Vintage Celebrity Photos That’ll Take You Right Back To Hollywood’s Glamorous Golden Era

‘70s Icon Jaclyn Smith Looks Dashing In Pink

Jaclyn Smith achieved fame as Kelly Garrett, one-third of the Charlie’s Angels crime-fighting trio of the ‘70s. That’s not her only claim to fame, though. She is credited for being one of the first actresses to successfully parlay her reputation as an actress into a lucrative career as an entrepreneur.

If this photo of her looking fashionable in a pink ensemble proves anything, it’s that she had an eye for fashion. No wonder she managed to launch her own clothing line with Kmart in the ‘80s. She didn’t turn her back on acting altogether, though. In 2019, she reprised her role as Kelly in the Elizabeth Banks-directed reboot starring Kristen Stewart.

Wonder Woman Lynda Carter Showing Off Her Famous Curves In 1977

Lynda Carter cemented her place in TV history when she was cast as the titular Wonder Woman in the ‘70s. And she proved that she was more than just a pretty face and a curvy body when she insisted that the showrunners write the show to give female viewers a positive role model despite fears its feminist message would turn off audiences.

In 2020, she paid homage to the role that made her famous with a cameo appearance in the Gal Gadot-led Wonder Woman 1984. Carter played the Amazonian Asteria, who earned the title The Golden Warrior.

Modern audiences are used to seeing The Queen star Helen Mirren in more mature roles sporting her silver hair. But once upon a time, she was a young budding actress trying to break into the world of film. Here she is as a 23-year-old theater performer in a Royal Shakespeare Theatre production of Troilus and Cressida.

She started receiving international acclaim in the ‘80s when she won the best actress trophy at the Cannes Film Festival for the role of Cal. Mirren sustained her success as a film actress into the 21st century, winning her sole Oscar award in 2007. You can catch her next in the upcoming Shazam! Sequel in 2023.

The Alluring Alexandra Bastedo In The ‘60s

Alexandra Bastedo found fame in both her native United Kingdom and Spain, where she was dubbed La Bastedo. English-speaking audiences would best remember her as secret agent Sharron Macready in the ‘60s sci-fi spy series, The Champions.

In the ‘70s, she saw her film career take off in continental Europe, particularly in Spain, where she starred in movies like The Blood Splattered Bride. The stint saw her become proficient in multiple languages, including Italian and French. Bastedo eventually returned to her home country and met her demise there in 2014 after battling cancer.

A Young Sophia Loren In 1954 Enjoying Her Day In The Sun

To modern audiences, Sophia Loren is a bonafide silver screen icon. Yet she was but an ingénue looking for her big break when this stunning photo of her was taken in 1954. She was shooting the melodrama The River Girl in which she played a simple pregnant woman left behind by her lover.

While the movie didn’t get rave reviews, it cemented Loren as a pretty face and a talented dramatic actress. She finally got to have her day in the sun in the years that followed with films like Houseboat, and It Started in Naples. She last acted in the 2020 film The Life Ahead.

Jayne Mansfield Can’t Help But Be Beautiful On The Set Of This 1956 Comedy

Jayne Mansfield wasn’t one to shy away from showcasing her physical assets even at the beginning of her career. Here she is and her famously curvy figure on the set of the 1956 comedy The Girl Can’t Help It. She would go on to cement her status as a blonde bombshell into the ‘60s when her career was cut short.

Mansfield passed away in her 30s in a tragic vehicular accident. She left behind five children, including Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay, and a lengthy film résumé that is still celebrated to this day.

Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello During Their First Beach Party In 1963

The ‘60s were one long party… or at least that’s what beach movies wanted audiences to think. And actors Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon contributed to this endeavor by starring in a series of such films beginning with 1963’s Beach Party.

Interestingly, Funicello was never allowed to wear revealing clothes for the films. This was done in an attempt to protect her wholesome image as a former Mouseketeer. What’s more, the beach movies’ war-free and segregation-free ideal world was a stark contrast to the actual social realities that marked the decade.

Angelic Farah Fawcett & Her Decade-Defining Hairstyle In 1975

Farah Fawcett became an it-girl in the ‘70s thanks to her role in the hit series Charlie’s Angels. But it’s not just her gender norm-busting role that endeared her to the masses. Her iconic hairdo of feathered waves flipped away from the face also helped define the decade’s distinct style.

