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See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Grace Kelly
- Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, is still one of the most famously beautiful women of the 20th century. The actress- turned-princess graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1949 and within a few years she had been nominated for her first Oscar.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Vivien Leigh
- British actress Vivien Leigh is best known for her role as Scarlet O'Hara in the classic movie 'Gone with the Wind' (1939), for which she received the Oscar for Best Actress in 1940. This was the same year that she married the renowned actor Sir Laurence Olivier, making them the ultimate power couple.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Marilyn Monroe
- Marilyn Monroe got her start as an actress and model in the mid-1940s. In 1946, she was signed by 20th Century-Fox, dropping the name Norma Jean and becoming the icon who will never be forgotten.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Ava Gardner
- Ava Gardner first rose to fame thanks to her role in the 1946 movie 'The Killers.' She was an instant star, and her incredible beauty made her a regular on magazine covers over the following decades.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Lauren Bacall
- Lauren Bacall was one of the most iconic actresses of the 1940s. Many actresses still try to replicate her style today, and in 2014 the makeup brand Bobbi Brown released a line called 'Scotch on the Rocks,' inspired by Bacall.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Doris Day
- Doris Day started out as a big band singer in the 1940s, until she got her first big film role in 1948. She starred in the movie 'Romance on the High Seas,' and soon became America's sweetheart.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Rita Hayworth
- The auburn-haired Rita Hayworth was a breathtaking beauty. The media called her "The Love Goddess," because she captured the hearts of all who set eyes on her. She's the second star on this list to marry a prince. She married Prince Aly Khan in 1949, but it's said that Orson Welles was the great love of her life.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Katharine Hepburn
- Katharine Hepburn was the daughter of a suffragist who raised her to believe she was capable of great things, and she was! Hepburn's career started with her first movie in 1931, and carried on until her last in 1994.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Ingrid Bergman
- Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman wrote her name in history forever with her starring role in 'Casablanca' (1942). Her beauty and talent made her one of the most influential actresses of all time.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Lana Turner
- Lana Turner started out as a popular pinup girl during World War II before finding success as an actress. Turner was also popular in the tabloids for her personal life. She married eight times in 20 years, twice to the same man!
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Judy Garland
- Judy Garland is best known for her timeless performance as Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939). Her unique beauty and captivating eyes made a strong impression on audiences throughout her short life.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Greta Garbo
- Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo and her signature eyebrows rose to fame during the silent movie era, and she transitioned seamlessly into the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her acting style was subtle, and she usually portrayed tragic figures.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Olivia de Havilland
- Olivia de Havilland began her acting career in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). She won two Oscars in her lifetime and became the oldest-living Oscar winner in history! She lived to the age of 104 and only passed away in 2020.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Joan Fontaine
- De Havilland's younger sister, Joan Fontaine, was another iconic beauty of the 1940s. She also had a lengthy career that spanned five decades, and she also won an Oscar!
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Gene Tierney
- Gene Tierney was perhaps the best example of the ideal beauty in the 1940s. However, the adored leading lady had a difficult life behind the scenes, struggling with bipolar disorder and seeing both of her daughters die before her.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Gina Lollobrigida
- Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida was one of the most high-profile European stars of the Hollywood Golden Era, and an international beauty symbol!
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Dorothy Lamour
- With a name like Dorothy Lamour, could she be anything other than a Hollywood favorite? Lamour was also a brilliant comedic actress. She stole hearts and made audiences laugh every time.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Ginger Rogers
- Ginger Rogers was an Oscar-winning triple threat, incredibly skilled at acting, singing, and dancing. She appeared in 10 successful movies with Fred Astaire.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Betty Grable
- Betty Grable was an iconic pinup girl during World War II, and her figure was painted onto the noses of many US fighter jets! In 1943, she became the biggest box-office draw in the world, and in 1947 she was the highest-paid entertainer in the US.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Barbara Stanwyck
- Barbara Stanwyck was an actress, model, and dancer who became a star of stage, film, and TV. She started working in 1922, and carried on a successful career for 60 years.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Hedy Lamarr
- Hedy Lamarr was one of the best known and most glamorous women of the 1940s, but she was more than an actress with an exceptionally pretty face. Lamarr was also a renowned inventor, creating the first effervescent tablets. She also made advances in radio technology that can be traced directly to WiFi as we know it today.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Cyd Charisse
- Cyd Charisse was an American actress and an incredibly skilled dancer. She danced in countless movies alongside the likes of Fred Astaire. Her success was even more exceptional considering she overcame polio as a child.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Donna Reed
- The Oscar-winning actress was an absolute bombshell, even after she became America's favorite housewife on 'The Donna Reed Show'! Her exceptional career spanned four decades, launched with her role in the 1946 classic 'It's a Wonderful Life.'
