In the 1940s, Dorothy Malone (January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was a brunette “good girl” of Hollywood, often cast in wholesome or secondary roles before her later transformation into a blonde bombshell. Discovered at age 19 while performing in a college play at Southern Methodist University, she spent much of the decade building a steady career through B-movies and supporting parts.
Her most iconic 1940s moment was a brief but unforgettable scene in the 1946 film noir The Big Sleep. Playing a bespectacled bookstore clerk, she famously “let down her hair” and shared a drink with Humphrey Bogart, showcasing a sultry potential that stood out from her usual roles. She worked steadily for RKO Pictures and later Warner Bros., appearing in films like The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943) and various Westerns such as South of St. Louis and Colorado Territory (1949).
During this era, Malone maintained her natural dark hair and was frequently utilized for her “striking natural beauty” and poise. By the late 1940s, she left the major studio system at Warner Bros. to work as a freelance actress, a move that eventually led to more diverse opportunities in the following decade. Here’s a collection of 30 glamorous photos of a young and beautiful Dorothy Malone in the 1940s:
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