Can You Identify These Classic Hollywood Actresses?

Bambi Turner

Singer Kim Carnes made this actress famous 50 years after her heyday with a 1981 hit pop song about the star's gorgeous eyes.

Bette Davis batted those famous eyes on Broadway before becoming a Hollywood star in the '30s. She won the Best Actress Oscar twice in 1935 and 1938, but it was her work as waitress Mildred Rogers in the 1934 film "Of Human Bondage" that was her breakout role.

Known for her red hair and dancing skills, this actress danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Remember her name?

Rita Hayworth's trademark red hair made her the perfect choice to star opposite James Cagney in "The Strawberry Blonde" in 1941. She paired with Fred Astaire for two flicks in the '40s and danced with Gene Kelly in "Cover Girl." Later, she became known for film-noir work, like her role in the 1946 film "Gilda."

Who is this actress, who is remembered today for her long-term partnership with fellow actor and dancer Fred Astaire?

Ginger Rogers was already a Broadway star before heading for Hollywood. She paired up with Fred Astaire in ten films and won an Oscar for her role as a retail clerk in the 1940 film "Kitty Foyle." Two decades later, she was back on Broadway starring in "Hello Dolly!"

She starred opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and was one of the top pinup girls of the '40s. Can you name her?

Jane Russell got her big break in Hollywood with the 1943 film "The Outlaw." The studio had trouble with the censors when releasing the film, however, because of Russell's voluptuous figure and low-cut tops. In addition to posing for countless pinup pics, she later starred opposite Bob Hope as Calamity Jane in "The Paleface."

Which Swedish actress, shown in this image, made her talkie debut in the 1930 film "Anna Christie?"

Greta Garbo was a huge star in the silent era, and her 1930 talkie debut in "Anna Christie" was marketed with the tagline "Garbo Talks!" She earned an Oscar nomination playing a courtesan in the 1936 film "Camille," then retired at the age of 35, settling into life as a serious art collector.

This sister of actress Olivia de Havilland starred opposite Laurence Olivier in the 1940 Gothic film "Rebecca."

Joan Fontaine played the second Mrs. de Winter in the 1940 version of "Rebecca." She won an Oscar for her role in the 1941 flick "Suspicion," then paired up with Orson Welles to make "Jane Eyre" in 1943.

Her status as a Hollywood legend was somewhat tainted when her daughter released the book "Mommie Dearest" after her death. Can you remember her name?

Joan Crawford transformed from a Broadway dancer into one of Hollywood's leading ladies in the '40s. She won the Oscar for Best Actress thanks to her role in "Mildred Pierce" and had another huge hit with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" After her death, her daughter published a much-disputed account of her relationship with her mom that left the star's legacy a bit dimmed.

Who is this former child star? She became one of the most famous actresses of all time thanks to her starring role in "Cleopatra."

Elizabeth Taylor was a child star in the '40s before transitioning to adult roles by the '50s. She won an Oscar in 1960 for "BUtterfield 8" and again in 1966 for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Her most famous role just might be her turn as the Queen of Egypt in the 1963 film "Cleopatra."

What British actress was swept off her feet by Rhett Butler in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind?"

It's hard to believe that a classic British actress was able to transform into Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, but Vivien Leigh did it so well that she picked up the Best Actress Oscar for her work. She is also famous for playing Blanche DuBois in the 1951 production of "A Streetcar Named Desire."

After great success as a silent film star in the '20s, this actresses made the move to talkies, reaching her peak with "Sunset Boulevard" in 1950.

Gloria Swanson was one of the most famous actresses of the silent era, known for her extravagant wardrobe and glamorous style as much as she was for her work on screen. She is best remembered today as the reclusive Norma Desmond in the 1950 classic "Sunset Boulevard."

Even though she wasn't even old enough to drive, this actress was the top box-office draw in the mid-'30s. Can you name her?

Shirley Temple made her movie debut at the ripe old age of three. Two years later, she sang "On the Good Ship Lollipop" in "Bright Eyes," before moving on to films like "The Little Princess" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." Later in life, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and the Czech Republic.

Which actress raised eyebrows when she donned a top hat and tux—and kissed a woman—in the 1930 flick "Morocco?"

Marlene Dietrich was a silent-era star known for her bold personality and style. She played cabaret singer Lola Lola in "The Blue Angel" in 1929 before stepping into one of her most famous roles the next year, wearing a men's tuxedo and top hat in the 1930 movie "Morocco."

She was a big band singer in the '30s before making the move to Hollywood, where fans loved her all-American look. Think you know her name?

Bubbly blonde singer Doris Day had a smooth transition to film in the '50s, starring in "Calamity Jane" in 1953 and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in 1955. She had her biggest commercial success with romantic comedies from the late '50s through the end of the '60s.

After a breakout role in "The Arizona Kid," this talented actress died in a plane crash at age 33, leaving husband Clark Gable devastated.