Unfortunately, Fawcett is no longer with us. She passed in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. On the bright side, she did leave an important message behind with a documentary called Farah’s Story that showed the realities that come with suffering from an illness.

Brigitte Bardot’s Brunette Alter Ego In 1967

Images of Brigitte Bardot in her prime often showed her with her signature blonde locks. So, this snapshot of her from the music video for the song Comic Strip is a refreshing one to see. It’s one of the handful of times she donned a wig and channeled her brunette alter ego on screen.

Before that, she only changed her looks to disguise herself from the public while out and about with her second husband, Jacques Charrier. There’s no doubt Bardot loves her natural blonde color. Now, in her 80s, the And God Created Woman star still rocks the same hue as she fights for animals’ rights.

Yvonne Craig, Aka Batgirl, Getting Into Her Bat

Frank Zappa At Home With His “Square” Folks In 1970

Seeing how normal Frank Zappa’s parents look, you may be wondering how come he turned out so unique. Well, photographer John Olson thought so, too. And so, he set out to photograph rockstars at home with their “sweetly square folks” in the early ‘70s. Don’t be fooled by their looks, though. Frank and Marie are interesting people.

Zappa revealed that his father once had unconventional aspirations and secretly wanted to be a TV actor. And while some might not love the unconventional singer’s famously wild locks, his mother is only mad about the fact that his mane turned out curlier than hers.

Proof Robert De Niro Was A Real-Life Taxi Driver In 1976

Thought Robert De Niro was compelling as unstable cabbie Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver? That’s because he got into character by driving as a real-life cabbie in New York City doing 12-hour shifts! Here’s his license for proof. His hard work definitely paid off, as the role earned him an Oscar nod.

We hope he doesn’t employ the same method for his latest movie role, though. You see, he’s preparing to star in the 2021 film Killers of the Flower Moon, where he plays a villainous killer. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it’s based on a best-selling novel by David Grann.

Yvonne Craig’s training as a ballet dancer definitely helped her bag the role of Batgirl in the Batman TV series of the late ‘60s. Alongside Adam West, who portrayed the titular superhero, she performed her own stunts wearing her skintight, purple costume.

Here she is holding her mask and getting into her bat suit on the set of the ABC show. No stuntwoman in sight! Her efforts paid off as her seminal portrayal of Batgirl is still remembered fondly as the first female superhero of the TV generation. Craig passed away at the age of 78 in 2015.

The King Wooing Ann-Margret With Song & Dance In 1964

The Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret film Viva Las Vegas wasn’t critically acclaimed at all. A fun musical, it was praised more so because of the undeniable chemistry between its two lead stars who played a race car driver smitten with a swimming instructor. No wonder this connection translated to real life, too.

Priscilla Presley, the King’s only wife, described Ann-Margret as the woman she feared the most before their marriage. Despite this, the Can’t Help Falling in Love singer and his Swedish on-screen partner maintained a connection until he died in 1977.

Young Alyssa Milano Is The Boss In This Quintessentially ‘80s Portrait

Colorful bangles and big hair. Can this Alyssa Milano look be any more quintessentially ‘80s? Barely a teen when she scored the role of Samantha Micelli in the hit sitcom Who’s the Boss? she rocked a similar style throughout the show’s eight-season run.

Fans can expect a more updated look from her character in the near future, though. In 2020, it was announced that both Milano and her on-screen dad, Tony Danza, have agreed to return for a sequel to the ABC program that would be set 30 years after the original’s finale.

M.A.S.H. is, without a doubt, among the best series that ever aired on American TV. It aired for 11 seasons in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, receiving consistently high ratings and critical acclaim. There’s no doubt that much of that success is thanks to the show’s main cast.

Here they are in a promotional photo for its first season in 1972. The Korean War-centered program starred Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, and Loretta Swit as a group of medical professionals stationed in the Asian country. The actors’ chemistry translated off-screen, too, as the cast and crew treated each other like family on the set.

A Lovestruck Christina Applegate & Brad Pitt In 1988

Now, here’s a Hollywood couple you forgot about. Before he was part of the iconic Brangelina duo, Brad Pitt dated a teenage Christina Applegate as a 20-something in the late ‘80s. Their brief romance saw the young couple acting smitten even at events like this Amnesty International gathering.

