Beautiful Women Who Are Now Dead

"It's good to play all types of personalities. Embracing individuality is one of the greatest things you can do."

2011-06-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

Most people my age remember the first time they saw Brittany Murphy. She had brown hair, a weird accent, was very short, and awkward in her role as Tai in Clueless in 1995. The next movie I saw her in was the white-trash re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, Freeway. Murphy was a psychotic teenager in a juvenile facility with Reese Witherspoon's character, Vanessa. She was creepy and pathetic as Rhonda, who befriends Vanessa and continuously attempts to make out with her. (If you haven't watched Freeway, and you love off-kilter and raunchy humor, YOU MUST WATCH IT).

Murphy played another mentally unstable character in 1999's Girl Interrupted alongside Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. She was also a dippy beauty pageant contestant in 1999's Drop Dead Gorgeous, another movie I highly recommend. She returned to mentally unstable in Don't Say A Word with Michael Douglas. Murphy moved into romantic comedies with Just Married, Little Black Book, Uptown Girls, and other films. She also had a small part in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City.

At this point in her career, she was very blonde and very thin. She was also doing voice work for the television series "King of the Hill" and movies like Happy Feet. She also sang, unleashing her powerful voice in an opening number for MTV's Movie Awards around 2002. She had a hit song with Paul Oakenfield with their dance song, "Faster Kill Pussycat" in 2006.

Towards the end of her life, Murphy's lip became extremely puffy, obviously plastic surgery or alteration of some kind, and she was starring in more and more direct to DVD or poor performing movies. She met and married Simon Monjack, a British screenwriter who was 7 years older and, let's be honest, a lot less attractive than his famous wife. Murphy, Monjack, and Murphy's mother all moved in together, living this way until Murphy's death. After her death, Monjack and Murphy's mother continued to live together. Until Monjack passed away from the same thing that killed Brittany.

After L.A. fire department was called to Murphy's residence on December 20th, 2009, Brittany passed away. It was found that she was suffering from pneumonia, anemia, and too many prescription and over-the-counter drugs in her system. Monjack passed away May, 2010 from pneumonia and anemia as well. It was an odd end to the career and life of a promising young actress fighting to find success in Hollywood.

"God forbid you do anything individual or go against the fad. But I did."

2011-04-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

What can be said about the iconic Elizabeth Taylor that hasn't already? She began her career at the age of 9 and was a lead actress by 12. Over the course of her life, she would win 2 Academy Awards, marry several times, have children, and create her own perfumes.

Even more impressive than those achievements were Taylor's contributions to AIDS research and the idea of celebrities doing more than acting. She co-founded American Foundation for AIDS Research and raised millions of dollars for the cause. Truly a beautiful woman, both inside and out.

"Compassion is the foundation of everything positive, everything good."

2011-03-25T12:40:00.000-04:00

Rue McClanahan needs no introduction to be recognized, either as a beautiful woman or a talented actress and humanitarian. Rue worked as a file clerk when she moved to New York. She began acting in 1957 in off-Broadway productions before hitting the Great White Way in 1969's production of Jimmy Shine alongside Dustin Hoffman.

Rue went on to bit parts in television series and then bigger roles in soap operas in the 70s and then the show Maude with future Golden Girls co-star Bea Arthur. In 1985, television brought us The Golden Girls and Rue as sex-crazed Southern belle, Blanche Devereaux. The show ran until 1992, earning Rue an Emmy and perhaps giving her her most beloved role.

Rue also worked on various television series and tv movies through the 80s, popping up in Murder She Wrote, Charles in Charge, and others. In the 90s, Rue continued with tv movies and series, working through 2009. She also appeared as Madame Morrible in the musical show Wicked in 2005.

Rue was a Democrat that supported gay rights and same-sex marriage. She was a member of PETA, but we won't hold that against her, and a vegetarian. She was also a devout Methodist, was married six times, an author, and breast cancer survivor. Unfortunately, in November 2009, Rue was hospitalized for triple-bypass surgery and suffered a stroke. Though she recovered her speech and was doing well, on June 3, 2010, Rue passed away after another stroke. Rest in peace, sweet Rue.

