Hollywood Screen Legends and Icons: Sophia Loren (September 20, 1934 - )

 I love Sophia Loren and have been watching her movies since I was a little girl. She received the Academy Award for Best Actress in the 1960 film “Two Women”. As a matter of record, this was the first Oscar ever given for a performance in a “foreign-language” film. My memory of her performance in this film is that of a heroic performance, worthy of this kind of recognition. Since I watched so many of her movies, I thought I had seen them all. But “Sunflower” (1970) is one of her movies I did not discover until I was an adult and it is a gem! It’s another war movie and her co-star is Marcello Mastroianni. Those two always made a great onscreen couple. Her performance in this film is also memorable. Did you know that in the Soviet Union, they planted a sunflower for each fallen Italian soldier that the Germans forced to dig their own graves? I learned that watching this movie. Gold Derby published a list of her 15 greatest films, ranked from worst to best. Hey! Even in her “worst” films, her acting was still good! She made all of her leading men look good too! 

Two more movies for your watch list are “Arabesque” (1966), her co-star was Gregory Peck; and “Houseboat” (1958), her co-star was Cary Grant. They are not war movies but rather delightful romantic comedies. Her acting skills are versatile. She could be very serious and dramatic OR lighthearted and funny!

• Sophia Loren Filmography: Classic Movie Hub (CMH)
• Sophia Loren (b. 1934) — Hollywood’s Golden Age

Where to watch and stream Sophia Loren movies

Hollywood Screen Legends and Icons: Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 - January 20, 1990)

I got to know “Miss Barbara Stanwyck” by being a loyal viewer of the Western TV series, “The Big Valley” (1965–1969). She was the matriarch of the Barkley family, mother of 3 sons and one daughter. My big sister said that because they called her “Miss”, it meant that she was worthy of respect and honor. So I had to start working backward from the television series to discover what roles she had played that had earned her so much respect and honor. I can honestly say that I have never watched a Barbara Stanwyck movie that I did not enjoy. Her professional career spanned 60 years. Gold Derby published a list of her 20 greatest films, ranked from worst to best.

Ruby Catherine Stevens aka Barbara Stanwyck: 

Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Most fans remember her for her role in the movie “Double Indemnity” (1944); her co-star was Fred MacMurray. It is a film noir and she played the part of a seductive, manipulative, and villainous femme fatale. Hey! She only talks the guy into a murder plot. Also included in the Gold Derby list is “Meet John Doe” (1941); her co-star is Gary Cooper. It is one of those “feel good” movies that end in romance. There is a third Barbara Stanwyck movie that I recommend which is not on the Gold Derby list. The title is “Always Goodbye” (1938). In this vintage film, she plays an unwed mother who gives up her child and makes a promise to never see or speak to him. But when she meets the young child accidentally, her maternal instinct kicks in and she has to decide whether or not she will keep her promise not to tell her child that she is his real mother. What do you think she decided to do? Excellent movie!

• Full list of Barbara Stanwyck Films — Classic Movie Favorites
• Barbara Stanwyck Bio, The Ultimate Guide | Rags to Riches Story

How to watch and stream Barbara Stanwyck movies

Hollywood Screen Legends and Icons: Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929 ~ January 20, 1993)

I love Audrey Hepburn and consider her to be “iconic”. There is not a movie that she has starred in that I did not like. However, if I were going to pick a Top 10 Favorites List, the 1953 movie “Roman Holiday” would be on my list. She played a princess who just wanted to know what it was like to be an “ordinary person” and not have the heavy burden of duties and responsibilities of a monarch. Her leading man was Gregory Peck (1916–2003). If you like old classic movies, you will love this movie! 

Also on my favorites list would be “Wait Until Dark” (1967). She was a blind woman with a loving husband (played by Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) who encouraged her to be independent, even though she could not see. Someone was smuggling contraband into the country and placed a doll in her bag. Since she was blind she was not aware of this and brought the doll home. Three really bad guys, who were desperate to retrieve the doll, show up at her home. She is home alone and when she becomes aware of their evil intentions, the worst of the 3 bad guys (played by Alan Arkin) is in her home with her. He is determined to retrieve the doll, even if he has to kill her. She is determined to do whatever it takes to survive! Suspenseful and intense!!

Gold Derby published a list of her 15 greatest films, ranked from worst to best. Both of the movies I suggested are on their list.