Carole Lombard had her biggest hit with "My Man Godfrey" in 1936 and was even nominated for an Oscar for her role as a wealthy woman who hires a man to act as her butler. Her career came to a tragic end when she died in a plane crash in 1942 after spending an evening in Nevada selling war bonds.

Not only beautiful but also brilliant, this Golden Age actress was a '40s screen siren and a successful inventor. Do you know her name?

Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr had several movie hits in the '30s and '40s but is best known for her role in "Samson and Delilah" in 1949. Somehow, she still made time to invent a radio-guidance system during WWII. The tech was later developed into something we know today as Bluetooth.

Can you name this actress who earned 12 Best Oscar nominations and won the prize a record four times?

Katharine Hepburn won four Best Actress Oscars, for "Morning Glory," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Lion in Winter" and "On Golden Pond." She co-starred in the 1941 film "The Philadelphia Story" with Spencer Tracy, which led to a 26-year love affair between the stars.

Before she became a real-life princess, this actress made it big starring in a pair of Hitchcock flicks. Think you can identify her?

Grace Kelly starred in Hitchcock classics like "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief," then received an Oscar nomination for the 1953 flick "Mogambo." She retired at age 26 to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Who is this blonde bombshell? She sold out theaters in the '30s before dying of kidney failure at the age of 26.

Jean Harlow was one of the biggest stars of the '30s, starring in "Hell's Angels" in 1930 as well as a series of films with Clark Gable. Tragically, her career ended in 1937 when she died of kidney failure at age 26.

Though she found her roles limited due to her race, this actress remains one of the brightest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. Do you know her name?

Dorothy Dandridge had her first starring roll in the 1953 film "Bright Road" as a teacher trying to help a troubled student. She became the first African-American actress to receive an Oscar nomination for her work in the 1954 film "Carmen Jones."

Which actress shown here counts Mickey Rooney as her first husband and Frank Sinatra—who left wife Nancy for her—as her third?

Ava Gardner appeared in films from the '40s through the '70s. She picked up an Oscar nomination for her role in "Mogambo," then starred in a series of disaster flicks before moving to TV in the '80s.

Which '30s Hollywood starlet said, "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them?"

Betty Grable was so well-known for her gorgeous legs that a studio once took out a one-million-dollar insurance policy on them. Her biggest onscreen successes came in 1947 with "Mother Wore Tights" and 1953 with "How to Marry a Millionaire."

She starred in four movies opposite Jimmy Stewart, including "The Shop Around the Corner." Think you know her name?

Margaret Sullavan was a theater star before moving to Hollywood in the '30s. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in "Three Comrades" in 1938 and made four movies with James Stewart before dying of an overdose in 1960.

Do you believe that the best way to beat the blues is by chowing down on a croissant at Tiffany's? If so, you can probably guess the name of this iconic actress.

Audrey Hepburn was a ballet dancer before turning her attention to film. She won an Oscar for Best Actress as Princess Ann in "Roman Holiday," then starred in the delightful flick "Sabrina" the next year. Her biggest hit came in 1961 with her role as the whimsical Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Before she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for "The Thorn Birds," this screen legend picked up four Oscar nominations in the '30s and '40s.

Barbara Stanwyck starred in more than 80 films over her long career. She earned Oscar nominations for "Stella Dallas" in 1937, "Ball of Fire' in 1941, "Double Indemnity" in 1944 and "Sorry, Wrong Number" in 1948.

She'll always have Paris—thanks to her iconic role as Ilsa Lund opposite Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 classic "Casablanca."

Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman won two Oscars for roles in the 1944 film "Gaslight" and the 1956 flick "Anastasia," but to classic-movie fans, she'll always be Ilsa—a woman torn between two men in French-ruled Morocco.

Which actress once used the stage name Diane Belmont and was known for her TV show that paired her with real-life hubby Desi Arnaz?

Lucille Ball spent the '30s and '40s working as a model and B-movie actress, often using the stage name Diane Belmont. By 1951, she had her own TV show, "I Love Lucy," which co-starred husband and band leader Desi Arnaz.

What Brazilian Bombshell made fruit hats fashionable thanks to roles in films like "The Gang's All Here?"

Carmen Miranda was a huge star in her native Brazil before moving to Hollywood in the '30s. She got her big break in 1939 with "Down Argentine Way," then donned a fruit hat for "The Gang's All Here" in 1943, one of more than a dozen films she starred in during the '40s and early '50s.

Her plays were so scandalous they landed her in the slammer, but do you remember the name of this Old Hollywood actress?

Mae West served 10 days for moral corruption after penning a 1926 Broadway play called "Sex." She was 40 years old in 1932 when she began her film career, but that didn't stop her from acting in dozens of films.

After her 1944 debut in "To Have and Have Not," she went on to marry co-star Humphrey Bogart and make four more films with him.