Apologies For Lack of Updates

2011-03-25T12:04:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog, I did it because a friend had the male version already going. Also, when I started this, I knew next to nothing about blogging. I didn't check pageviews or traffic sources or ANYTHING. I decided to focus on my other blog, Pinky McLadybits Has A Blog , because I thought more people were reading it. I was so very, very wrong. Wrong by about 11,000X.

So, I'll be posting here again more often. Clearly, someone is reading whether they comment or not, so I thought I'd give them something new to read. A sincere thank you from a gal who didn't think anyone would read her ramblings.

"If nothing else, there's applause...like waves of love pouring over the footlights."

2010-09-02T13:48:00.000-04:00

Anne Baxter was born in Michigan City, Indiana in 1923. Her maternal grandfather was Frank Lloyd Wright, famous and still revered architect. At the age of 11, her family moved to New York City and encouraged her to seek the spotlight of acting. She was acting on Broadway and other stage productions from the age of 13 until 16. It was then that Anne decided to give Hollywood another shot at hiring her. She signed seven-year contract with Twentieth Century-Fox but made her first film with MGM. She was loaned to the other studio to make 20 Mule Team. The first film in which Anne made top billing was 1943's The North Star. It was a success.

In 1946, Anne had an Oscar-winning turn in The Razor's Edge, followed by two financial failures and then another Oscar-nominated role in 1950's All About Eve. In 1956 Anne starred alongside Yul Brenner and Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments. Anne would make a few more films and also appear on television and stage before her death from a brain aneurysm in 1985.

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me."

2010-08-29T12:59:00.000-04:00

Anna Maria Louisa Italiano was born September 17, 1931 in the Bronx. Anna graduated from Christopher Columbus High School and then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actors Studio. In her early television career, Anna adopted the stage name of Anne Marno before being told to take the name Anne Bancroft when she made her film debut. Her film debut was in 1954 in the film Don't Bother to Knock.

Anne's movie career is well known, but many my not know that she won a Tony Award, an Emmy Award, and an Oscar, making her a real triple-threat in the acting world. People also may not know that Anne, her husband Mel Brooks, and their son Max Brooks are all Emmy winners. Truly a talented family!

Speaking of Mel Brooks, he and Anne were married from 1964 until her death in 2005. Mel is well-known as a director of spoof films and comedies like Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and many more. Their son Max is the writer of well-received novels The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks.

Something else that I didn't know about Bancroft was that she has an eponymous foundation. Bancroft's quote concerning the foundation is "I believe that in honoring our women leaders, and by supporting a girl's ambition and hope, we are validating ourselves. ABF is founded on a conviction that vision and dedication will inspire us all to reach beyond our wildest goals. And at the end, we will arrive together."

Unfortunately, Anne Bancroft was taken from us all in 2005 from uterine cancer. It was a huge loss not only to the acting community, but to her family, friends, and the world as a whole.

Thanks to IMDB and www.annebancroftfoundation.org.

You'll Never See Me Again

2010-08-23T17:37:00.000-04:00

Jane Wyatt was born to a Wall Street investment banker and a drama critic in New York City. She attended Chapin School, Barnard College, and was courted by John D. Rockafeller III. She chose to pursue a career in Broadway, television and film and began as the understudy in Trade Winds. A few more Broadway roles and Wyatt was under contract with Universal Studios.

She appeared in Frank Capra's Lost Horizon in 1937. Wyatt appeared in films with Gregory Peck and Carey Grant before her outspoken opposition to Senator Joe McCarthy hindered her ability to make films. In 1954 she began playing Margaret Anderson on television's Father Knows Best. She would also appear as Spock's mother on an episode of Star Trek and the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Wyatt was married for almost 65 years, falling short when her husband died before their anniversary. She suffered and recovered from a stroke in the 1990s before succumbing to natural causes in 2006 at the age of 96.

source: Wikipedia

"I am just too much."