List of Audrey Hepburn films — Data Thistle

Audrey Hepburn Biography — life, family, children, name, story, death, school, mother, young

How to watch and stream Audrey Hepburn movies 

Original source

Hollywood Screen Legends and Icons: Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 ~ March 23, 2011)

In America, the word “icon” is often applied to a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of society and culture and worthy of honor or great respect. Many celebrities or movie stars are often described as icons. If you were judging them based solely on their public persona, you would approve of them as “representative symbols”. If you were to include details about their private lives as reported, they might not be considered “iconic”.

Not On My List

Any list I make ignores the private lives of the celebrities. Have you ever made your own list of iconic female celebrities? Madonna, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga might be on your list. Not on my list. I’m old school. Many of the glamorous movie stars from back in my day (“my day” meaning the 50s, 60s, and 70s) are no longer with us. A few years ago, at one of my blogs, I published my unofficial top ten list of female celebrities that in my humble opinion were “iconic”. My Top 10 List of Iconic Female Celebrities

If you review my list (referenced above) you will note that my favorite movie star, Elizabeth Taylor, is not on my list. That's because I think she is iconic; legendary, and deserves her own spotlight.  So I published a separate blog post.

Call her “Elizabeth” or “Liz”. For those who wish to treat her as if she is almost royalty, call her Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE. (DBE = Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire). She is American, but she was born in England so the Brits love her too! Queen Elizabeth officially acknowledged her as a “Lady”.

Beauty / Elegance / Grace / Style / Commanding Presence - is communicated both verbally and nonverbally, she was amazing, Elizabeth Taylor. Beautiful eyes in picture 1. Pic. 3 where I first saw her as Velvet Brown in National Velvet 1944. Pic. 4 Liz as a young girl in London. pic.twitter.com/XdYf5vEDJM

— TV and Film Stars (@TVandFilmStars) January 13, 2019

My Favorite Elizabeth Taylor Films

Numerous documentaries have been aired on television or via the Internet about Ms. Taylor’s life and film career and I have watched too many of them to count. In discussing her significant films, one of the documentaries failed to mention ALL of my favorite Taylor movies. I have 3 favorite films and 2 out of the 3 movies on my faves list were not even mentioned. No matter. I’ll mention them now.

Below are the three motion pictures which starred Elizabeth Taylor that made a lasting impression on me, along with the memorable quotes. They are classic or vintage movies now, and they are worthy of being included in America’s cinematic history and legacy.

National Velvet 1944, her 1st starring role. Perfect in every way! Her faith and determination in a horse to win the race in a big way. She even cut off her hair. A Life's lesson film. pic.twitter.com/hivunUjv3g

— serendipitouspr (@serendipitouspr) April 23, 2020

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National Velvet (1944)
This was the story of a young girl who believed in her dream. She loved her horse named “Pi” and she believed that she and Pi could compete in a horse race for professionals. She was an unqualified jockey with no experience or training, and Pi had not been tested. It didn’t matter. She knew in her heart that they could and would win!


“ … by knowing the Pi can win and telling him so!”

“Oh mother! Were we the best that we could be?”

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Giant (1956)

This movie is a love story. A girl from the east married an oil millionaire from Texas. She had to make adjustments to her new lifestyle and married life had its difficulties. She loved her husband and he loved her back like vinegar on greens.

Elizabeth Taylor in Giant (1956) ♡ pic.twitter.com/BWiGL5EWyM

— 𝒜𝓏𝓊𝓁. (@tenlovesongs_) April 27, 2020

“Well, we Texans like a little bit of vinegar in our greens. It gives them flavor.” {NOTE: This is what Jordan Benedict (played by Rock Hudson) said to his wife, Leslie Benedict (Elizabeth Taylor’s character). It’s the line etched in my memory.}

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Cleopatra (1963)

The title is the name of the famous Egyptian queen who loved two powerful men, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar and a Roman politician and general, Mark Antony. These romantic liaisons were for love and for lust. She desired power. The rest of her story is history.

12 June 1963. Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor in the title role, premiered in New York City. pic.twitter.com/UolQGHAxRZ

— Professor Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) June 12, 2016

“How DARE you and the rest of your barbarians set fire to my library? Play conqueror all you want, Mighty Caesar! Rape, murder, pillage thousands, even millions of human beings! But neither you nor any other barbarian has the right to destroy one human thought!”

♦ In Memory Of: Elizabeth Taylor (1932 -2011)

Is Elizabeth Taylor on your list of favorite actresses and do you have a favorite Liz Taylor film?

