Classic Hollywood may be remembered for its glamorous movies and unforgettable stars, but behind the scenes, it was often far from glittering. From beauty standards that forced stars to undergo extreme physical changes to secret relationships and punishing working conditions, many actors and actresses faced grueling challenges and were subject to shocking mistreatment at the hands of powerful studios. Here, we uncover 23 stories that illustrate the harsh realities stars endured in order to maintain their careers.
1. Marilyn Monroe’s Transformation
Marilyn Monroe was famously transformed from Norma Jeane Mortenson into the blonde bombshell we know today. Her agency insisted that she bleach her naturally curly brown hair and adopt the Hollywood-standard straight blonde look. Despite Monroe’s talent, her success was contingent upon her adherence to these extreme beauty standards.
2. Tippi Hedren’s Ordeal in The Birds
Tippi Hedren faced a nightmarish experience while filming the famous attack scene in The Birds. Director Alfred Hitchcock used live birds, leaving her bruised and exhausted. Although crew members sympathized, they could do little to ease her suffering. Eventually, a doctor intervened, forcing Hitchcock to grant her a brief respite from the filming.
3. Ava Gardner’s Sacrifice for Success
Ava Gardner’s relationship with Frank Sinatra resulted in an unexpected pregnancy, which she felt compelled to terminate due to career pressures and MGM studio rules that penalized actresses for having children. Gardner’s choice to prioritize her career and financial stability reveals the pressure placed on stars to remain child-free.
4. Hattie McDaniel’s Battle with Racism
5. The Toxic Makeup of The Wizard of Oz
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, wore a toxic copper-based green face paint, which forced her to stick to a liquid-only diet to avoid swallowing any paint. Hamilton’s commitment to the role, despite the health risks, is a testament to the demands placed on classic Hollywood actors.
6. Jackie Coogan’s Hardship as a Child Actor
Jackie Coogan’s parents drained his earnings, a common issue for child actors. His plight ultimately led to the creation of the Coogan Law, intended to protect child actors’ earnings. On set, Coogan and other child actors endured long hours and cruel tactics meant to evoke on-screen tears, which reveals a disturbing aspect of child stardom.
7. Merle Oberon’s Concealed Heritage
Merle Oberon, a talented mixed-race actress born in India, concealed her heritage to avoid Hollywood’s harsh racial discrimination. Fearful that her background would jeopardize her career, Oberon kept her true heritage a secret until after her death.
8. Judy Garland’s Relentless Work Schedule
Judy Garland faced an exhausting schedule, with only one day off each week and sometimes working 18-hour days. MGM studios provided her with amphetamines to stay alert and sleeping pills at night. Tragically, this led to her addiction and early death, underscoring how the industry’s unyielding expectations took a toll on young stars.
9. Debbie Reynolds’ Distressing Singin’ in the Rain Experience
While filming Singin’ in the Rain, Debbie Reynolds was subjected to intense criticism and physical discomfort from co-star Gene Kelly, who reportedly made her feel humiliated and forced an unwanted kiss during a scene. Reynolds later recalled these moments as deeply distressing, shedding light on the power imbalance between young actresses and established stars.
10. The Curse of The Misfits
The Misfits, which starred Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Clift, seemed almost cursed. Gable suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after filming ended, Monroe’s marriage crumbled, and she died of an overdose a year later, while Clift, who refused to watch the film, also died young. Their fates underscore the pressures faced by Hollywood’s brightest stars.
11. Peg Entwistle’s Tragic End
Broadway actress Peg Entwistle moved to Hollywood with high hopes, but when her career faltered, she tragically ended her life by jumping off the “H” in the Hollywood sign. Entwistle’s story remains a haunting symbol of Hollywood’s sometimes brutal toll on aspiring actors.
12. Shirley Temple’s Black Box Punishment
In her autobiography, Shirley Temple described a harsh punishment used on child actors called “the black box,” where misbehaving children were made to sit on a block of ice. Temple’s resilience reveals the cruelty faced by child actors who, despite their tender ages, were subjected to strict and sometimes harmful disciplinary measures.
13. Olivia de Havilland’s Retaliation from Warner Bros.
Olivia de Havilland faced industry retaliation for declining unwanted roles at Warner Bros. The studio blacklisted her, restricting her work with other studios. Her experience illustrates how powerful studios wielded absolute control over actors’ careers.
14. Forced Name Changes for Stars
Lucille LeSueur was forced to change her name to Joan Crawford by MGM, a name she detested, comparing it to a crawfish. Similarly, Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach but changed his name at the insistence of Paramount. Such forced changes reflect Hollywood’s desire to mold stars to fit specific images.
15. Natalie Wood’s Fear and Tragic End
Natalie Wood’s mother instilled a deep fear of water in her after a psychic predicted Wood’s death by drowning. In a chilling twist, Wood was later found dead in the ocean under mysterious circumstances, a tragic end that continues to haunt Hollywood’s memory.
16. John Gilbert’s Sabotage by MGM
Louis B. Mayer, MGM’s powerful co-founder, didn’t get along with actor John Gilbert and worked to tarnish his reputation. Mayer spread rumors that Gilbert’s voice was unsuitable for sound films and cast him in poor-quality movies, ultimately forcing him out of MGM.
17. Greta Garbo’s Extreme Dieting
When Greta Garbo arrived in Hollywood, she was informed that American audiences disliked “fat” women. Committed to her career, Garbo reportedly subsisted solely on spinach for a period. This story exemplifies the immense pressure actresses faced to meet Hollywood’s exacting beauty standards.
18. Mickey Rooney’s Love Life Controlled by the Studio
When Mickey Rooney wanted to marry Ava Gardner, MGM’s head Louis B. Mayer forbade it, claiming that marriage would ruin Rooney’s appeal. The studio’s intervention in stars’ personal lives reveals how it sought to control even the most intimate aspects of their lives.
19. Loretta Young’s Secret Child with Clark Gable
Loretta Young secretly gave birth to a child fathered by Clark Gable, who was already married, and pretended to have adopted the child to avoid scandal. Her story highlights how stars went to great lengths to avoid public scrutiny over private matters.
20. Rock Hudson’s Forced Marriage to Conceal His Identity
Rock Hudson was forced by his studio to marry Phyllis Gates to hide his sexuality, fearing that his career as a leading man would be ruined if his identity were known. This charade and its eventual exposure reflect the struggles LGBTQ+ actors faced in Hollywood.
21. Jean Harlow’s Secret Pregnancy
Jean Harlow, one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, faced restrictions in her MGM contract that barred her from marrying or having children. She resorted to hospitalization under a pseudonym to conceal a pregnancy, illustrating the rigid and intrusive control studios held over stars’ lives.
22. Ava Gardner’s Forced Acculturation
Ava Gardner, a Southern beauty, was deemed unfit for stardom by MGM due to her accent and lack of sophistication. The studio demanded she take acting and vocal lessons to conform to Hollywood’s standards, a reminder of how stars were expected to completely transform themselves.
23. Dorothy Dandridge’s Forced Abortion
Dorothy Dandridge, often compared to Marilyn Monroe, had a relationship with director Otto Preminger and became pregnant. The studio pressured her into an abortion, fearing it would damage her image and stir racial controversy, further exposing the coercive influence studios held over actresses.
These stories shed light on the control, mistreatment, and sacrifice stars endured to meet the demands of the industry. While some of these struggles reflect the prejudices and standards of a different era, they also serve as a reminder of the resilience and dedication of these actors, who persevered under tremendous pressure in the hopes of fulfilling their Hollywood dreams.