2010-08-19T13:44:00.001-04:00

Bette Davis made got her start in acting on Broadway at the age of 21. After a second Broadway role that same year, she decided to pursue her career in Hollywood with a screen test. Universal picked her up, but only for six films. She then moved on to Warner Bros. in 1932 and a seven year contract with them. In 1935 Bette won her first Oscar for the movie Dangerous. In 1939 Bette she won her second Oscar for the film Jezebel.

According to Bette's official website, the actress "contributed to the war effort by helping to organize the Hollywood Canteen during World War II for soldiers passing through Los Angeles. Inspired by New York's Stage Door Canteen, Bette transformed a once-abandoned nightclub into an inspiring entertainment facility. "There are few accomplishments in my life that I am sincerely proud of. The Hollywood Canteen is one of them," Bette later commented. In 1980, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Defense Department's highest civilian award, for running the Hollywood Canteen."
Bette would also continue to flourish professionally, with more than 100 films and eight Oscar nominations. She was known as being difficult to work but did much to further women in Hollywood. She was the first woman honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award and the first woman to serve as president of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. In her honor, the executors of Bette's estate created The Bette Davis Foundation, which funds actresses and actors with promise.

Thanks to http://www.bettedavis.com for all of the info!

Pin Up Girl

2010-08-19T13:29:00.000-04:00

Betty Grable was the youngest of three children. Unlike other profiled here, she entered into show business at her mother's prodding and not out of necessity of the income. She began working in a chorus line at age 13. Her age was not easily discerned because the chorus line performed in black face. (Yikes!) Grable eventually became a contract player at 20th Century Fox and went on to be one of their top stars in the 1940s.

In 1943, Betty posed for a pin up photo for the troops fighting in World War II. The iconic picture is recognizable even to those born well after WWII and those who might not know who Grable is.

Grable would appear in 80 movies and on television in her career. She was nicknamed "The Girl With The Million Dollar Legs" and "The Pin Up Girl". Sadly, Grable passed away in 1973 of lung cancer.

Thanks to http://bettygrable.net/bio for bio information!

Meet Me in St. Louis

2010-08-17T10:08:00.000-04:00

Like other Beautiful Women I've shared, Myrna Loy entered acting at the age of 15 to help her family after the passing of her father. Supposedly, Rudolph Valentino's wife happened to be in the audience of one of Myrna's plays and facilitated her entry into films. Myrna's film career would include around 129 films, both silent and sound. Loy is probably best known for her role in The Thin Man with William Powell and the many sequels of that series.
(I apologize for the shortness of the post, but Blogger is being a douche.)

Gypsy

2010-08-15T18:22:00.000-04:00

Natalie Wood began her acting career in Miracle on 34th Street at the age of nine. Beautiful, dark-haired, girl next door Natalie Wood went on to star in twenty films before being cast in Rebel Without a Cause at the age of 16. Wood earned her first Academy Award Nomination for her role as Judy opposite James Dean's Jim in Rebel.

Wood would go on to rack up 56 movie roles and two more Academy Award Nominations before the age of 25. Unfortunately, Wood drowned in 1981. She did leave behind a daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who looks remarkably like the actress.

"Off the job I'm a real pussycat."

2010-08-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

Tamara Dobson is best known for her role in the 70s Blaxploitaion films Cleopatra Jones and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold. The 6'2" stunner started out as a fashion model before making films. Sadly, I was unable to find the wealth of information that many of my other Beautiful Women have on the web.

I do know that Dobson was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and passed from the disease and complications from pneumonia in 2006. If anyone has anything to add in the comments, please do so.

"This is beautiful and very outspoken."

2010-08-05T13:15:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you don't know this lovely lady. You should. She has an accomplishment that no one else in the world can claim. She is the only person of East Asian descent to win an Academy Award for acting. Miyoshi Umeki was born in Japan in 1929 where her father owned an iron factory. She was the youngest of nine children. She started her entertainment career as a nightclub singer in Japan after World War 2. Umeki also had a record deal with RCA Victor Japan in the early 1950s. In 1955 she came to the United States.

