55 Vintage Photos That Show A Different Side To The Past
By | May 14, 2018
Carol Wayne Made a Career Out of Being the @*!$ of Johnny Carson's Jokes
Who could forget these memorable faces from the past? From actors and singers to sports stars and celebrities, the decade of the past were filled with unforgettable personalities, amazing talent, and pretty faces. This selection of photos from the sixties and seventies will remind you of your favorite celebrities of the time.
Breathy blonde Carol Wayne appeared in more than 100 skits on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as the Matinee Lady in the regular skit, Art Fern’s Tea Time movie sketches. Wayne appeared as a ditzy blonde and the butt of many of Carson’s jokes and innuendos. Wayne was a regular on The Tonight Show between 1967 and 1984, but she also appeared in game shows such as The Hollywood Squares and Celebrity Sweepstakes. When The Tonight Show went from 90 minutes to 60 minutes in length, many of the longest running skits were cut, leaving Wayne without a job.
Before She was A Game Show Hostess, Vanna White Was a Game Show Contestant
Before she became the hostess of the television game show, Wheel of Fortune , Vanna White was herself, a game show contestant. On June 20, 1980, White, a former pageant contestant, appeared on The Price is Right. White was one of the four contestants called to the podiums to bid on a price, but she did not make it on stage to continue playing. Just a few years later, White and two other young ladies were selected to be temporary hosts of Wheel of Fortune following Susan Stafford’s departure from the show. On December 13, 1982, White was awarded the position as game show hostess on a permanent basis, a job she has held for 36 years now.
As Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter Was Fierce. She Used That Power to Help Her Battle Personal Demons
As Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter was brave, strong, and a fighter. Carter found she needed to channel her inner-Wonder Woman when she entered rehab for alcoholism in the 1990s. She credits her husband, attorney Robert Altman, with recognizing that Carter had a problem and helping her to seek help for it. In 2016, on the 18th anniversary of being sober, Carter said, “I live every day with immense gratitude. I am forever thankful for my family and friends who stood by me and encouraged me… and for those who helped me heal." She continues to share her story at health events.
Ellen DeGeneres' Prom Pics...1976 Style!
Today an outspoken member of the LGBT community, actress, comedian, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, is shown in this old pic with her high school prom date. DeGeneres famously and historically declared her sexual orientation on television during an episode of her sitcom, Ellen. In the show, DeGeneres attempts to be discreet but inadvertently announces, “I’m gay” on an airport public address system. Concurrently, DeGeneres appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss her decision to come out so publicly. This event turned into a pivotal moment for the LGBT community.
ACDC's Bon Scott Enjoyed the Rocker Lifestyle, as Demonstrated in This 1978 Pic
AC/DC frontman, Bon Scott was enjoying the rocker lifestyle in this photograph from 1978 showing him with an unnamed groupie after a performance in Atlanta. The Scottish-born musician moved to Australia as a child and joined AC/DC in 1974. The rock group shot to stardom in Australia before taking their heavy metal sound to the international stage. U.S. audience loved the group’s 1979 album, Highway to Hell, as well as their follow up release, Back in Black. In 1980, following a night of partying, Scott died. The band’s Back in Black album was a tribute to him and became the second biggest selling album in history.
Ann Margret Was Called the 'Female Elvis Presley"
Once called the ‘female Elvis Presley’, Ann Margret, the Swedish-born singer and actress, has enjoyed an long and illustrious career that has spanned five decades. In the 1960s, she appeared in Bye, Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas, roles that showcased her singing and acting talents. She starred in the 1975 rock opera Tommy, a critically-acclaimed film. Later in her career, she landed a reoccurring role in Grumpy Old Men and its sequel, Grumpier Old Men. Ann Margret has earned a total of five Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for several other honors, including two Academy Awards, two Grammys, six Emmys, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Brigette Bardot is For the Birds...and Seals, and Dolphins, and Rhinos!
Although Brigitte Bardot is best known for her acting career and her sex symbol status, she is most proud of the work that she has done on behave of animal rights. An animal lover her whole life, Bardot decided to dedicate her life to the protection of animals and to raising awareness about the plight and abuse of animals. This began in earnest after the actress announced her retirement from show business in 1973, at the age of 39. Among her major campaigns are abolishing the consumption of horse meat, advocating for the sterilization of stray dogs, and condemning the Chinese practice of killing tigers, bears, and rhinos to make aphrodisiacs.
Strong and Confident, Susan Sarandon!
The award-winning and multi-talented, Susan Sarandon has come a long way from her role in the 1975 cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In every decade since the 1970s, she has appeared in critically-acclaimed films that have become pop culture classics, including The Witches of Eastwick, Bull Durham, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client, and Dead Man Walking. She is known for taking on challenging and complex roles featuring strong, confident, and determined women rather than damsels in distress.
Joyce DeWitt Has Used Her Fame On Behalf of Hunger in America
Even though she is best known for playing Janet on the long-running TV sitcom, “Three’s Company”, Joyce DeWitt has had an interesting and eclectic career as an actress. In addition to appearing on “Three’s Company” from 1977 to 1984, she voiced a character in the cartoon, “Pinky and the Brain”, appeared in “Call of the Wild”, and did a live production of “Noise Off!” at Michigan’s Cherry County Playhouse summer theatre. She is also an advocate for the issues of homelessness and hunger in American and had hosted the International Awards Ceremony for the Presidential End Hunger Awards at the White House and joined Jeff Bridges ad co-host of the World Food Day Gala at New York’s Kennedy Center.