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Maureen O'Hara
- Maureen O'Hara was a natural, fiery redhead born in Ireland, who got her big break in an Alfred Hitchcock movie in 1939. After that she moved to Hollywood, and her stardom continued for decades. She played many leading roles, however she once commented: "I didn't get a crack at more dramatic roles because I photographed so beautifully.”
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Dorothy Dandridge
- Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American actress to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress. She was nominated for her role in the 1954 movie 'Carmen Jones.' It was rare to find an iconic starlet who wasn't white, but Dandridge forged a successful career by refusing roles that were degrading to people of color.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Veronica Lake
- Veronica Lake's signature look came into being when her hair fell over her face during the filming of 'I Wanted Wings' in 1940. From that time onwards, Lake always wore her wavy hair hanging over her right eye, creating a mysterious and sultry look. And fun fact: she was also a skilled pilot!
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Ann Blyth
- Ann Blyth was one of the biggest starlets of the 1940s. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the movie 'Mildred Pierce' in 1945. She is also one of the last surviving icons of the Hollywood Golden Age.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Lucille Ball
- Lucille Ball was known as a wacky comedic actress for her leading role in the hit show 'I Love Lucy.' But she was an exceptional beauty as well as being one of the most iconic female entertainers of all time.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Joan Bennett
- Joan Bennett started out her career as a blonde, but when she died her hair brown for a role in 1938, it completely changed how she was perceived. She became an alluring femme fatale, and the rest is history. Sources: (The Vintage News) (Glamour Daze) (Ranker)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Grace Kelly
- Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, is still one of the most famously beautiful women of the 20th century. The actress- turned-princess graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1949 and within a few years she had been nominated for her first Oscar.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Vivien Leigh
- British actress Vivien Leigh is best known for her role as Scarlet O'Hara in the classic movie 'Gone with the Wind' (1939), for which she received the Oscar for Best Actress in 1940. This was the same year that she married the renowned actor Sir Laurence Olivier, making them the ultimate power couple.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Marilyn Monroe
- Marilyn Monroe got her start as an actress and model in the mid-1940s. In 1946, she was signed by 20th Century-Fox, dropping the name Norma Jean and becoming the icon who will never be forgotten.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Ava Gardner
- Ava Gardner first rose to fame thanks to her role in the 1946 movie 'The Killers.' She was an instant star, and her incredible beauty made her a regular on magazine covers over the following decades.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Lauren Bacall
- Lauren Bacall was one of the most iconic actresses of the 1940s. Many actresses still try to replicate her style today, and in 2014 the makeup brand Bobbi Brown released a line called 'Scotch on the Rocks,' inspired by Bacall.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Doris Day
- Doris Day started out as a big band singer in the 1940s, until she got her first big film role in 1948. She starred in the movie 'Romance on the High Seas,' and soon became America's sweetheart.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Rita Hayworth
- The auburn-haired Rita Hayworth was a breathtaking beauty. The media called her "The Love Goddess," because she captured the hearts of all who set eyes on her. She's the second star on this list to marry a prince. She married Prince Aly Khan in 1949, but it's said that Orson Welles was the great love of her life.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Katharine Hepburn
- Katharine Hepburn was the daughter of a suffragist who raised her to believe she was capable of great things, and she was! Hepburn's career started with her first movie in 1931, and carried on until her last in 1994.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Ingrid Bergman
- Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman wrote her name in history forever with her starring role in 'Casablanca' (1942). Her beauty and talent made her one of the most influential actresses of all time.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Lana Turner
- Lana Turner started out as a popular pinup girl during World War II before finding success as an actress. Turner was also popular in the tabloids for her personal life. She married eight times in 20 years, twice to the same man!
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Judy Garland
- Judy Garland is best known for her timeless performance as Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939). Her unique beauty and captivating eyes made a strong impression on audiences throughout her short life.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Greta Garbo
- Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo and her signature eyebrows rose to fame during the silent movie era, and she transitioned seamlessly into the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her acting style was subtle, and she usually portrayed tragic figures.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Olivia de Havilland
- Olivia de Havilland began her acting career in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). She won two Oscars in her lifetime and became the oldest-living Oscar winner in history! She lived to the age of 104 and only passed away in 2020.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Joan Fontaine
- De Havilland's younger sister, Joan Fontaine, was another iconic beauty of the 1940s. She also had a lengthy career that spanned five decades, and she also won an Oscar!