She started her American career as a one season regular on "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts" before being case in Sayonara with Marlon Brando. Sayonara was the film that gave her that ground breaking Oscar win. Umeki was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Mei-Li in Flower Drum Song on Broadway. Another performance avenue, another award for Umeki. This time she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Mrs. Livingston in the show "The Courtship of Eddie's Father". Sadly, Miyoshi Umeki passed away in 2007 from complications related to cancer.

"I have worked like a dog all my life, honey."

2010-08-04T17:46:00.001-04:00

Ann Miller was signed to a contract with RKO at the age of 13. She claimed to be 18 at the time and as there was no internet to check things like this in the 1930s and Miller was considered to be a dance prodigy, I think we can forgive them for not being more thorough. At 14 Ann appeared with Ginger Rogers and began working her way through more than 40 films in 20 years. The studios she worked for often boasted than Ann could tap 500 times a minute, though this was an exaggeration. She worked with James Stewart, the Marx Brothers, Gene Autry, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Cab Calloway, Carol Channing, Della Reese, Van Miller, and more. Ann's last film role was in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. She also appeared on television and stage during her career.

Ann received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as other recognition and awards related to her dancing and acting. Sadly, she passed away in 2004 at the age of 80. Once again cancer was the culprit that took such a lovely lady from our midst.

Thanks to http://www.wic.org/bio/amiller.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Miller .

"I can be smart when I need to be."

2010-08-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

Just as beautiful all glammed up and she was with minimum makeup, Marilyn Monroe is an enduring icon of sexuality and beauty. Born Norma Jeane Baker in 1926, the girl bounced from orphanages to foster homes until her marriage at the age of 16. After her husband was shipped off in the war, Norma Jeane was discovered by a photographer capturing images of women's efforts during the war. Within 2 years, Norma Jeane was a popular model. When her husband returned home in 1946, Norma Jeane divorced him and chose to pursue her dream of a film career. Shortly after her divorce, she was signed to a contract with Twentieth Century Fox, changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, and dyed her hair blonde.

1947 saw Marilyn's first movie role, but her breakthrough came in 1950 with The Asphalt Jungle. I think we all know what came next. The marriages to Joe DiMaggio and then Arthur Miller; the Golden Globe awards and her filmography; and then her shocking death in 1962 at the age of 36. She had made more than 30 films and left her indelible mark on Hollywood and still embodies the height of beauty for women and men everywhere. I'm not gonna go all "candle in the wind" on your ass, but, she was definitely gone too soon.

Thanks to http://www.marilynmonroe.com for the biographical details.

" A wed wose. How womantic."

2010-08-02T14:15:00.000-04:00

Madeline Kahn is gorgeous, talented, and she's in some of the funniest and most beloved films of our time. Surprisingly, Kahn graduated from Hofstra University in 1964 with a degree in....speech therapy. She began teaching at public school in New York and auditioning for stage roles. 1968 saw her finally making a splash on the stage and her feature film debut in What's Up, Doc? came in 1972. She continued to make memorable films in the 70s, most notably those with director Mel Brooks. Kahn appeared in Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and High Anxiety. Her role as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

I haven't the space to list all of the movies that Kahn made before her death from ovarian cancer in 1999. However, I'd like to single out her performances as Mrs. White in Clue and Gypsy the moth in A Bug's Life. Beautiful woman, exceptional singer and actress, missed very much. Yet another reason to hate cancer.

"Oh, I just sing like I hurt inside."

2010-07-29T19:37:00.000-04:00

I remember watching the movie Sweet Dreams starring Jessica Lange as Patsy Cline and Ed Harris as her husband Charlie Dick. I was way, way too young to be watching this movie when I did, but I was intrigued by the tumultuous life and jarring death of the woman with the rich, gorgeous voice.

Patsy was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932. Like some of our other beautiful women, Patsy dropped out of high school and began working to supplement the family income. She was working regular jobs during the day and then singing at night in her iconic fringed cowgirl outfits. Her first hit song wouldn't come until she was 25 years old; "Walkin' After Midnight" was number 2 on the country chart and number 12 on the pop charts. Cline was one of the first to have a crossover hit.

