Did you know?
Smoke and mirrors: Hidden truths behind old Hollywood's stars!
A lot happened behind the cameras and flashing lights of the Golden Age of Hollywood! For instance, do you know which star had an impressive private library? Or who had to conceal his orthodontics as an adult? Read on and you might find some lesser-known stories behind legendary names like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, or Humphrey Bogart.
Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA
1
Elvis Presley was naturally blond
No, that jet-black pompadour wasn’t natural! Elvis entered the world with sandy blond hair, which gradually darkened to light brown as he aged.
But when he began chasing a movie career, he dyed it black, as legend has it, using shoe polish before he could afford the real dye.
Image: JR Harris
2
Marilyn Monroe’s library held over 400 books
Did you know that Marilyn was a serious bibliophile? Her personal collection reportedly exceeded 400 books . It included subjects like art, history, philosophy, and classic literature, from Ulysses by James Joyce to The Portable Dorothy Parker .
She was often photographed reading between takes, and her friends described her as a genuinely curious and thoughtful woman.
Image: pure julia
3
Sinatra had a hidden knack for painting
The voice behind "My Way" also spent decades expressing himself through a brush. Through the decades, he painted hundreds of canvases , from colorful abstracts to cubist-inspired portraits, which he often signed with a simple "Sinatra."
His friends said he painted almost daily at home in Palm Springs.
Image: Ethan Rougon
4
Elizabeth Taylor once proposed marriage… and was rebuffed
Elizabeth Taylor famously had eight marriages and seven husbands. But even before her first one, as a teenager, she took her first bold shot at love.
According to actor and Olympic swimmer Buster Crabbe , the young star once asked him to marry her, but he politely declined, saying she was too young.
Image: Katelyn MacMillan
5
Cary Grant’s real name was Archie Leach
"Archibald Leach" might not read like the film star that Golden Age Hollywood would covet. Archie probably guessed this, and the poor boy from Bristol, England, decided to change his name to try his luck in the industry: He would be "Cary Grant."
Once successful, the actor famously said: "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."
Image: Jeremy Yap
6
Audrey Hepburn could speak Dutch, French, Italian, and English
Graceful, elegant, and a polyglot. Audrey Hepburn spoke six languages ! Born in Brussels and raised in the Netherlands and England, Hepburn grew up switching between tongues with ease.
This ability later served her well in diplomacy and film. Because the face of Roman Holiday was not only a charming actress; she also famously served in UNICEF as a global ambassador.
Image: Magda Fou
7
Lauren Bacall invented her signature "slither down" pose
There’s a story behind Lauren Bacall’s sultry stare. Nervous during her first screen test for To Have and Have Not , Lauren steadied her trembling chin by lowering it and gazing upward. Hence, the unforgettable look was born.
Later, she perfected a seated move ( the "slither down" ) where she’d lean forward slightly, chin low, eyes locked. That pose became her trademark.
Image: Ron Lach
8
Humphrey Bogart was kicked out of a boarding school
There was a time in history when Humphrey Bogart’s parents were very worried about his future. As a teenager, he was expelled shortly after entering Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Some say he was kicked out for throwing a faculty member into a pond during a prank; others claim it was for smoking, drinking, or general "bad behavior." The true story remains private. We do know that the incident sent him straight into the U.S. Navy during World War I.
Image: Aman
9
Marilyn Monroe stood up for Ella Fitzgerald
Marilyn had moments of real principle. In 1955, she used her influence to persuade Mocambo, a high-end nightclub in Hollywood, to book Ella Fitzgerald, who had been denied access to many such venues because of racial prejudice. The story goes that, after that performance, doors started opening for Ella both literally and figuratively.
Image: Yoel J Gonzalez
10
Marlon Brando designed Don Vito Corleone
Producers of The Godfather did not think Marlon Brando was a good choice for the mafia movie, at first. So the star took matters into his own hands.
He slicked back his hair with shoe polish, stuffed tissues inside his cheeks to create the iconic jowls of Don Corleone, and lowered his voice into a sinister murmur. The resulting homemade screen test did win the studio over. The rest is cinematic history.
Image: RDNE Stock project