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Gene Tierney
- Gene Tierney was perhaps the best example of the ideal beauty in the 1940s. However, the adored leading lady had a difficult life behind the scenes, struggling with bipolar disorder and seeing both of her daughters die before her.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Gina Lollobrigida
- Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida was one of the most high-profile European stars of the Hollywood Golden Era, and an international beauty symbol!
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Dorothy Lamour
- With a name like Dorothy Lamour, could she be anything other than a Hollywood favorite? Lamour was also a brilliant comedic actress. She stole hearts and made audiences laugh every time.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Ginger Rogers
- Ginger Rogers was an Oscar-winning triple threat, incredibly skilled at acting, singing, and dancing. She appeared in 10 successful movies with Fred Astaire.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Betty Grable
- Betty Grable was an iconic pinup girl during World War II, and her figure was painted onto the noses of many US fighter jets! In 1943, she became the biggest box-office draw in the world, and in 1947 she was the highest-paid entertainer in the US.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Barbara Stanwyck
- Barbara Stanwyck was an actress, model, and dancer who became a star of stage, film, and TV. She started working in 1922, and carried on a successful career for 60 years.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Hedy Lamarr
- Hedy Lamarr was one of the best known and most glamorous women of the 1940s, but she was more than an actress with an exceptionally pretty face. Lamarr was also a renowned inventor, creating the first effervescent tablets. She also made advances in radio technology that can be traced directly to WiFi as we know it today.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Cyd Charisse
- Cyd Charisse was an American actress and an incredibly skilled dancer. She danced in countless movies alongside the likes of Fred Astaire. Her success was even more exceptional considering she overcame polio as a child.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Donna Reed
- The Oscar-winning actress was an absolute bombshell, even after she became America's favorite housewife on 'The Donna Reed Show'! Her exceptional career spanned four decades, launched with her role in the 1946 classic 'It's a Wonderful Life.'
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Maureen O'Hara
- Maureen O'Hara was a natural, fiery redhead born in Ireland, who got her big break in an Alfred Hitchcock movie in 1939. After that she moved to Hollywood, and her stardom continued for decades. She played many leading roles, however she once commented: "I didn't get a crack at more dramatic roles because I photographed so beautifully.”
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Dorothy Dandridge
- Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American actress to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress. She was nominated for her role in the 1954 movie 'Carmen Jones.' It was rare to find an iconic starlet who wasn't white, but Dandridge forged a successful career by refusing roles that were degrading to people of color.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Veronica Lake
- Veronica Lake's signature look came into being when her hair fell over her face during the filming of 'I Wanted Wings' in 1940. From that time onwards, Lake always wore her wavy hair hanging over her right eye, creating a mysterious and sultry look. And fun fact: she was also a skilled pilot!
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Ann Blyth
- Ann Blyth was one of the biggest starlets of the 1940s. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the movie 'Mildred Pierce' in 1945. She is also one of the last surviving icons of the Hollywood Golden Age.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Lucille Ball
- Lucille Ball was known as a wacky comedic actress for her leading role in the hit show 'I Love Lucy.' But she was an exceptional beauty as well as being one of the most iconic female entertainers of all time.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Joan Bennett
- Joan Bennett started out her career as a blonde, but when she died her hair brown for a role in 1938, it completely changed how she was perceived. She became an alluring femme fatale, and the rest is history. Sources: (The Vintage News) (Glamour Daze) (Ranker)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
Who were the most beautiful women of the 1940s?
Discover which timeless beauties were idolized during the heyday of Hollywood
© Getty Images
The 1940s were an interesting period in history. They were part of the Golden Age of Hollywood, but also saw World War II ravage countries all over the world. But despite the tensions between certain nations at the time, the world of cinema was a lot more international than you might expect. Although the color barrier hadn't really been broken yet, some of the best-known starlets in Hollywood were Swedish, Italian, and Irish,. Each blonde bombshell, brunette beauty, and ravishing redhead had their own unique charm that captured the hearts of audiences everywhere.
Click through this gallery to see which 1940s beauties were the most desired icons of the decade.
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