Although they are considered legends today, many favorite old Hollywood stars did not find instant fame and success. Some had to work exceptionally hard to get past all the closed doors in Tinsel Town. While some lucky celebrities from Hollywood's golden age were picked out of crowds for their good looks, others worked hard until they caught breaks big enough to propel them to stardom.
With abusive studio systems and gossip columnists scrutinizing those lucky enough to become famous, old Hollywood was pretty brutal. Actors and actresses were routinely criticized and asked to change their names, hair, and teeth. Those who had talent and thick skin became household names. Maybe certain silver screen sirens had ideal star signs; maybe some just got lucky. Either way, it's hard to believe how old Hollywood stars got their big breaks.
Lana Turner's father was murdered when she was young, so her mother moved the family from Idaho to Los Angeles, CA. Turner was in high school when a Hollywood Reporter publisher noticed her drinking a soda at a local cafe. He introduced the teen to Zeppo Marx, and the Marx brother brought her up to MGM's Mervyn LeRoy. Soon after, LeRoy cast Turner in 1937's They Won't Forgetbefore signing her to a permanent contract.
Although the young starlet didn't have a large part, Turner's tight fitting skirt and sweater helped turn her into a Hollywood sex symbol and poster girl.
Ava Gardner's photographer brother-in-law sent her photo to MGM when she was only 18. Although Gardner was studying to become a secretary, she changed her plans when the studio offered her a screen test in 1941. The young woman didn't have acting experience, but she was given a seven-year contract based on her looks.
After being hired, the North Carolina native had to take speech lessons to lose her southern drawl. MGM also enrolled her in acting classes. Shy and nervous at first, Gardner only booked small roles. Eventually, she took on larger parts, finally becoming a major star with the 1946 release of The Killers.
While working at an Akron, OH, tire factory, 16-year-old Clark Gable saw a play that motivated him to become an actor. The young hopeful joined a traveling theater to follow his passions, but the business went bankrupt, stranding Gable in Montana. He hitchhiked to Oregon, met a manager who gave him a makeover, and then married her.
Afterwards, the couple moved to Hollywood to break into the film industry. Casting agents initially rejected Gable; they believed his large ears weren't suitable for a leading man. Finally, though, he landed a speaking role in 1931 film The Painted Desert.
His performance prompted MGM to give him a contract. Soon after, Gable began to star alongside glamorous actresses like Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey Hepburn was visiting Holland with her mother when Nazi soldiers invaded and trapped them there. After the war, Hepburn moved back to London, studied ballet, and worked as a model. She was approached one day in 1951 by Gigi author Colette. The French writer thought the young woman would be perfect for the title role in a stage adaption of her novel. Hepburn signed on, and after starring in the role on Broadway, she was almost immediately offered a role in 1953's Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck.
The role won her an Oscar and led to the rest of her remarkable career.
Born in England as Archie Leach, Cary Grant joined a troupe of acrobats at 14 and moved to New York with them. He decided to stay in America instead of returning to his native country, though. Grant appeared on Broadway and found work as a stilt walker before moving to Los Angeles, CA, to try his luck in Hollywood.
The hopeful actor failed his first screen test but was hired by Paramount after a second attempt. The studio insisted he change his name. In the late 1930's, after starring in more than 20 movies, Grant morphed into the man audiences recognize; he found great success throughout the rest of his career.
After changing the spelling of her name and taking her husband's first name as a surname, Vivien Leigh got her initial part on the London stage in 1935. She performed in several Shakespeare productions where she met and began an affair with actor Laurence Olivier. Leigh traveled to America with the actor, while he toured with a stage production crew.
During those travels, Leigh met George Cukor, the casting director for Gone with the Wind. Cukor was very impressed by the virtually unknown Leigh, giving her the part of Scarlett O'Hara. He received a lot of backlash for rejecting American leading ladies like Bette Davis, but Leigh won an Oscar for the role and went on to become a star.
