Beauty (1 Viewer)

[Beckford]

Yes, it's in the eye of the beholder. But there's no question that - among movie actresses - beauty never was and never will be in short supply. Choosing a list of the most beautiful is - of course - a totally subjective exercise. But, here goes.
My Golden Dozen - the loveliest of the lovely - along with the period in which I think their beauty peaked.

LORETTA YOUNG The 1930's
HEDY LAMARR The 1940's
GENE TIERNEY The 1940's
ESTHER WILLIAMS The 1940's
ARLENE DAHL The 1950's
KIM NOVAK The 1950's
ROSSANA PODESTA The 1960's -achieved fame in the 50's playing history's greatest beauty, Helen of Troy but looked even more amazing in the decade that followed
NANCY KWAN The 1960's
CATHERINE DENEUVE The 1960's
BO DEREK The 1980's
MONICA BELLUCCI The 2000's
AISHWARYA RAI The 2000's

This whole post was inspired by a trip I took to the cinema yesterday to see the new Tamil epic "Ponniyin Selvan I". It was a magnificent experience, overflowing with visual and aural splendor, not the least of its attractions being actress Aishwarya Rai. When she first appeared in the 90's, the lady was widely hailed as the screen's greatest beauty. Decades later, she can still stake a pretty good claim to that title. Her whole performance in the film is exquisite - composure, presence, dramatic ability and charisma galore. But the sheer intensity of the beauty emanating from the screen whenever she's on is consistently flabbergasting. All hail, Aishwarya.

 

[Bert Greene]

On the whole, my favorite leading-ladies are usually not the drop-dead gorgeous gals, but ones with an idiosyncratic prettiness that melds with an agreeable, winsome personality. But overwhelming beauty is still a quality that can take one's breath away, and to the impressive names above, I'll add..

Billie Dove (1920s)
Marian Marsh (1930s)
Frances Gifford (1940s)
Barbara Britton (1940s)

 

[Beckford]

On the whole, my favorite leading-ladies are usually not the drop-dead gorgeous gals, but ones with an idiosyncratic prettiness that melds with an agreeable, winsome personality. But overwhelming beauty is still a quality that can take one's breath away, and to the impressive names above, I'll add..

Billie Dove (1920s)
Marian Marsh (1930s)
Frances Gifford (1940s)
Barbara Britton (1940s)

Thanks for your observations, interesting as always. Certainly many of the actresses that charm me most fit snugly into that category you describe ("idiosyncratic prettiness that melds with an agreeable, winsome personality"). The names that immediately spring to my mind are cowboy sweethearts Iris Meredith, Nell O'Day and Dale Evans.
Of the four ladies you listed the one that instantly jumps out for me is Barbara Britton. Lately I've been rewatching some of her 40's films ("The Return of Monte Cristo" and "Albuquerque" among others) and she really is something special. As far as I'm concerned her performance - and sheer presence - in Samuel Fuller's marvelous Lippert western "I Shot Jesse James" is simply stellar.