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(Original Source: RationalMind.club)

♦ How to watch and stream Elizabeth Taylor movies

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Hollywood Legends: Iconic Female Celebrities: Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962)

Celebrities: In Memory of Doris Day (1922 - 2019)

Do You Remember Grace Kelly? (1929 - 1982)

Hollywood Screen Legends and Icons: Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962)

Today, Marilyn Monroe would be 90+ years old, but the diva passed away in 1962. Many people know her celebrity persona, and she still is viewed as an icon of beauty and femininity. But let’s take a look at her off-screen personality. Here are seven (7) biographical facts. 

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This marvelous timeline of photographs ~ "A picture of Marilyn for every year she was alive, 1926-1962." ~ source 

How to watch and stream Marilyn Monroe movies

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1. Marilyn Monroe was born June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, California.

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2. Ms. Monroe feared that viewers would think of her as about a "frivolous fool", so she studied and rehearsed earnestly at various acting studios.

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3. Despite the fact that Marilyn Monroe is considered a sex symbol, she confessed in her diaries: "I was always very physically clamped. I have always been sure that something is wrong with me."

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Image credit:   "A teenage Norma Jeane, later known as Marilyn Monroe. Circa 1940."  Found on Pinterest

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4. Marilyn Monroe loved to read. More than 400 books were in her personal library. She did not finish high school and felt the need to continue her education on her own, not only to quench her thirst for knowledge but in order to be on par with others who were blessed to complete a formal education program.



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5. Before becoming a famous actress, she worked at an aircraft factory, during the World War II. Her job was crucial, She was checked the serviceability of parachutes. One of the photographers, who was looking for "fresh faces" noticed her there. The rest, as they say, is history.

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6. Marilyn Monroe ate very little and could spend an entire day drinking only orange juice. Yet she has never been skinny, according to today's “perfect size” standards (say size 5 by comparison to today's slim petite almost emaciated models who wear a size 2).





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7. In order to become the wife of her third husband, Marilyn Monroe converted to Judaism. She was fond of Arthur Miller and trust him a lot. It was his betrayal that completely undermined her faith in people.

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Over half a century later, Marilyn Monroe is still revered as a Hollywood legend, an ideal American beauty / diva. Her popularity has not dwindled. It is a pity that her life ended up so early or to quote another diva, Sir Elton John, she was like a “candle in the wind”.

About the author:  This guest post was supplied by Melisa Marzett is an amazing writer, who is currently writing for smartessayrewriter.com. Get inspired with her posts!

* Other guest posts by Melisa:

• Spicy sexual life is a reality!
• Five Exotic Spices

Related articles

• Dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang "Happy Birthday" to JFK
• Iconic Female Celebrities (My Top 10 List)
• Elizabeth Taylor (1932 – 2011): Favorite Movies

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Fun link:
Iconic Beauty Looks From the Year You Were Born
If you were born in 1957, the ideal beauty / model for that year was Marilyn Monroe. Check for the year you were born.

Marilyn Monroe’s Unpublished Poems: The Complex Private Person Behind the Public Persona https://t.co/NmzAwHI2iJ

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 5, 2021

NOTE: This content also appears at my partner blog.

Recommended Documentary: Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

Watch a documentary on IMDb called “Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths”. I know it sounds morbid but it’s about Hollywood stars that we loved, the sad lives they lived and how they died. They did such a good job keeping their miserable lives a secret, everybody was shocked when they passed away. Most people know about Marilyn Monroe but there are a lot of actors and actresses that I liked but I did not really know how they passed away.

They started off the program with the life and death of the legendary silent film actor Rudolph Valentino (1914 - 1926) aka "The Sheik". Of course, he is before my time. But I had no idea that he died at the age of 31. Complications that developed after he underwent surgery. I had always heard the story about that mysterious lady in black who always put flowers on his grave. She did it every year up until 1951. Folks have speculated about who she might be, but she was not positively identified. I guess she will forever be the “mysterious lady in black”.

It’s an interesting documentary. If you have not already seen, you should add it to your watch list.

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RELATED LINKS:

• Rudolph Valentino and the Lady in Black: A Silent Love Story

• Rudolph Valentino Died 90 Years Ago Today (So the Woman in Black Returned) – Jason Cochran

• ‘Woman in Black’ to Be Reunited With Valentino – Los Angeles Times

• Seeks Ghosts: Rudolph Valentino and the Lady in Black

• Rudolph Valentino | Biography, Movies, & Facts | Britannica