10 Classic Non-Blonde Hollywood Bombshells

All that glitters is not blonde

Published 4 months ago in Wow

Marilyn Monroe. Jayne Mansfield. Jean Harlow.

Though the word "bombshell" typically evokes a gorgeous blonde from the golden age of Hollywood, Tinseltown had more than its fair share of stunning brunettes and redheads. Enter stunning, dark-haired stars like Ava Gardner, Vivien Leigh and Anna May Wong.

From Sophia Loren to Dorothy Dandridge, here are 10 classic non-blonde Hollywood bombshells.

1
Vivien Leigh
“Vivien Leigh was introduced to the role of Scarlet O'Hara [in 'Gone with the Wind’] by somebody saying to her ‘Vivien, I've just read a great story for the movies about the b—iest of all b—es, and you're just the person to play the part."

2
Ava Gardner
“Ava Gardner once swam [unclothed] in a pool belonging to Ernest Hemingway. He ordered that the water never be changed.”

3
Rita Hayworth
“Rita Hayworth, ‘The Love Goddess,’ was first billed as Rita Cansino and was judged "too Mediterranean" before having her hairline raised by painful electrolysis, changing her hair color to dark red, and taking her mother's maiden name. She was a third-generation professional dancer.”
4
Ann Sheridan
Before making her Hollywood debut, Ann Sheridan played women’s basketball for North Texas State Teachers College.

5
Elizabeth Taylor
“The first actor to ever earn a $1 million salary for a single film is Elizabeth Taylor for 'Cleopatra' (1963). She also secured 10% of the gross profits & add-ons if the filming ran over, which it did. In total, she earned around $7 million for the movie ($69 million in 2023 money).”
6
Hedy Lamarr
“Hedy Lamarr, a gorgeous Hollywood actress, invented in 1942 a technique which paved the way for today's wireless communication, the idea was rejected by the US Navy at that time and she was awarded and [paid] for it in 1997-1998, at the age of 84.”
7
Dorothy Dandridge
Following her performance in 1954’s ‘Carmen Jones’, Dorothy Dandridge became the first African American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

8
Anna May Wong
“Anna May Wong [was] the first Chinese-American film star. Her career began in [the] silent movies era and continued to her death. One of the first to adopt the flapper style of the 20s, she was voted “world’s best-dressed woman” in 1934. She will be featured in the American Women quarter series.”
9
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren was the first actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress with a performance in a language other than English.
10
Lucille Ball
“Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball effectively created syndication and reruns in the TV industry. Prior to ‘I Love Lucy,’ TV shows were broadcast live & recorded on low-quality kinescopes. Desi & Lucy produced the show, recorded it on 35mm film & were able to sell the show nationally into syndication.”