Looking back at the Golden Age of Hollywood, it’s hard to pick our favorite people, moments, and films. It was an incredible time when everything felt possible and the world was in full technicolor. The thing you have to ask yourself when looking back at this era is if you’re more of a Julie Newmar guy or an Ann-Margret guy. As we look back at the starlets of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s we find ourselves falling in love all over again, and you will too.
British stunner Fiona Lewis
Few British starlets make our jaws drop like Fiona Lewis. Audiences first fell for her in The Fearless Vampire Killers and Brian de Palma’s Fury, but Lewis never really had her sights set on the big screen. If you ask Lewis, her entire acting career was an accident that just sort of happened while living with roommate Jacqueline Bisset. After working in England for a while she moved to the States where she ended up posing for Playboy, something that Lewis says she’s proud of.
Pretty as a picture; Goldie Hawn in the 1960s
Goldie Hawn first made waves on Laugh-In. Even though her role on the show was to play the airhead, bikini wearing babe, it’s not like she didn’t know what she was doing. The major problem was that critics didn’t get what she was trying to do. At the time, many people thought she was setting the women’s liberation movement back to the 19th century by putting her bod on display – they clearly didn’t get that she was taking ownership of her body and having fun. It’s honestly weird that we’re still having that conversation today.
Lynda Carter was a Wonder Woman in or out of costume
It would be ridiculous to pretend that we don’t think of Wonder Woman when we think of Lynda Carter. Here’s the thing, she almost didn’t accept the iconic role when it was offered to her. At the time she was struggling, and really trying to become a success but she felt that her body wasn’t right to play an Amazonian. At the time she thought the outfit was so revealing that audiences would find her too delicate to actually be tough even though she has a seriously athletic figure. Thankfully she didn’t let her brain hold her back and she’s still recognized as Wonder Woman today.
The gorgeous Lori Saunders of Petticoat Junction, 1960s
There was an entire type of TV show in the 1960s that revolved around rich people moving to the country, or people from a rural era moving to the city and on both shows everyone learns a big kooky lesson. Petticoat Junction is one of three shows on television in the 1960s about a rural family, and audiences loved it. Lori Sanders was a fan favorite on the show, but the ratings of the first season were so dire that the three main actresses from the show had to go on a public press tour where they wore thigh high boots and literally danced for audiences to get them interested. Things really were different back in the day.
Groovy actress Jocelyn Lane in the 1960s
Nope, this isn’t Brigitte Bardot, it’s Jocelyn Lane. Born in Austria in 1937, Lane was given everything you need to be a star. She was raised in the States and she studied dance in England. While Lane was in the UK she got into modeling and even had her on screen debut in 1955’s April in Portugal. Her most well known performance is likely in Tickle Me, where she co-starred with Elvis. Even though she had some great breaks Hollywood wasn’t for her, and she retired from acting in 1971 to marry a real life prince. Pretty good work if you can find it.