Screen Legends
When it comes to the history of film in the US, there’s no better authority than the American Film Institute. They looked at performers who began appearing in films no later than 1950 and who had a significant screen presence in American movies to make the list, and narrowed it down to a list of 25 actresses, down from 250.
In a ceremony hosted by Shirley Temple in 1999, they first announced their list of the greatest screen legends. Though most of them may be gone, thanks to their incredible work on screen, they’ll never be forgotten.
25. Ava Gardner
Though Gardner grew up down South on a tobacco farm, she was discovered when her brother-in-law used a photo he’d taken of her in his Manhattan photo studio. Though she had zero acting experience, she was gorgeous—and that’s what led MGM to recruit her, based solely on her photo.
Though she struggled to get noticed in Hollywood at first—imagine!—she eventually built a fruitful and long-lasting career for herself, appearing in films well into the 1980s.
24. Mary Pickford
This Canadian sweetheart was one half of Hollywood’s original power couple with her husband Douglas Fairbanks. Pickford was a silent star with an angelic face—but thanks to her immense talent, she successfully made the transition to talkies. Pickford established so many firsts in Hollywood. She helped found the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was the first actress to leave her hand and footprints outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and was even the subject of the first close-up shot!
Rufus Porter Moody, Wikimedia Commons
23. Carole Lombard
Lombard was a stunning beauty whose smoldering looks would’ve made her perfect as a film noir femme fatale—but she actually did her best work cracking jokes in screwball comedies. She was one half of a legendary on- and off-screen partnership with Clark Gable. The pair first met as extras on 1925's Ben-Hur, but took their time to finally get together and fall in love.
Sadly, their love story was tragically cut short by Lombard’s death in a plane crash in 1942.
22. Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was Hollywood’s original blonde bombshell, beginning her career in the most inconspicuous of ways—as a young housewife in Los Angeles, she decided to make some extra money working as an extra. After being discovered by Howard Hughes, she eventually became one of film’s biggest stars in the 1930s. Sadly, it was all over just as quickly as it began—at the age of 26, Harlow passed on from kidney failure.
George Hurrell, Wikimedia Commons
21. Sophia Loren
The only living legend on this list, Sophia Loren has steamed up screens since 1950—when she was just 16 years old. After appearing in a handful of Italian films, Paramount Pictures smartly signed her for a five-picture deal in 1958—but it was ultimately another Italian film, legendary director Vittorio de Sica’s Two Women in 1960, that won her a Best Actress Oscar.
Paul A. Hesse Studios, Wikimedia Commons
20. Lauren Bacall
Is there another star who defines the idea of an Old Hollywood screen siren better than Lauren Bacall? Bacall had femme fatale looks and an iconic deep voice that made her an unforgettable screen presence. When she was just 19, she was cast opposite Humphrey Bogart—marking the start of a fruitful on- and off-screen relationship.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
19. Rita Hayworth
Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, Hayworth began her career as a dancer before she moved into acting. Her father was the ultimate stage parent. He hired a consultant to ensure that his daughter would get a studio contract, who recommended that she change her name to hide her Latin roots, change her hairline, and dye her hair red. His advice worked, and Hayworth became a star, often nicknamed the “Love Goddess” for her siren roles.
18. Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple was THE original child star in Old Hollywood. She got her first Oscar at age 6, and is still the youngest person ever to receive an Academy Award. Though she stopped appearing in films at the age of 21, she went on to have a fruitful career as a diplomat.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
17. Lillian Gish
When it comes to screen legends who stood the test of time, no other actor or actress can compare to Lillian Gish, who had a career that spanned 75 years. Discovered by Mary Pickford, she became a silent screen staple, and in her first two years as an actress, she appeared in 25 films. Her first film was made in 1912, while her last was in 1987.
Bain News Service, Wikimedia Commons
16. Vivien Leigh
Is there an epic that better represents the Golden Age of Hollywood better than Gone With the Wind? Leigh beat out hundreds of hopeful actresses to get the part of Scarlett O’Hara, for which she won the Best Actress Oscar. Leigh was also incredibly choosy when it came to picking roles, appearing in fewer than 20 films—but undoubtedly giving a rousing performance in each.
Fawcett Publications, Wikimedia Commons
15. Mae West
Many of the actresses on this list were prim, proper, and elegant not just in the roles they chose, but also in the image they projected off-screen. The same can’t be said about Mae West. She wasn’t just an actress—she was a provocateur. With a personality bigger than any screen she ever appeared on, West was born to be a star, and she left her mark in early work like She Done Him Wrong as much as she did with later films like Myra Breckinridge.
Los Angeles Daily News, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
14. Ginger Rogers
In the 1930s, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dominated Hollywood with a string of nine hit musicals. She went on to win an Oscar for the film Kitty Foyle in 1940, and became one of the biggest box office draws throughout the 1940s in dramas and comedies. She appeared in 73 films over the span of her career.
