’re thinking. Ann Harding. [![](http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/images/MASTOSprofiles/0382%2012%20harding.jpg) ](http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/images/MASTOSprofiles/0382%2012%20harding.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/7 "2009-05-30T14:54:46Z")
[Louise Brooks](http://www.leninimports.com/louise_brooks_1925.jpg) was still making films in the 30s. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/8 "2009-05-30T15:05:25Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > OH. > > Starts with an H? Check. > Semi-obscure? Check. > Died in 1981, a little farther back than you’re thinking. > Ann Harding. > [http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/images/MASTOSprofiles/0382%2012%20harding.jpg](http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/images/MASTOSprofiles/0382%2012%20harding.jpg) I think this is who I was looking for. But, after looking at some of her pictures posted on the internet and even allowing for the changing styles in beauty, I can’t imagine why she was considered so beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/9 "2009-05-30T15:05:26Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I’m sorry, but that’s contradictory. How could she be both obscure and widely acknowledged to be the most beautiful actress in Hollywood? She could be obscure to moviegoers, but acknowledged by her peers. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/10 "2009-05-30T15:10:13Z")
Nevermind. Day late and dollar short. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/11 "2009-05-30T15:10:26Z")
Neither H nor Hamilton, but [Evelyn Venable](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0892867/bio) died 16 years ago, was “(l)ovely and ethereal in looks” and slid quite rapidly from a start in A movies to a career of B movies. She was the voice of, and model for, the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio. Some pictures: [http://www.safka-bareis.com/VENABLE\_EVELYN.jpg](http://www.safka-bareis.com/VENABLE_EVELYN.jpg) [http://i04.bdbphotos.com/2L/13/0000621213-60470L.jpg](http://i04.bdbphotos.com/2L/13/0000621213-60470L.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/12 "2009-05-30T15:12:39Z")
That’s stretching it. Yes, and she also could be obscure among American filmgoers but widely acknowledged to be beautiful among Bulgarian filmgoers. If you switch the group you’re measuring her fame over, you can make that work. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/13 "2009-05-30T16:06:25Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I’m sorry, but that’s contradictory. How could she be both obscure and widely acknowledged to be the most beautiful actress in Hollywood? I think the obituary you read was merely making up that claim. I’m going to dispute this. Yes, the actress was obscure to the OP. He also acknowledged that she was a minor star who played mostly in b-pictures. Nothing contradictory yet. There are a few of us around who pay attention to 30s movie stars other than the top handful, but we’re getting thin on the ground. Could a minor star be acknowledged as the most beautiful? Again, yes, because there’s nothing contradictory here. While stars were selected for their looks even more then than today, it’s a truism in every era of movies that Hollywood had legions of incredibly gorgeous starlets who try and fail. Some make a few movies and are never seen again, some settle into careers in b-movies, some go into modeling, some become waitresses or return home. And a few are just unlucky. Open any Hollywood history and you’ll find some mention of names who shoulda been stars but never made it to the top. Was Ann Harding ever considered the most beautiful? She wouldn’t be my choice. But the concept is sound. [Jeanne Crain](http://www.filmbuffonline.com/images/JeanneCrain1.jpg) is a minor star at best but she might have been the most beautiful 40’s actress. [Tuesday Weld](http://www.celebritynooz.com/images2/tuesday_weld_then.JPG) might qualify for the 50s. Heck, [Raquel Welch](http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Raquel-Welch-Photograph-C12106530.jpeg) was a minor star who appeared mostly in b-movies in the 60s and she is truly widely considered the most beautiful of her era. Without a beaut-o-meter to test them subjective judgments are all we have. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/14 "2009-05-30T16:26:20Z")
Marilyn Nash? Georgia Hale? They had memorable roles in Chaplin films and not much else. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/15 "2009-05-30T17:05:51Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Some people claim that Hedy Lamarr was the most beautiful actress in Hollywood… Hedley. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/16 "2009-05-30T17:55:45Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I think this is who I was looking for. But, after looking at some of her pictures posted on the internet and even allowing for the changing styles in beauty, I can’t imagine why she was considered so beautiful. Perhaps if you watched one of her movies. Some people are less attractive in still photos. I looked at her IMDB profile and can’t think of a particular movie to suggest for you, but I see that TCM is playing “The Unknown Man” on July 13 at 11 a.m. Unfortunately that is from 1951 so you will not see her at the height of her apparent appeal. But it might help. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/17 "2009-05-30T18:23:58Z")
JThunder, is it really necessary for you to post “Hedley” every time someone mentions Hedy Lamarr? ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/18 "2009-05-30T18:36:55Z")
[Was Ann Harding ever considered the most beautiful? She wouldn’t be my choice. But the concept is sound. JeanneCrain1.jpg"]Jeanne Crain is a minor star at best but she might have been the most beautiful 40’s actress. . [/QUOTE] I thought I was the only one who remembered Jeanne Crain. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/19 "2009-05-30T18:45:37Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > JThunder, is it really necessary for you to post “Hedley” every time someone mentions Hedy Lamarr? Is it really that offensive? Or worth complaining about? It’s not as though her name comes up on a frequent basis. If the board or moderators do rule that this is unacceptable or offensive behavior, then I’ll accede. I don’t understand why this gets you so upset, but if people do think that it violates board rules or decorum, then I won’t argue against that. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157/20 "2009-05-30T18:52:54Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Joan Bennett wasn’t obscure, but less well known today: > > [Google Image Result](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iNLtcc6dW9Q/SXNg87uwDjI/AAAAAAAABvk/0VD9sQRJ67U/s320/Joan%2BBennett3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hollywoodheyday.blogspot.com/2009/01/march-12-1932.html&usg=__UKyiTFif_TwVR-3AhxJ_g8IdedA=&h=320&w=250&sz=11&hl=en&start=77&um=1&tbnid=m4IAIxhrz1hNkM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djoan%2Bbennett%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D60%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF-8A) > > And I always thought she was the most beautiful blonde in Hollywood. Just from reading the thread title, this was going to be my answer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-actress-of-the-1930s/498157.md?page=2)