With her deep voice and signature "look," Lauren Bacall became one of the biggest stars of the '40s. In addition to four films with husband Humphrey Bogart, she co-starred with Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe in "How to Marry a Millionaire."

Which actresses' peek-a-boo hairstyle helped make her a style icon in the '40s?

Veronica Lake peeked out from behind strands of her signature blonde hair to win fan's hearts in films like "Sullivan's Travels" and "The Hour Before the Dawn." Her career ended abruptly thanks to troubles with alcohol and a reputation that she had become difficult to work with.

So much more than just a sex symbol, this actress starred in a series of '50s films before dying in 1962 of a drug overdose.

Marilyn Monroe packed a lot into her short life. She not only married and divorced three times but also starred in some big box office flicks, including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "The Seven Year Itch."

After a breakout role in "Singin' in the Rain," this actress went on to give birth to a daughter named Carrie Fisher.

Debbie Reynolds became a huge star thanks to "Singin' in the Rain" and was later nominated for an Oscar for playing the title role in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She was married three times. Her first marriage was to singer Eddie Fisher, shown here in 1955. Her daughter Carrie Fisher went on to act as well; she was in a little film called "Star Wars."

Born in 1916 and famous for her role in "Gone with the Wind," this actress is the only one in this quiz who is still living at the time of publication.

Olivia de Havilland played the graceful Melanie Wilkes in "Gone with the Wind," then picked up a pair of Oscars for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress." She made more than 50 films in her career and was still going strong at age 102 when this quiz was published in 2019.

Which actress transformed a Broadway career in the '20s into a position as a top Hollywood actress in the '30s and '40s?

After dominating the Broadway stage in the 1920s, Claudette Colbert made the move to Hollywood. She played a socialite who falls for a reporter in the 1934 flick "It Happened One Night," then took on roles in "Cleopatra" and "The Palm Beach Story."

She took us over the rainbow in "The Wizard of Oz," but do you remember the name of this tragic star?

Judy Garland was just a teenager when she starred as Dorothy in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." After an Oscar nomination for "A Star is Born" and a Grammy win in 1961, she died of an overdose in 1969.

Which teen star of the Andy Hardy movies went on to become a top Hollywood actress, appearing in the 1941 film "Ziegfeld Girl?"

Femme fatale Lana Turner starred opposite Mickey Rooney in the Andy Hardy flicks before moving on to more adult roles. She famously traded kisses for war bonds during WWII, co-starred with Clark Gable in four films and had her breakout role opposite James Stewart in the 1941 movie "Ziegfeld Girl."

Nicknamed the Queen of Technicolor, this fiery redhead actress had a long-standing working relationship with director John Ford.

With her bright red hair, Maureen O'Hara stood out on screen in five John Ford films. She played the lead in the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street" and starred opposite John Wayne in "The Quiet Man" in 1952. She is seen here in RKO's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1939.

Though she died in a car crash at age 34, the actress in this image had plenty of time to become a star thanks to a series of '50s films.

Jayne Mansfield landed her first starring role in "The Girl Can't Help It" in 1956, but it was her role in "The Wayward Bus" the next year that earned her a Golden Globe. She tragically died in a car accident in 1967 at age 34. Popular TV actress Mariska Hargitay is one of Mansfield's five children.

You've probably seen the iconic scene where this actress rolls on the beach with Burt Lancaster in "From Here to Eternity," but do you know her name?

Deborah Kerr had one of her most memorable onscreen moments on that Hawaii beach in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity." She is also remembered for "The King and I" and "An Affair to Remember." Despite six nominations for Best Actress, Kerr never won an Oscar.

Despite struggling to find leading roles because of her race, this actress is remembered for her magnificent singing voice.

Lena Horne struggled in Hollywood because of her race, but she won a Tony Award for her role in "Jamaica" in 1958. She is also remembered for singing the title song in the 1943 production of "Stormy Weather," as well as for extensive TV work in the '60s and '70s.

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Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

The period between the development of "talkies"—movies with sound at the start of the 1930s—and and when televisions became common in the home in the late '50s is known as Hollywood's Golden Age. Fans flocked to theaters to get their entertainment fix, studios churned out some of the greatest movies of all time and actors and actresses glittered onscreen and off, thanks to studio-controlled images and a whole lot less paparazzi than what today's stars deal with.

Even as technology improves, special effects and CGI create new movie magic and generations of eager young actresses get their chances for movie stardom, the films produced during the Golden Age live on. Not only because of their engaging storylines and for the glimpse they offer into simpler times, but for the magnetism of their stars. Because what would "The Wizard of Oz" be without Judy Garland, or "Gone with the Wind" without Vivien Leigh as the stubborn Scarlett?

Though names of these legendary actresses live on, there are many today who might have never seen them light up the screen. Think you can still put a face to the name of some of the most famous actresses from Hollywood's Golden Age? Take our quiz to prove it!

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