They parted ways in 1989 and never got back together. Applegate, who we last saw in 2020 on Dead to Me, is now married to Dutch musician Martyn LeNoble. Meanwhile, Pitt is single once again after a controversial divorce from his ex, Angelina Jolie.

Billy Joel With His Uptown Girl Christie Brinkley In 1982

Given Christie Brinkley’s background, you can say she was truly an uptown girl. Adopted by her TV writer Don Brinkley, she grew up in Los Angeles and studied in France. She was a working model when they crossed paths in the early ‘80s, though. Here they are during the early days of their relationship in 1982.

Their union would last until 1994, when they decided to call it quits after the Piano Man’s touring schedule got in the way of their marriage. Two wives and over 25 years later, Joel is still jet-setting across the United States to perform in 2021.

Bruce Springsteen Talking About Love In A Phone Booth, 1978

According to photographer Frank Stefanko, who took this photo at a New Jersey luncheonette, Bruce Springsteen is a man of many stories. Among the tales The Boss told Stefanko was the many times he’s spent in a phone booth calling his girl. That’s how this photograph of a 29-year-old Springsteen came to be.

Over four decades later and the Hungry Hearts singer is still telling stories. This time, though, he’s doing so with former President Barack Obama. In 2021, the unlikely duo released the Spotify-exclusive podcast Renegades: Born in the U.S.A.

Clint Eastwood & His Kiss-Blowing Friend, Manis, In 1978

You may be cool but are you a Clint Eastwood riding-a-motorcycle-with-an-orangutan level of cool? Probably not. Few people could’ve touched him during the height of his ‘70s fame. Still, it’s adorable to see him get cozy with his Any Which Way But Loose co-star, Manis.

Several behind-the-scenes photos show the pair bonding on the film’s set. Sadly, Manis wasn’t able to return for the sequel two years later. The kiss-blowing monkey reportedly grew too big to reprise his role as Eastwood’s companion, Clyde.

Marilyn Monroe Pouring Herself A Drink in 1958

She was a sultry screen siren. He was an intellectual author. And yet Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller found each other and made things work… at first. The couple, who met in 1950 and married in 1956, had a rocky marriage that ended in the early ‘60s.

This photo shows a happier time for the doomed lovers. Taken in Monroe’s Manhattan apartment in 1958, it shows the Some Like It Hot star pouring herself a drink. Sitting in the back are Miller and producer Kermit Bloomgarden. She passed away years later in 1962 after overdosing on sedative drugs in 1952.

Whirlwind Lovers Britt Ekland & Peter Sellers In 1965

When Britt Ekland met Peter Sellers in 1964, she was just a 21-year-old aspiring actress freshly arrived from Sweden. Ten days later, they were married. The whirlwind lovers would go on to become one of the ‘60s most-talked-about couples and collaborators starring together in the films The Bobo and After the Fox.

Ekland would achieve even more fame in the ‘70s after her divorce from the Pink Panther actor. She’s best remembered as Bond girl Mary Goodnight in The Man With the Golden Gun. A comedy legend, Sellers passed away in 1980.

NASCAR Legend Dale Earnhardt Traded His Black Chevy For A Red One In 1976

Racecar driver Dale Earnhardt earned the nickname The Man in Black because of the black No. 3 Chevy he drove for most of his decorated NASCAR career. He notably ditched his go-to vehicle from time to time, though. Among that handful of instances is when he sported this red No. 30 Chevy for one race in 1976.

He would go on to experiment some more until his life was cut short in 2001. Earnhardt died at the age of 49 while racing the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was driving his trusty No. 3 Chevy when he collided with another racer.

‘70s Idols—John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, And Jeff Conaway—As ‘50s Greasers

At its core, Grease is a ‘70s musical film about a group of high school squares and greasers set in the ‘50s. And yet that’s what makes it work, and its lead star Olivia Newton-John, pictured here with John Travolta and Jeff Conaway, agreed as she defended the film from critics, who deemed it “problematic” in 2021.

