10 Classic Non-Blonde Hollywood Bombshells
All that glitters is not blonde
Published 3 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.
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.”
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).”
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.”
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.”