40's beauty: Veronica Lake

1941

This week no new blog-posts, because I need to work on my final papers for the 1-year 'Clinical instructor' course which I'm going to finish by the end of june.
Still, I have another portrait of a Hollywood starlet, the famous Veronica Lake.
Next week I'll be back with more sewing!


"Decorative Veronica Lake has the face of an impish angel, the mind of a scholar. To become a doctor she enrolled in Montreal's McGill University,but changed her ind when Paramount offered the drama 'I wanted wings'. Veronica Lake, five feet two inches tall, just seven stone in weight, has naturally silver hair, fair complexion, and a freckled nose. She skis, swims, rides, is an excellent cook - and was discovered by Myrna Lay's usband, the producer Arthur Hornblow. The US Air Force authorities were so intrigued with this Paramount 'Wings' photograph of Veronica Lake that they obtained permission to use it on their recruiting posters." (1941)

How did she look and sound on screen? Below two scenes from the 1941 movie 'Sullivan's travels', where she was 6-7 months pregnant. Look how her belly is (strategically) covered at all times!



"Paramount star, veronica Lake, is now wearing her famous 'sheep-dog' hair-do in neat rolls, but here reverts to the old style to offset her colorful peasant costume. At present the diminutive star - she is only 5 foot 2 inches- is recuperating after the death of her week old son. Before her illness, Veronica was one of the most successful stars in the War Bond tours, and was hostess at the Hollywood Canteen. She will next be seen in 'So proudly we hall' with Claudette Colbert and Paulette Goddard." (1943)

Veronica Lake is the ultimate 'blonde bombshell' of the 40's. Paramount producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr. He changed her name to Veronica Lake because the surname suited her blue eyes. The actress married and divorced 4 times. Lake's first marriage was to art director John S. Detlie, at the age of 18. The article above refers to the death of Veronica's second child Anthony, who was born prematurely a week after Lake tripped and fell over a cable while filming. Another unhappy beauty who begun to drink heavily by the end of WW2 and also suffered from mental illness. In 1948 she was fired by Paramount. She appeared on television in the 50's with little success and got diagnosed with mental illness in the 60's. She wrote an autobiography which was published in 1970. She died in 1973 at the age of 50.



Veronica Lake was famous for her trademark 'peek-a-boo hairstyle' (above). She was one of the models for the animated character of Jessica Rabbit in the 1988 film 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. Below a few wartime pictures where se is seen with traditional victory rolls:




"Veronica Lake, known as Hollywood's 'blonde bombshell', is only five feet two inches tall, and just manages to tip the scales at seven stoe. Veronica recently divorced her husband, Major John Detlic, but retains custody of their small daughter, Gale. Surprisingly for a glamour girl, this star is one of the most ardent victory gardeners in the film colony: is also a regular camp tourer. Her latest film is Paramount's 'The hour before dawn', based on Sommerset Meughan's espionage novel, with Franchot Tone." (1944)

40's beauty: Gene Tierney

1940

"Product of a Connecticut academy and a Swiss finishing school, Gene is yet a typical young American modern."


1941



"Gene Tierney, sultry glamor-girl from 20th Century Fox studio, becomes the sweetly demure heroine of the technicolor comedy, 'Heaven Can Wait'. Before the birth of her daughter, Gene was one of the most popular camp tourers, but now devotes most of her time to the baby. Husband, Count Cassini, is in the U.S.  Army." (1941)



"Gorgeously-gouned young sophisticate Gene Tierney owes her personal glamor wardrobe to her husband, Count Oleg Cassini (pictured above with Gene). A professional dress designer, Cassini creates all her gowns. Gene is kept busy these days. She is working in United Artists' Shanghai Gesture, is touring the U/S. Army camps and looks after her eight-roomed house in Beverly Hils. Her period room, also designed by Cassini, provides an attractive foil for Gene's dinner frock." (1942)


(1943)

Below the beautiful, young Gene Tierney sporting the best 40's hairstyles:

In the 50's Gene suffered from memory-loss and depression. She consulted a psychiatrist and was given shock treatments.
She had reportedly started smoking after a screening of her first movie in order to lower her voice because she felt, she sound like an "angry Minnie Mouse". She became a heavy smoker and diead of lung-emphysema at the age of 66.

did you know...
...that Gene Tierney had a short romance with the young J.F. Kennedy?