"I Fall to Pieces", Cline's first number one hit, was released in 1961. 1961 also saw Cline release "Crazy". Her success made her a headliner in a time when women were just the opening acts or the pretty face to lure in more concert-goers. She was the first woman to perform at Carnegie Hall, headline Hollywood Bowl, and have a headliner show in Las Vegas. Sadly, she passed away in a plane crash in 1963. She was 30 years old.

Thanks to stupid Wikipedia and my memories of the aforementioned film of Ms Cline's life.

Blonde Venus

2010-07-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

Marlene Dietrich was born in Berlin-Schoneberg in 1901. She began acting at the age of 21 with her first lead role seven years later. She didn't move to America until she was 28 and made her first American film that same year.

Dietrich performed for American troops, on stage, in cabarets, and on film. A busy and beautiful woman who passed peacefully in her sleep in 1992.

Thanks to www.marlene.com .

Unpleasant Dreams

2010-07-28T13:12:00.000-04:00

Do you recognize this woman?

How about now?

It's Maila Nurmi, better known as Vampira. Nurmi attended a costume party in 1953 dressed as Morticia Addams (though the character was unnamed at that time). Nurmi won first place and the attentions of a television producer that wanted her to host late night movies. So, Vampira was born. She caught the attention of many people and has many imitators to this day, but she may be best known for being in the worst film ever made: Plan 9 From Outer Space. Nurmi played an undead wife to Bela Legosi's character after Legosi's actual death. Ed Wood had promised Legosi that he could work with Vampira, and this was how he accomplished that. Yep.

Thanks to http://www.unpleasantdreams.com .

One In A Million

2010-07-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

Taken from us far too soon, Aaliyah was only 22 years old when a tragic plane crash took her life. She had just finished filming a new music video and decided to come home early. Unfortunately, the plane that she and her entourage boarded was overloaded with passengers and equipment. I remember that day and how I felt knowing that someone my age had been cut short in such an unexpected and possibly avoidable way. Mortality slapped me in the face.
But what of her talents? Her contributions to the musical world? Aaliyah signed a record deal at the age of twelve and began recording her debut Age Ain't Nothing But A Number with her mentor R. Kelly. This was followed by One In A Million and the soundtrack to her first feature film Romeo Must Die. She began work on Queen of the Damned and released the album Aaliyah.

Then came the plane crash that took her life. Queen of the Damned were released after she left us. Her eponymous album hit number one on the Billboard charts. She left us with songs I still enjoy like "More Than A Woman", "Back and Forth", "Try Again" and "We Need A Resolution". Though her movie roles didn't have a chance to mature and grow, her music definitely changed the face of pop and R&B music. I hope that, even nine years later, this doesn't seem in poor taste to anyone. I really try to be respectful of the ladies on this blog while having a good time and remembering what, besides their beauty, they did in this world. I'm open to feedback.

The Barefoot Contessa

2010-07-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Ava Gardner started her Hollywood career after her brother-in-law posted a photograph of her in his store window. MGM signed the 18 year old to a seven year contract in 1941. Between her signing and her breakthrough performance in The Killers, Ava marries and divorces Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw. In 1951 Ava marries her third and final husband, Frank Sinatra. She receives an Oscar nomination in 1953 for her work in Mogambo.

Ava moves to Spain in 1955 and then divorces Sinatra in 1957. After leaving Spain, she spends the rest of her life in London. Ava was a beauty, no doubt. Too bad Sinatra was fool enough to let her go.

http://www.avagardner.org/

Stormy Weather

2010-07-25T14:39:00.000-04:00

As well known for her acting and singing as for her fight for civil rights, the lovely Lena Horne left us just this year. Horne started her career in Harlem's Cotton Club after leaving school at 16 to help provide for her mother. She became the first African-American to sign a long term contract with a studio and was the highest paid black actor in the 1940s. She was one of the many actors to be persecuted by the anti-Communist hysteria in the 50s because of her activities in civil rights. Not one to be bullied, Horne marched on Washington in 1963.

Strong, beautiful, and trail-blazing; that was Lena Horne.

