40 Glamorous Photos of a Young and Beautiful Jean Parker in the 1930s

Jean Parker (born Lois May Green, August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was a prominent Hollywood ingenue in the 1930s, known for her pretty, vivacious looks, wide hazel eyes, and sweet, wide-eyed appeal in both supporting and leading roles.

She was discovered at age 16 after winning a poster contest (depicting Father Time or related to the Olympics). Her photo appeared in a Los Angeles newspaper and was spotted by Ida Koverman (assistant to MGM’s Louis B. Mayer), leading to a screen test and MGM contract. Her name was changed to Jean Parker. She had aspired to be an illustrator/artist before acting.

Her feature debut was the pre-Code drama Divorce in the Family (1932). She followed with an uncredited bit in Rasputin and the Empress (1932, the only film with all three Barrymores) and minor roles in films like Gabriel Over the White House and The Secret of Madame Blanche (both 1933).

On loan-outs she landed her best-remembered early parts: Lady for a Day (Frank Capra, Columbia) as Louise, the daughter of May Robson’s Apple Annie; Little Women (George Cukor, RKO) as the gentle, tragic Beth March opposite Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, and Frances Dee. These established her as a classic 1930s ingenue. She made multiple films in 1933 alone and gained a reputation for working quickly and well.

At MGM and elsewhere she took leads and supporting roles in a mix of dramas, comedies, and other genres. She made roughly 16 films for MGM between 1932–1935 (often B-picture leads) before freelancing more widely. By the late 1930s she continued in features (including some B-movies) while her image remained that of a soft, appealing ingenue. Publicists called her the “Cinderella Girl.” These photos from the period show her as a classic glamorous Hollywood beauty of the time.

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Danièle Gaubert: France’s Forgotten Icon of 1960s Cinema

Danièle Gaubert (1943–1987) was a French actress and model whose striking beauty and elegant presence made her a notable figure of 1960s European cinema.

Discovered at just 16 by director Claude Autant-Lara, Gaubert debuted in Les Régates de San Francisco (1960) and went on to appear in French, Italian, and international films, including Camille 2000 (1969) and Underground (1970).

With her refined features and sophisticated charm, Gaubert embodied the stylish allure of the decade. After marrying Olympic ski champion Jean-Claude Killy in 1972, she stepped away from the spotlight, leaving behind a brief but memorable career. These vintage photos beautifully capture the timeless elegance of Danièle Gaubert, a forgotten yet unforgettable icon of 1960s French cinema.

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A Gallery of 50 Vintage Photographs of a Young Norma Shearer in the 1920s

Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902 – June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated women. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O’Neill, and William Shakespeare, and was the first five-time Academy Award acting nominee, was nominated six times in all, and won one for Best Actress for The Divorcee (1930).

In the 1920s, Shearer transformed from a struggling New York model into the “Queen of MGM,” becoming one of Hollywood’s most powerful, stylish, and influential icons of the silent film era. Through immense determination, strategic career choices, and her marriage to a top studio executive, she defied early rejections to define modern femininity on screen.

Shearer began the decade in poverty after her family lost their wealth in Canada. Moving to New York in 1920, she faced harsh rejections; theater producer Florenz Ziegfeld famously told her she was too short and cross-eyed. Undeterred, she took a series of modeling jobs, even posing as the tire model “Miss Lotta Miles” on giant billboards, and worked as an extra to fund eye exercises to correct her strabismus. Her first minor break came with a fourth-billing role in the B-movie The Stealers (1920).

Her persistence paid off when Hollywood talent scout Irving Thalberg spotted her early work and signed her to a contract with the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio in 1923. Her career skyrocketed almost immediately. She starred in MGM’s very first official film, He Who Gets Slapped (1924), alongside Lon Chaney. In Lady of the Night (1925), she displayed her incredible versatility by playing a dual role, both a sheltered, conservative wealthy girl and a street-smart, independent woman. She became a definitive face of the “Jazz Age” and a massive box-office draw, known for her sophisticated, elegant style.

In 1927, Shearer married Irving Thalberg, who had risen to become MGM’s legendary head of production. While Thalberg initially preferred that she retire to family life, Shearer fiercely demanded bigger, more complex roles. This marriage solidified her massive influence on the studio lot.

Unlike many silent stars whose careers died with the advent of synchronized sound, Shearer embraced “talkies” with total confidence. Backed by her brother Douglas Shearer, who happened to be MGM’s chief sound engineer, she made her successful talking debut in The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929). By the end of 1929, she filmed The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, setting the stage for her boundary-pushing, Oscar-winning work as a sexually liberated woman in the early 1930s.

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Teal Traina: Elegant Mid-Century American Fashion

Teal Traina (1917–2002) was an influential American fashion manufacturer and Seventh Avenue executive known for his sophisticated ready-to-wear and eveningwear collections from the late 1950s through the 1970s.

