Bold Divas of 1930's and 1940's
The ultimate outspoken women who took advantage of a time in film when there was freedom, , ,
The 30's and 40's was a significant time period for women. They were realizing that they could have a career as well as a family. They could hold a position in a man's world and have a voice.
Film did not have as many restrictions at this time from rating codes and rules. The directors and actors had freedom to express their creativity and art without limiting boundaries. This later changed in the 1950's when women were expected to be housewives as the "Ozzie and Harriet" role models.
I will feature some of these female pioneers. . .
Ida was born in London. She was an actress, director and writer. She was born to a show business family. In 1933, her mother brought Ida with her to an audition and Ida got the part her mother wanted. "Her First Affair" (1932) was the beginning of her film career.
Ida, a bleached blond, came to Hollywood in 1934 and played small, insignificant parts before moving on to become one of the first recognized female directors in Hollywood. All of her films were cutting edge and dealt with women's issues. The most famous and controversial being "Outrage", a film that dealt with the subject of rape.
She was an actress in the following films: "Mr Adams and Eve" (1957-58) "High Sierra" (1941) "On Dangerous Ground " (1951) and "The Bigamist" (1953)
Vivien Leigh was a British stage and film actress. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" and Blanche DuBois in the film version of "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Rita Hayworth started her career when she did splendid dancing with Fred Astaire in the film "You'll Never Get Rich" (1942) She had a 60-film career! look up her biography its very interesting!
Known for "Gilda" (1946-47), "Lady From Shanghai" (1947), "Cover Girl" (1944), "Pal Joey"(1957)
Katherine Hepburn is the most "outspoken" woman I have ever watched on film. She dressed with high style and carried herself that way too. She was known for her spirited personality.
In the more recent film "The Aviator" by Martin Scorsese, Cate Blanchett portrays a shocking resemblance to Hepburn following through with acting to match!
For 26 years she partnered with Spencer Tracy in films and then had another acting era where she played a middle aged star in several famous films. She was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years!
Known for: "The African Queen" (1951), "On the Golden Pond" (1981), "Philadelphia Story" (1940) "Bringing Up Baby" (1938), "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967)
I first watched Lauren Bacall in the movies she made with Humphrey Bogart. What an interesting couple. There was true romance between them. Bogart left his wife and married her even though he was quite a bit older than her. The marriage lasted from 1945 until his death in 1957.
Films they did together: "To Have and Have Not" (1944), "The Big Sleep" (1946), "The Dark Passage" (1987), Key Largo" (1948)
Joan Crawford and Bette Davis
These two are known as the greatest dueling women in Hollywood history.
A new Fox TV Series called "Feud: Bette and Joan" was released March, 2017. This TV series is still in season 1. Susan Sarandon plays Bette Davis and Jessica Lang plays Joan Crawford. Other stars are Kathy Bates, Stanley Tucci, and Catherine Zeta Jones. Be sure and take time to watch these great actresses portray Bette and Joan!
These two actresses were both born under the sign of "Aries"; Bette Davis was born April 5 and Joan Crawford born March 23. From San Antonio, Texas, Joan Crawford started out as a dancer and spent two years on the East Coast as a dancer. Joan Crawford made over 83 films.
Bette Davis was also interested in dancing and danced until she discovered stage and gave up dancing early in her career. Davis was born in Massachusetts.
Some of her best known films are:
"All About Eve" (1950), "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" (1962), "Now Voyager" (1942), "Jezebel" (1938)
Joan Crawford is known for these films: "Mildred Pierce" (1945), "The Woman" (1939), "Possessed" (1947), "Sudden Fear" (1952), "Above Suspicion", "Flamingo Road" (1949), "Grand Hotel" (1932), "The Women" (1939), "Female on the Beach" (1955)
AFTER THIS TIME PERIOD OF FREEDOM AND BOLDNESS IN THE MOVIES, the 1950's brought quite the opposite for women. The 1950's was a time of "Ozzie and Harriet" role models. Women were expected to be housewives. Women were now type-cast in home-maker roles. Film was starting to be regulated and rated causing the movie makers to not be as free with their expression.
Thank you for letting me share with you. I apologize if I left out your favorite diva from this time period. There were several more really big stars that I did not have time to cover. Nelda
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Here are a few very good sites to research:
AMC http://www.filmsite.orgIMDB http://imdb.com
YouTube http://www.youtube.com
Also Roger Ebert, for individual film reviews.
Roger Ebert http://www.rogerebert.com
