Classic Movie Review

Star of the Month-July
Cary Grant
Bio & Filmography

Star of the Month-June
Katharine Hepburn
Bio & Filmography

Star of the Month-May
Humphrey Bogart
Bio & Filmography

Home

Classic Movie Trivia

Actor/Actress Bios

Actor/Actress Quotes

Contact

LEAD ACTORS
 & ACTRESSES

Lauren Bacall - Born Betty Joan Perske September 16, 1924. #20 on the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. First movie - To Have and Have Not with Humphrey Bogart, whom she married in 1945. They went on to star in several more movies together.

Ingrid Bergman - Born in Sweden on August 29, 1915. Died in 1982 on her 67th birthday. Won 3 Oscars, 2 Emmys, and a Tony. #4 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. One of the most beautiful actresses of all time.

Humphrey Bogart - December 25, 1889 in NY. Died January 14, 1957. Joined US Naval Reserve after being expelled from Phillips Academy where he was preparing for medical school at Yale. #1 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Male Screen Legends. Starred in many of today's favorite classics including Casablanca, Treasure of Sierra Madre, Key Largo, To Have and Have Not, and The Maltese Falcon.

Claudette Colbert - Born Lily Claudette Chauchoin in Paris on September 13, 1903. Died July 30, 1996. Won an Oscar for the film It Happened One Night, which she wasn't happy about making. #12 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends.

Bette Davis - Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 5, 1908 in MA. Died October 6, 1989. Won 2 Academy Awards and is #2 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. Gave us the quote, "What a dump," from Beyond the Forest.

Henry Fonda - Born in NE on May 16, 1905. Died August 12, 1982. #6 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Male Screen Legends. Famous for his honest, natural acting style. Won an Academy Award for his performance in On Golden Pond with Katharine Hepburn. Father of actors Jane and Peter Fonda and grandfather of Bridget Fonda.

Joan Fontaine - Born in Tokyo on October 22, 1917. Younger sister of Olivia de Havilland. They are the first sisters to win Oscars, and the first sisters to be nominated in the same year. Nominated for three Academy Awards and won one. Only actress to win an acting Oscar in a Hitchcock-directed film. The movie was Suspicion.

Clark Gable - Born in OH on February 1901. Died November 16, 1960. Best known for performance in Gone With the Wind for which he won an Oscar. Matinee idol with good looks and charm to spare. Served in USAF during WWII. #7 on AFI's list of Top 25 American Male Screen Legends. Was voted "King of Hollywood in 1938."

Cary Grant - Born Archibald Alec Leach on January 18, 1904. #2 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Male Screen Legends, and was a box office attraction for several decades. Known for his suave sophistication and good looks. Was equally as great in comedies as he was in drama/ suspense roles. Died November 29, 1986.

Audrey Hepburn - Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929. Died January 20, 1993. Served as Unicef Goodwill Ambassador from 1988-1993. A humanitarian and proficient ballerina as well as a superb actress and great beauty. #3 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. Best known for her roles in Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady.

Katharine Hepburn - Born in CT on May 12, 1907. Earned a degree in Philosophy and History from Bryn Mawr College. Raised by very unconventional and liberal parents. Fell in love with Spencer Tracy during the filming of Woman of the Year, and they were together, though not married, for decades. #1 on list of AFI's Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. Died June 29, 2003.

Leslie Howard - Born April 3, 1893. Died June 1, 1943 when his plane was shot down by the Germans. Worked extensively for the Allies during World War II. Insisted that Humphrey Bogart be cast in the role of Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest. Bogart and Bacall named their daughter, Leslie, after him. Best known for his role as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind.

Grace Kelly - Born November 12, 1929. Died September 14, 1982. Became a Princess when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. James Stewart gave her eulogy in which he called her "just about the nicest lady I ever met." #13 on AFI's Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends list. Considered by many to be the most beautiful actress of all time.

Vivien Leigh - Born Vivian Mary Hartley on November 5, 1913. Won Academy Awards for performances in Gone With the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. #16 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Female Screen Legends. Suffered from bi-polar disorder and thought to be difficult to work with. Married to Laurence Olivier 1940-1960. Died July 8, 1967.

Myrna Loy - Born August 2, 1905 in MT. Died December 14, 1993. Best known for her role in The Thin Man movies although Louis B Mayer first refused to allow her to play the part of Nora Charles because he felt that she was only a dramatic actress. Was voted "Queen of Hollywood" in 1938.

Dorothy McGuire - Born in NE on June 14, 1916. Enjoyed a film career which lasted five decades. Avoided the spotlight and publicity in her personal life which often resulted in her being overlooked for awards. Nominated for one Oscar for her role in Gentleman's Agreement. Died September 13, 2001.

Kim Novak - Born Marilyn Pauline Novak on February 13, 1933 in IL. Modeled teen fashions after high school graduation. Best known for her role opposite James Stewart in Vertigo. Voted one of the 100 Sexiest Actors of all time by Empire Magazine. currently raises horses and llamas in CA and OR.

Laurence Olivier - Born in England on May 22, 1907. Died July 11, 1989. Raised in a strict, religious household. A favorite matinee idol who was nominated for twelve Oscars and won two for Best Actor. Knighted in 1947. #14 on AFI's Top 25 Greatest Male American Screen Legends list.

Gregory Peck - Born in CA on April 5, 1916. Spotted and recruited by acting coach while at Univ. of California-Berkeley, thus beginning his career. Presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Pres. Johnson in 1967. Best known for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. #12 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest Male Screen Legends. Died June 12, 2003.

William Powell - Born July 29, 1892 in Pennsylvania. Best known for his portrayal of Nick Charles in The Thin Man series. Nominated for three Oscars. Made fourteen films with Myrna Loy, his Thin Man co-star. Dated actress Jean Harlowe for two years and was devastated by her death. Survived colon cancer in 1938 by agreeing to an experimental treatment. Died March 5, 1984.

Eva Marie Saint - Born in NJ on July 4, 1924. Her first movie, On the Waterfront, resulted in an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Also widely known for her role as counterspy Eve Kendall opposite Cary Grant in North by Northwest. Married to director Jeffrey Hayden since 1951.

James Stewart - Born May 20, 1908 in PA. Died July 2, 1997. Rose to Brigadier General in the USAF. Received the Medal of Freedom from Pres. Reagan in 1985. Career lasted seven decades. Soft-spoken, kind, self-effacing, professional. #3 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Male Screen Legends. Starred in many films that are regarded as classics -- Rear Window, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life, Harvey, and Philadelphia Story to name a few.

Spencer Tracy - Born in WI on April 5, 1900. Nominated for nine Best Actor Oscars, and won two. One of the finest actors in film history. #9 on AFI's list of Top 25 Greatest American Male Screen Legends. Made 74 movies from 1930-1967. Died June 10, 1967 shortly after filming Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with long-time love, Katharine Hepburn.

Joanne Woodward - Born in GA on February 27, 1930. Married to Paul Newman since 1958. Nominated for four Best Actress Academy Awards and won one for The Three Faces of Eve. Graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1990 with her daughter.

All content on this website written by Kim Everett.

Check out these great websites

Classic Movie Stars:  Courtney's Classic Movie Site:  A wonderful classic movie site including loads of interesting information and great photos 

The Classic Movie Corner: Contests, prizes, reviews, pictures, sound bites and more, from Classic films from Hollywood's Golden Era

classicmoviefavorites.com:  Comprehensive classic movie site with a wealth of information on the films, the stars, and more

classicmovies.org - Everything for the fan of Classic Hollywood

afi.com - American Film Institute