Laura is an American 'film noir' movie from 1944, with Gene Tierney as the leading actress. The screenplay is based on the 1943 novel of the same title by Vera Caspary. In 1999, Laura was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The American Film Institute ranked the film #73 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, the score #7 in AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores, and it was ranked the fourth best film in the mystery genre in AFI's 10 Top 10. The AWW often published an overview of the storyline with pictures, like this one below:

1950:

40's beauty: Carole Landis

"Having recently returned from an entertainment tour in North Africa, pretty Fox star, Carole Landis is now anxious to visit troops in Australia. Despite the many hardships and dangers encountered on the tour, Carol says she likes to think that she is part of the American Army, and at present is at her Santa Monica home waiting the call to take her off again for foreign service. During her tour in England, Carole met and married Captain Thomas Wallace, of the U.S. Army Air Corps." (1943)

Yet another tragic Hollywood story. Carole Landis died too young, in tragic circumstances. After a being involved in a (more or less public) love affair with the married actor Rex Harrison she committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills at the age of 29.



1940 article:

1942:

"Carole Landis, 25-year old blonde beauty from Fox Studios, devotes most of her time to entertainment tours and bond-selling tours in America and the services, and confesses that she gets a tremendous thrill from these. Her latest film is 'Four Jills in a Jeep' with Mitzi Mayfair, Martha Raye, and Kay Francis. The story relates the adventures of the four girls on a recent tour of North Africa. On Sundays Carol assists her mother in distributing coffee and doughnuts to the soldiers in beach patrol." (1944)

40's hollywood starlet: linda darnell

"Although she is only 20, lovely Linda Darnell is one of the most popular glamour girls at Fox Studios. A few months ago Linda eloped with Fox cameraman Sergeant Pewell Marley, and since her marriage has been one of the most tireless war workers in the film colony. This  young star is a qualified nurses' side, hostess at the Hollywood Canteen, and with her friend, Ann Miller runs a special day-nurseryfor the children of mothers engaged in war work. Latest film is "Buffalo Bill" with Joel McCree." (october 1943)

Linda Darnell was another Hollywood beauty. She was very young when she arrived in Hollywood from Texas. She made her debut at the age of 16 in her first movie, was married and divorced 3 times. Hollywood could make you or break you, and although the newspapers picture her as a healthy, non-dinking, non-smoking actress, she turned to alcohol during most of her acting career. Her life ended tragically at the age of 41, she died in a fire.

A scene from the movie 'Fallen Angel' from 1945 - listen to that voice!



All images: AWW through Trove

"Linda Darnell, who just turned 21, has been playing sophisticated adult roles since she was 15. At 19, Linda married cameraman Pewerell Marley, who is over twenty years her senior. Tis glamorous young star doesn't drink or smoke, and dislikes night-clubs. You will see her soon in Fox's film biography of famous band-leader Benny Goodman, 'Sweet and Low down'." (january 1945)

40's starlet: the beautiful lauren bacall

Who do you think is the most beautiful 40's Hollywood starlet? My favorite is Lauren Bacall. She has a beautiful face and the most fabulous eyebrows ever!

"Lauren Bacall, glamorous 20-year old newcomer, made a sensational screen debut with Humphrey bogart in 'To have, and have not'. Bogart wants to marry her as soon as his divorce from Mago Methot is final. In 1943 Mrs. Howard Hawkins, wife of producer-director, saw Laren's photo in a magazine, and persuaded her husband to give her a screen test. Under contract to Warners', Lauren has just finished her second film, 'The big sleep', and is scheduled for the lead in 'The Fountainhead'." (march 1945)

A scene from her first movie with Humphrey Bogart. The story was based on a novel of Ernest Hemingway. The 20 years old Bacall and 45 years old Bogart met and fell in love on the set. She was is fourth wife, but also the last one. Their dream-marriage ended 13 years later, in 1957 when he died of cancer at the age of 57.

did you know that...
... the famous, mysterious 'look' of Bacall we see in many pictures (when she tilted her head and looked upwards, like below) was caused by her nervousness? Lauren Bacall was so nervous on set, that she had trembling head. "I found that by holding my head at a certain angle, and looking up I could hold it still, so I could either look to the side or look up, but I held my chin down. And that's how that became the look" she said.

"Lauren Bacall, most publicised feminine star of 1945, and wife of Humphrey Bogart, started her career as a model for Harper's Bazaar. Known to all her friends by her real name of Betty, she confesses she is not the fussy type in cloths, and prefers plainly cut frocks and slacksuits. She never wears a hat, and all her jewellery is gold. Since her marriage she has become adept at sailing her husband's yachts and skiffs. Her newest film is Warners' 'Confidential agent' with Charles Bogert." (february 1946)

A documentary about her life and career she built on her own, after her Hollywood years and the death of Bogart:

Source newspaper images: AWW through Trove