Top 10 Old Hollywood Stars You've Never Seen Old
#10: Greta Garbo
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There are actors, there are movie stars…and then there’s Greta Garbo. She’s widely (and rightfully) renowned today as one of Old Hollywood’s finest thespians, and perhaps it’s this esteemed reputation that influenced Garbo’s decision to retire from the profession at a young age. Garbo was famously fond of her privacy, and fought for a proper life away from the spotlight throughout her illustrious career. The actor wowed audiences throughout the 1930s, but bristled at the often-rigid Hollywood system, and entered retirement around the 40s. Today, Greta Garbo’s fierce independent streak serves as an inspiration for many other actors who want to do their own work, on their own terms.
#9: Theda Bara
The world of silent film can be a treasure trove of forgotten stars and hidden-gem performances. However, Theda Bara was something special, a unique actor who’s generational beauty stood out on the silver screen. Bara endures today as one of the silent film era’s most recognizable faces, and is often remembered for her seductive performances and mysterious personality. Here was a dyed-in-the-wool star that never even worked into the “talkie” era of moving pictures, yet we’re still discussing her work a century later. Theda Bara married the director Charles Brabin in 1921 and retired from acting soon after, but her cinematic impact will never be forgotten.
#8: Clara Bow
Speaking of silent film-era beauties, Clara Bow is another name that comes up again and again when referring to legitimate stars from this period in Hollywood history. The camera, quite frankly, loved looking at Clara Bow, and her visage became somewhat synonymous with old school, black-and-white Hollywood glamour. Bow, unlike Theda Bara, enjoyed a career that transitioned with the advent of sound in movie-making, garnering critical acclaim and rapturous fandom all over the world. Bow also yearned for stability and tradition in her personal life, and retired from acting in the early 1930s after marrying fellow thespian Rex Bell in 1931. But she’ll always go down as one of Hollywood’s ultimate It Girls.
#7: Natalie Wood
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The sad truth about many actors on this list is how tragedy interfered into what could’ve and probably should’ve been long and fruitful careers. Natalie Wood was an actor whose work on the silver screen just seemed to be getting better and better; she had a charming screen presence with grace and spirit to spare. Yet, Wood was only 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1981. The media still speculates today as to exactly what happened on the night of November 29th. What we do know is that Natalie Wood shined in films like “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” “Rebel Without a Cause”, and “West Side Story,” and that her legacy will forever remain linked with this impressive body of work.
#6: Peter Lawford
He’s probably best remembered today as a member of Frank Sinatra’s infamous “Rat Pack,” but this doesn’t define Peter Lawford’s brightly shining Hollywood star. Lawford rose to fame early with roles in films like the 1949 adaptation of “Little Women,” but it was his bad boy behavior that eventually made him even more famous. He appeared in the original “Ocean’s 11,” but was perhaps even more known for his familial association with The Kennedy Family. By the 1970s, Lawford’s acting would become more sporadic. He had a falling out with Frank Sinatra, married multiple times and tragically passed away in 1984 from cardiac arrest, and liver and kidney failure due to years of substance use disorder.
#5: Jayne Mansfield
The 1950s were a halcyon decade for larger-than-life bombshells who enjoyed international acclaim and admiration. Jayne Mansfield was certifiably one of the most dynamic and striking of these stars, an explosive personality whose charm and beauty practically leapt off the silver screen. She was the mother of future star Mariska Hargitay, and entered the record books as the first actress to perform a modern nude scene after the induction of the Hays Production Code with 1963’s “Promises! Promises!” Mansfield also fraternized with The Church of Satan, and by all accounts led an existence that was full of indulgent excesses and joie de vivre. However, this brightly-burning star was the tragic victim of a fatal automobile accident in the early morning of June 29th, 1967 and her life was sadly cut short at only 34 years old.
#4: Sharon Tate
It’s one of the most infamous Hollywood crimes of all time, the details of which have been poured over for decades. Ultimately, what truly matters isn’t Sharon Tate’s awful death, but the joy she brought to fans and family over the course of a life that was all-too short. With a marvelous knack for self-aware comedy that was put to great use in her final film, “The Wrecking Crew,” we’re not sure Tate ever truly got to showcase her progression as an actress. She knew her worth as a Hollywood beauty, yet seemed intent upon parlaying this reputation into parts that showcased more of her other talents. Sharon Tate was funny, warm and yes, beautiful, but her legacy on film was also full of grace.
#3: Jean Harlow
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Jean Harlow’s film career in Hollywood didn’t even last a decade, yet her legacy lives on today as a personality that’s forever linked with old school glamour. Harlow was a pre-code bombshell who wowed audiences with her beauty and charm, a screen siren that transcended moving pictures to become a brand that stood alone. Unfortunately, Harlow wouldn’t live to see her thirties – or even her late 20s. She passed away from what was said to be kidney failure while filming “Saratoga” in 1937. The shoot was controversial, as the doctor on set failed to properly diagnose Harlow. Her condition quickly deteriorated on that set and she ultimately passed after falling into a coma the previous night.
#2: Marilyn Monroe
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What can we say about Marilyn Monroe that hasn’t already been said? It’s impossible to know what would’ve and could’ve happened with Monroe’s career had this blonde bombshell not passed away so early on in her life. Conspiracies continue to swirl around the circumstances of her death, whether it was self-inflicted or who else, if anyone, was responsible. What’s ultimately most important is what the icon Marilyn Monroe means to so many people. Monroe just mattered, and she still matters so many decades later; not only to those who grew up with her movies, but also to those who continue to be inspired by her legacy today.
#1: James Dean
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James Dean will remain young forever, a cinematic legacy that will probably always be linked with one film: “Rebel Without a Cause.” There’s a good reason for this, too: it’s a generational performance from generational talent. Dean spoke to a disenfranchised and disaffected youth; he spoke truth to the power of parents who weren’t willing to listen, and he inspired many young people to question authority and the status quo. It may seem like hyperbole to infer this from a single performance, but the pathos and electricity of Dean was truly palpable in “Rebel Without a Cause.” A tragic car accident may have robbed the world of James Dean in 1955, but his spirit will never truly leave us.
Is there any actor you wish you could see do one more movie? Let us know in the comments!
