Which 1940's Actress Are You?

Where Hollywood glamour was concerned, one thing was undeniable - there never was a woman like Rita Hayworth. The ultimate Hollywood bombshell of the wartime 1940's, titian-haired Hayworth left a mark on the silver screen that would make her a movie icon for generations to follow. {credit: tcm}

Bette Davis, was called many things in her time- difficult, intimidating, brilliant, a pop-eyed wonder, impossible, magnificent, the world's best over-actress, the fifth Warner Brother, and the list goes on. But I think Olivia de Havilland, Bette's friend and frequent costar, summed her up best when she described Bette as "a benevolent volcano." Explosive, she could be, with sudden, unexpected eruptions, but Bette was an amazingly compassionate woman as well, capable of being a great friend to anyone who earned her confidence.

Joan Crawford probably enjoyed being a movie star more than anyone who ever earned that title. It was said of her that she wouldn't even think of putting out the garbage unless she was made up. She answered every fan letter by hand on her blue personalized stationery. Being a movie star was more than a job, it was her life. {credit: tcm}

Katharine Hepburn truly had a remarkable life. According to Kate, it was a life lived by her family's motto, "listen to the song of life." And listen she did.

"Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid."
-- Hedy Lamarr

Always glamorous and far from stupid, Hedy Lamarr is the only actress to date to turn stardom in an adult film into a major film career. Though rarely praised for her acting, she created an indelible allure that would make even the strongest Samson putty in her hands.
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Beautiful, red-haired Greer Garson served nobly as MGM's great lady of the 1940s, following in the footsteps of Norma Shearer and preceding Grace Kelly. Garson's image of stately matronhood played particularly well to wartime audiences, and she redeemed any sense of sanctimony with her lively Irish charm.

A highly popular actress known for her fresh, radiant beauty, Ingrid Bergman was a natural for virtuous roles but equally adept at playing notorious women. Either way, she had few peers when it came to expressing the subtleties of romantic tension. {credit: tcm}