Six screen goddesses who transformed femininity through film
Beautiful. Smart. And sometimes dangerous. These women singlehandedly transformed female roles on the big screen. Who can forget Elizabeth Taylor as the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra or Katharine Hepburn as the British Methodist missionary in “The African Queen”? The following list describes in detail the legacies of these extraordinary women. Katharine Hepburn Legacy Arguably the greatest actress ever to grace Hollywood, Katharine Hepburn still holds the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins out of 12 total nominations. She had an unusual anti-Hollywood attitude, which alienated colleagues and even turned audiences against her. Nonetheless, Hepburn’s image both on and off-screen remains one of confidence, intellect, and timeless elegance. Notable films Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Woman of the Year, The Rainmaker, Long Day’s Journey into Night Lauren Bacall Legacy Lauren Bacall’s sultry voice is one of the most distinctive in Hollywood. She was trained to lower her voice, so that it became more masculine and sexy. A leading lady of film noir pictures, Bacall was known for her elegant style, tastes, and manners. Her first film, “To Have and Have Not” is considered today to be one of the most powerful on-screen movie debuts in history. It was in this film that Bacall invented what would later be known as her trademark look, which involved tilting her chin down and lifting her eyes upward to face the camera. In reality, this was Bacall’s way of controlling her nerves, but it became her signature expression. Notable films To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, How to Marry a Millionaire, Woman’s World, Murder on the Orient Express Joan Crawford Legacy Joan Crawford was known for playing women who worked hard to support themselves, while searching for romance. Her rags-to-riches movies were immensely popular with an audience who still remembered the travesties of the Depression. F. Scott Fitzgerald described Crawford as, “…doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living.” Notable films Possessed, Grand Hotel, Letty Lynton, Rain, Dancing Lady Jean Harlow Legacy At age 26, Jean Harlow died from renal failure. Her personal life was nothing short of tragic, filled with disappointments, rocky affairs, and scandals, but on screen, she was known as one of Hollywood’s youngest and most talented movie stars. Her sex appeal, humor, and mesmerizing stage presence captured the hearts of thousands, if not millions, of people. She was known during her lifetime as the “Blonde Bombshell” and “Platinum Blonde,” as well as the “laughing vamp.” Notable films Goldie, Platinum Blonde, Red-Headed Woman, Red Dust, Dinner at Eight Elizabeth Taylor Legacy A larger-than-life celebrity famous around the world for her beauty and legendary films, Elizabeth Taylor portrayed women who were strong, cunning, and confident. She knew how to be vulnerable yet powerful on screen and how to command the audience’s attention and admiration with a single word. In “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Elizabeth Taylor was cast as the overweight, middle-aged, and frumpy Martha, a role which required her to gain thirty pounds. Though many were aghast by her decision to go through with the performance, she received strong reviews and an Academy Award for Best Actress. Notable films Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Mae West Legacy At age 38, Mae West was offered her first film contract with Paramount Pictures. She was considered old for a star just beginning her motion picture career, but West quickly became a Hollywood sex symbol in spite of her age. She exuded a confidence and sexiness on screen, which was unprecedented, and she has since been the subject of songs and even artwork. Check out Salvador Dali’s Mae West Lips Sofa, a prominent piece from the Surrealist movement which features West’s voluptuous mouth. Notable films Night After Night, She Done Him Wrong, I’m No Angel, Every Day’s a Holiday, My Little Chickadee Katherine J. Chen is currently a sophomore at Princeton University majoring in English with a certificate in Creative Writing. She was named after Katharine Hepburn, but her parents ended up getting the spelling wrong.
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