Studio publicity still, Wikimedia Commons
13. Grace Kelly
No one embodied the Hollywood dream quite like Grace Kelly. The elegant star made her name in adventure and Western films before raking in the awards for dramas like The Country Girl. Three iconic Alfred Hitchcock thrillers followed before Kelly retired from acting at the age of 26 to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
12. Claudette Colbert
Colbert’s refined elegance and distinctive mid-Atlantic accent made her a huge box office draw in the 30s and 40s, earning her the Oscar for 1934’s It Happened One Night. She was so convinced that the award would go to Bette Davis that she refused to attend the ceremony, and was about to board a train when her win was announced. Instead, she was convinced to rush to the venue to accept the award.
Paramount Studio, Wikimedia Commons
11. Barbara Stanwyck
Stanwyck is often called “the Best Actress who never won an Oscar,” which is a shame—because her on-screen performances certainly speak for themselves. From comedy to film noir, she could do it all, and she was not only an inspiration to younger stars, but also a kind mentor to up-and-comers like Marilyn Monroe.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
10. Joan Crawford
Prickly. Peculiar. Box office poison. Joan Crawford was called a lot of things during her career—but no one could deny her towering talent. Crawford went from appearing as hardworking, scrappy girls in rags-to-riches stories during the Great Depression in her early career before suffering a horrible downturn. She made a comeback playing wild, tempestuous characters who seemed much truer to life in films like Mildred Pierce and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
George Hurrell, Wikimedia Commons
9. Marlene Dietrich
Though Marlene Dietrich appeared to be an ice queen both on and off-screen, her stormy personal life says otherwise. Her success in German film got her attention in Hollywood. Paramount signed her—and her instant success in films like Morocco, Blonde Venus, and The Devil Is A Woman proved that they’d made the right choice.
Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
8. Judy Garland
After a brief stint as a vaudeville act, singing with her sisters, Judy Garland signed to MGM as a teenager—and instantly became one of the biggest stars the studio had ever seen, appearing in iconic hits like Meet Me In St Louis and The Wizard of Oz. Though she continued to make hits, including A Star is Born, it’s likely she’d still mark high up on this list even if she’d only ever appeared in The Wizard of Oz.
Eric Carpenter, Wikimedia Commons
7. Elizabeth Taylor
Taylor had a dominating presence on the screen as much as she did in the tabloids, making headlines for her stormy marriages to stars like Eddie Fisher (her best friend’s husband), and Richard Burton. Between passionate affairs, she left her mark on the screen in legendary films like Cleopatra and BUtterfield 8.
MGM publicity still, Wikimedia Commons
6. Marilyn Monroe
No matter how many try to take the mantle, Marilyn Monroe remains the ultimate classic Hollywood story, equal parts glamorous and tragic. Sadly derided as nothing more than a blonde bombshell, Monroe was actually in possession of a true acting talent, apparent in comedies like Some Like It Hot as much as in dramas like The Misfits.
Although she only acted for about a decade, Monroe became incredibly famous—only to suddenly pass at just 36 years old.
5. Greta Garbo
Garbo’s icy cool demeanor and portrayals of tragic characters made her a Hollywood legend, and she was such a massive star that her transition from silent films to talkies was heralded with the headline “Garbo talks”! And then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. After retiring in 1941, Garbo refused to make a comeback, despite repeated pleas from Hollywood.
4. Ingrid Bergman
Despite being Swedish, Ingrid Bergman could’ve been one of the first actresses to earn the moniker of being “America’s Sweetheart”. She was beloved for her performances in classics like Casablanca, and had the awards to prove it—but then, an affair with director Roberto Rossellini threatened everything she’d built. Bergman was virtually exiled for years after the public uproar over her relationship with Rossellini, but eventually made a comeback in the mid-50s.
MGM photographer, Wikimedia Commons
3. Audrey Hepburn
Charming, gamine, and a true survivor, Audrey Hepburn was the picture of sophistication—but she didn’t just rest on her laurels, and was tireless in her dedication to helping children, and spent many years working with UNICEF. Unforgettable turns in films like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s have cemented her status as one of the greatest screen legends of her time.
2. Bette Davis
Davis’ sizzling performances, often as unlikable characters, practically burned through the screen. She could do anything, from romantic comedy to historical drama to thriller. After a career as one of the most bankable stars in the 1930s, she was one of many stars labeled box office poison—but she turned that moniker on its head with a massive comeback in the 1950s in films like All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? opposite her longtime rival, Joan Crawford.
Alexander Kahle, Wikimedia Commons
1. Katharine Hepburn
While other stars oozed feminine glamor, Katharine Hepburn didn’t need gowns or jewels to stand out. She had an easygoing, tomboyish charisma in real life, but when she was on screen, she could morph to fit any role. She won four Best Actress Oscars, a record (her first and last wins were 48 years apart!), and was nominated 12 times. With stats like that, it’s no wonder that the AFI put her at the top of their list of American screen legends.
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