Thanks to http://www.biography.com/articles/Lena-Horne-9344086 and http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/lena-horne/about-the-performer/487/ for the additional information.

"I'm not a bad witch! I'm a good witch!"

2010-07-23T16:11:00.001-04:00

Elizabeth Montgomery was best known for her role as Samantha Stephens on "Bewitched". The 5'6.5" beauty also made many, many television movies like "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" and "Act of Violence". I've never seen them either. Ahem. She also married four times and had three children. She ranked number 52 in FHM's list of the 100 sexiest women of all time.

I can see that. Additionally, there is a 9 foot tall bronze statue of Montgomery as Samantha Stephens riding a broom. The location of the statue? Salem, Massachusetts.

An American Dream

2010-07-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

Janet Leigh is best known for her role as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Though Leigh is only in the movie for less than half of it, everyone remembers her iconic shower scene vividly. The implied nudity, brutality, and convincing scream from Leigh made more than a few people frightened to shower without the doors securely locked.

Many also associate Leigh with her former husband, Tony Curtis, and her famous Scream Queen daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis. Few know that Leigh received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California on May 14, 2004. She was also named as one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history by Empire magazine in 1995.

Some Thought

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

I've been unsure about how much information to include in my posts. I didn't want to go all biographer on you but I also don't want to just describe what you can see for yourself when looking at the photos of the ladies. So, from the next post on I'll be providing more information about the women while also trying to focus on what made them so irresistible. It'll be a bit more wordy, but I believe that any readers that I might have can handle it. And if you can't, skip the words and get right to the ogling. I won't be able to tell the difference.

A Woman of Distinction

2010-07-20T20:22:00.000-04:00

A talented comedienne with beauty to spare. Russel was not seen as a sex symbol in her day, but as a character actress. Really?

What's a gal gotta do to get called sexy around here??

Oh look, we have created enchantment!

2010-07-20T20:19:00.001-04:00

Best known as Scarlett O'Hara, Vivien Leigh possesses a grace and beauty that is timeless. The arch of her eyebrow seems to tease while her eyes look right through you and her full lips hint at a smile.

Enchantment indeed.

The Temptress

2010-07-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

Another day, another gorgeous film icon. Garbo was declared to be the most beautiful woman that ever lived in 1954 by Guinness World Records. She is also credited as the first method actress and one of the highest paid women in the 1930s. She made over 25 films and was nominated for 4 Academy Awards.

And just to reiterate, alleged lesbian fling with Louise Brooks.

Thanks to http://www.gretagarbo.com/gretagarbo.com/Home.html for the information!

Pandora's Box

2010-07-18T11:51:00.000-04:00

Louise Brooks started in the silent Hollywood films of the 1920s and moved on to films in Germany. Her haircut was the "Rachel" of her time, causing many to adopt the now iconic bob.

She also claimed to have had an affair with Greta Garbo. And you are welcome for that visual.

I'm No Angel

2010-07-18T11:42:00.001-04:00

Mae West is clearly voluptuous and sultry. She's also one of my favorites because of her sense of humor and bawdy quotes. So I'm going to accompany her photos with some of my favorite quotes from the unique Ms. West:
"A hard man is good to find."
"A man in love is like a clipped coupon--it's time to cash in."
"Good sex is like good Bridge; If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."

"I don't like myself; I'm crazy about myself." I'm betting she wasn't the only person crazy about Mae West.

Thanks to http://allaboutmae.com/quotes for the, well, quotes!

Lily of the Field

2010-07-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Anna May Wong is another Hollywood trailblazer with talent and good looks to spare. The Los Angeles-born beauty is known for her role in Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich but has over sixty television and movie roles and appearances to her credit. Though Anna May struggled to win film roles, with Hollywood preferring to cast white actors in "yellow face", she worked until her death in 1961.

Not too bad for the lithe and gorgeous daughter of a laundryman. Rawr.

Easy to Love

2010-07-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

The beautiful Josephine Baker. She broke barriers in Hollywood with her voice and acting. She broke hearts with that gorgeous face, sparkling eyes, and warm smile.