Meanwhile, Travolta is also helping in keeping Grease alive. In the same year, he and his daughter Ella Travolta recreated one of the film’s iconic dance scenes. The duo did so for a Super Bowl commercial for ScottsMiracle-Gro.

Elvis Joined March Of Dimes In 1957 & Got A Kiss Reward

Elvis Presley may be known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll but what many don’t realize is that he also did a lot of humanitarian work at the height of his fame. In the ‘50s, he worked with March of Dimes, which was then trying to combat polio.

Here he is in early 1957 getting a kiss from little Joanne Wilson, who was March of Dimes’ poster girl for 1956. While Elvis fans likely deemed her lucky for getting the chance to interact with the idol, Wilson said she actually didn’t want to kiss him at the time. Apparently, she wasn’t a fan of the Jailhouse Rock singer.

Jim Morrisson Bathed In Psychedelic Lights & Leather, 1968

As the frontman of The Doors, Jim Morrisson was all about the rockstar life, drugs included. Here he is looking every bit the part, dressed in leather while performing solo on a psychedelic themed stage in 1968. In contrast with his usually outrageous and energetic performances, he looked somewhat morose in this photo.

A few years after this was taken, Morrisson left his band to move to Paris, France. Initially planning to write poetry, he met his demise there in 1971. He was only 27. Originally a four-piece band, The Door’s two surviving members reunited in 2020 for a one-night-only concert in Los Angeles.

Steve McQueen & Jacqueline Bisset Chilling On The Set Of Bullitt In 1968

The 1968 film Bullitt was action-packed from beginning to end. So, this picture of its lead stars, Steve McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset, just chilling on the set is a nice contrast. It would’ve been nice to see behind-the-scenes photos of the movie’s famous car chase scene as well, though.

McQueen would go on to star in more movies until his untimely death in 1980. Bisset did, too, starring as the leading lady opposite actors like Jon Voight and Charles Bronson in the ‘70s. She still acts to this day, and last appeared in the 2021 film Blood Brothers: Civil War.

Johnny Cash, Aka The Man In Black, At The Jimmy Dean Show In 1964

Country music legend Johnny Cash was already a bonafide hitmaker when this photo was taken in 1964. Sporting his signature all-black performance ensemble, the Man in Black sang his acclaimed song, Ring of Fire. Behind the scenes, though, Cash was beginning to fall into a pattern of addiction that would hound him for the rest of his life.

The last couple of years of his life were marked by physical decline. After experiencing a career resurgence thanks to a cover of the song Hurt, Cash passed away in 2003. His death came just a couple of months after his beloved wife, June Carter Cash died.

Hollywood’s Golden Couple Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward In 1963

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were dubbed Hollywood’s golden couple in the ‘60s. Looking back on their five decades of wedded bliss, the nickname definitely seems fitting. What’s more, the power couple also boasted of being Oscar winners, with Newman having two under his belt.

Newman and Woodward also notably worked often together with the former directing his wife in films like The Glass Menagerie. They only parted ways upon The Sting actor’s death in 2008. He passed away months after they marked their 50th wedding anniversary. Woodward never remarried but continued acting until 2013.

Happy Days’ Ron Howard & Pat Morita Doing Some Jiu-Jitsu In 1975

Due to its idealized portrayal of the American middle class in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Happy Days was never really a hit with the critics. It still managed to find a loyal audience, though, thanks to its lighthearted plots and the popularity of Henry Winkler’s Fonzie character.

This photo of Ron Howard, who played Richie, and Pat Morita, who played Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi, is a great example. In this season three episode, Richie asked Arnold for some much-needed jiu-jitsu and self-defense tips after backing down from a fight. As always, hilarity ensued.

The New Mr. & Mrs. Presley Jetting Off To Their Honeymoon in 1967

America had its eyes on Elvis Presley and his young love, Priscilla, throughout the early days of their romance. So, it’s no surprise that the public followed the couple even as they finally tied the knot in 1967. Here’s a photo of the new Mr. and Mrs. Presley about to board a plane following their Las Vegas nuptials.

The couple reportedly spent their honeymoon in a Palm Springs residence called the House of Tomorrow. They welcomed daughter Lisa Marie just months later. Sadly, their wedded bliss didn’t last long, and they parted ways after six years. Priscilla, who’s now in her 70s, is rumored to be dating Tom Jones.