After working with the prestigious Traina-Norell label, Traina launched his own company, Traina Inc., in 1959. He was particularly admired for his talent in discovering and mentoring young designers, most notably Geoffrey Beene, who designed for the house before establishing his own label.

With elegant, well-crafted designs that appeared frequently in major fashion magazines, the Teal Traina label became a respected name in mid-century American fashion. These sophisticated designs showcase the refined style and craftsmanship of Teal Traina, a respected name in mid-century American ready-to-wear and evening fashion.

Model in elongated evening dress plaided in black and white paillettes from throat to hem with black satin shoestring tie looping the waist by Teal Traina, photo by Lillian Bassman, Harper's Bazaar, November 1960

Model in black cocktail dress, worked like a halter on top and cut to a deep V in back in blend of Orlon and silk by Teal Traina, photo by Saul Leiter, Harper's Bazaar, October 1960

Model in dinner dress of jersey covered in shimmering flowers gilded with silvery Lurex threads and trimmed in sable by Teal Traina, photo by Saul Leiter, Harper's Bazaar, November 1961

Nena von Schlebrugge in dazzling white cotton crêpe dress by Teal Traina, white organdie hat by Halston made to order at Bergdorf Goodman, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, July 1, 1962

Suzy Parker in sea-shell white bias-cut silk tubular shift by Teal Traina, hat by Lilly Daché, earrings by DeMaria, photo by Richard Avedon, Harper's Bazaar, June 1962

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Fascinating Photos of a Young Ronnie Spector at Home in 1970

Veronica Yvette Greenfield (née Bennett; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022), known professionally as Ronnie Spector, was an American singer. Regarded as the “bad girl of rock and roll,” she achieved international fame for founding and fronting the girl group the Ronettes.

After marrying record producer Phil Spector in 1968, Ronnie was forced out of the spotlight. By 1970, she was living inside their heavily guarded Beverly Hills mansion under tyrannical control. Phil restricted her contact with friends, fellow musicians, and the outside world. He went as far as hiding her shoes so she could not wander outside. In 1969, the couple adopted their first son, Donté. In late 1971, Phil unexpectedly adopted twin boys (Louis and Gary) without her prior knowledge as a “surprise Christmas gift.”

While Phil Spector was in London working on Let It Be and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass in 1970, Ronnie saw a brief opportunity to record again. Harrison wrote “Try Some, Buy Some” specifically for Ronnie to record on Apple Records. In February 1971, Ronnie flew to London to record the single at Abbey Road Studios with production from Harrison and Phil. Released in April 1971, the track charted modestly on the Billboard Hot 100, but Phil withheld a planned follow-up solo album.

Realizing her life was in danger, Ronnie fled the mansion in 1972 bare-footed with the help of her mother, leaving behind all her possessions. She officially divorced Phil in 1974, re-formed the Ronettes with new members, and later launched her solo comeback in the mid-1970s alongside artists like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

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Pat Crowley: Charming Star of Mid-Century Film and Television

Pat Crowley (1933–2025) was an American actress known for her warm personality and fresh-faced beauty in films and television of the 1950s and ’60s.

Crowley began her career on Broadway before making her Hollywood debut, earning a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for her roles in Forever Female (1953) and Money from Home (1953). She appeared opposite stars such as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Tony Curtis, and later found lasting success on television, most notably as Joan Nash in the sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.

With her natural charm and wholesome appeal, Crowley remained a familiar and beloved presence on screen for decades. These vintage photographs beautifully capture the warm charm and classic beauty of Pat Crowley, a memorable star of mid-century Hollywood and television.

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In 1982, Knickerbocker Released the E.T. Finger Light Toy Which Was Quickly Removed From Stores

The 1982 E.T. Finger Light by Knickerbocker Toy Co. is one of the most infamous movie tie-in merchandise failures in toy history. Released to capitalize on the massive success of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the toy was pulled from store shelves just months after its launch due to intense controversy over its design.

It was designed to let children ages 4 and up mimic E.T.’s famous glowing, healing fingertip. Carried under model number 4111, it consisted of a flesh-colored, textured rubber extension that fit over a child’s finger. When pressed down against a surface, an internal, non-replaceable battery would trigger a light bulb at the tip, causing it to glow. The packaging proudly advertised: “Finger Glows When Pressed!”

While intended as an innocent piece of movie magic, the toy’s shape, rubberized texture, and phallic appearance immediately raised eyebrows among parents. Adults heavily criticized the toy for unintentionally resembling an adult novelty product rather than a children’s plaything. Due to the immediate wave of complaints, awkward parental backlash, and public mockery, retailers quickly removed the product from shelves and discontinued it after only a few months in production. Coincidentally, the manufacturing company, Knickerbocker Toy Co., went out of business that very same year, in 1982.