And that body. Of course that body. Not to undermine her civil activist awesome or her other achievements, but damn girl. THAT BODY!

Peek-A-Boo!

2010-07-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

Another iconic hairstyle and an enviable body. In my (limited) research, I found that Lake was referred to as The Bitch by one of her co-stars. I fear the name has more to do with that golden, wavy hair, sultry mouth, and a body that won't stop housing the personality of a spitfire.

I'm guessing the real problem was that she wouldn't go home with him.

"I Was Never the Girl Next Door"

2010-07-14T10:32:00.000-04:00

Well, you sort of look like the girl next door here. Sweet smile, warm eyes, creamy skin, dark and luminous hair. I'm not sure what you mean by that quote, Bettie.

Oh, I see. Who would want to be the girl next door when you can be Bettie Page anyway?

Schöne Münchenerin

2010-07-13T22:50:00.001-04:00

The daughter of a shoemaker, Helene Sedlmayr, the "Beauty of Munich", caught the eye of Bavarian King Ludwig I when she was only fifteen. He ordered a painting to be made of her, so as to capture her beauty and display it in his palace. Her picture now hangs in the Munich Residenz in the Gallery of Beauties of KingLudwig I. But enough historical education!

Look at her lovely eyes, her tiny waist and that shiny hair. Beautiful. (She was 15)

Thanks to Jen K. for the submission of Ms. Sedlmayr!

The Girl Can't Help It

2010-07-13T16:14:00.002-04:00

Jayne Mansfield, screen siren and shunner of clothes. But with a body like that, why would you even try to contain the sexy with trifles such as pants and bras? It is madness to cover up such curves with anything that doesn't highlight them.

And every one damn well knew it.

She's Got Legs, And She Knows How To Use Them

2010-07-13T14:23:00.001-04:00

Look at those legs. I mean, damn. Cyd Charisse danced with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on those heavenly gams. She captivated Hollywood with those legs and good looks. Obviously Charisse looks like a real sultry siren in that kitty-cat number up there, but she also had the innocent look of the girl next door.

The girl next door that might go skinny-dipping with you. *wink*

A special thank you to Replica for the top picture and the site http://legs.free.fr/English/accueil.html

Well, Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a while longer.

2010-07-13T11:04:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that gorgeous face? CAN YOU? Those cheekbones, those eyes, those full, luscious lips. And she gets to be a princess? In Monaco? So not fair. But soooo sexy and beautiful. And?

Bam. Hot body too. You're welcome. So very, very welcome.

L’amour est un oiseau rebelle

2010-07-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

The beautiful and talented Dorothy Dandridge, how I envy your flawless skin and curvy body. Your voice is probably making the angels in heaven jealous, but with the flash of one of your sly smiles and a sultry wink, they get over it. I daresay you're courting some of the fine male specimens shown here while romping naked up there (everyone is naked in Heaven, right?) At least, that's what I'll be imagining. I bet I won't be the only one.

A Little Somethin' Somethin' For the Fellas*

2010-07-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

Hello. Welcome. If you happened upon this blog via search engine then what the hell did you type in? Seriously though, welcome. Perhaps you've heard of our brother site, Handsome Men Who Are Now Dead? If not, click on over and gaze upon men who are deceased but still able to light a fire in our panties. Nice, right? Yeah. Mama like. But this is about the ladies, so. Sit down. Grab something to drink and bathe in the beauty of yesteryear as we gaze upon the countenances of ladies who are no longer with us but still beautiful. Sexy even. Ladies that you would not hesitate to buy a drink for and drop a crappy pick-up line on if you were to find yourself traveling back in time so that you could save your future. Or something.

Luckily, I've got quite a few starting suggestions from people on the Facebook, including Kriegerfrau , the inventor of the dead sessy people blogs, and many other hot, but still very much alive, Pajibans. Those will not last forever though. So sit back, relax, and start sending in suggestions for posts to zoidbergmaybe@yahoo.com. Rawr.

*Or anyone that likes looking at sexy ladies. Which should be everyone.