That Side Eye Though...
One of the Golden age of Hollywood’s most iconic faces and the most photographed actresses of her day, Sophia Loren was used to having all eyes on her when she walked in a room. As this 1957 photo shows, she didn’t appreciate a sexy, blonde, cleavage-bearing newcomer sweeping in and stealing her limelight. That is exactly what Jayne Mansfield did when the two ended up at the same Beverly Hills party. Loren’s side eye speaks volumes about what the sexy Italian beauty thought of the blonde neophyte. Pop culture fanatics point to this photograph as the first documented case of side eye.
Sexy Raquel Welch Spices Up the Dick Cavett Show
As far as 1960s sex symbols go, Raquel Welch set the bar pretty high. The sultry actress appeared in Fantastic Voyage in 1966, followed quickly by One Million Years BC that same year. In One Million Years BC, Welch donned a doe-skin, cave woman-esque bikini and posed in it for the movie’s promotional posters. Those movie posters quickly became a sought after pin-up poster and made Raquel Welch a international sex symbol. Throughout the sixties and seventies, Welch was cast in many notable movies, including Bandolero and Myra Breckinridge. She appeared in numerous television variety shows and talk shows.
Linda Vaughn, the Face of American Motor Racing
The Georgia beauty, Linda Vaughn, is an ambassador for all forms of motor racing. She got started in her unique career by winning the title of Queen of the Dixie 400 in 1961. She went on to be the Miss Queen of the Speed at Atlanta International Speedway when she was just 18. Since then, she has earned several other titles and established herself as a racing circuit personality and the face of American motor racing. She has been called the ‘preeminent beauty queen of stock car racing.’
Janis Joplin's Apartment on Lyon Street in San Francisco, California, Was Near the Hippie Headquarters of Haight-Ashbury
Janis Joplin frequented the drug-using, music-loving, hippie culture of San Francisco in the 1960s. The bluesy rocker thrived on the energy of the Haight-Ashbury region of the city and even took an apartment nearby. Joplin struggled with drug addiction but, with the help of band mate Chet Helms of Big Brother and the Holding Company, she avoided the Haight-Ashbury drug scene for a while before old habits came rearing back. Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970. Her music has transcended her death and she remains one of the top selling singers of the sixties and an icon of the hard-rocking hippie culture.
Just Chillin': A Relaxed George Harrison Plucking His Guitar in 1966
As a member of the mega-group, The Beatles, George Harrison was called upon to play the guitar on many of the groups hit songs even though his guitar style was much more subdued than the lead guitar playing of some contemporary groups. Harrison adopted a ‘less is more’ attitude when it came to his guitar accompaniment. Fans and critics alike loved Harrison’s fresh, plucky guitar on “Here Comes the Sun”, noting the unique blend of rock, blues, and rockabilly that added to The Beatles’ iconic sound. Playing the guitar was a passion of Harrison’s, as this candid photograph shows.
A Very Sultry Looking Charlotte Rampling, An Icon of the Swinging Sixties, at the Sorrento Festival, 1967
English-born celebrity Charlotte Rampling became one of the face of the Swinging Sixties as a fashion trendsetter, model, and actress. She had an uncredited role in The Beatles’ film, Hard Day’s Night and portrayed Meredith in Georgy Girl, the 1966 film starring Lynn Redgrave. She found steady for in English and French dramatic films later in her career. Rampling married Bryan Southcombe of New Zealand in 1972 and rumors swirled at the time that Rampling and Southcombe lived a swinging lifestyle with male model Randall Laurence. Rampling denied the threesome allegations but the rumors of her wild sex life never faded.
The Multi-Talented, Multi-Award Winning Audrey Hepburn as a Young Actress in the 1950s
Audrey Hepburn has been named the third greatest female actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood by the American Film Institute. The British actress, dancer, and model was a style icon of the era with her perky pixie hair style and fashion-forward styles. She was elegant and sophisticated, yet thoroughly modern and romantic all at the same time. Around the time this photograph was taken, Hepburn appeared in the Broadway play Gigi which helped to launch her acting career. She then starred in Roman Holiday which earned her an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an BAFTA Award. Hepburn is one of only a dozen performers to win an Academy, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy awards.
Swedish Actress Anita Ekberg Was Romantically Linked to Many of Hollywood's Leading Men
Anita Ekberg came to the United States as Miss Sweden to compete in the 1951 Miss Universe pageant. She did not with that title, but she was awarded a contract with Universal Studios. The studio offered her acting, dancing, fencing, and horseback riding lessons, but Ekberg skipped all her classes except for the horseback riding lessons. She did not pursue acting roles either, but lived off the studio’s stipend. Her contract was dissolved after six months. Ekberg kept her name in the media, though, by dating many of Hollywood’s most eligible leading men, including Yul Brynner, Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra, Rod Taylor, and Tyrone Power.
Golden Girl Goldie Hawn Was Already a Star in the 1970s
The cute and bubbly comedian, Goldie Hawn, got her start on the TV comedy show Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In in the late 1960s, but she soon expanded from comic skits to movie roles. She earned an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, both in the Best Supporting Actress category, for her role in the 1969 movie, Cactus Flower. From there, she appeared in Butterflied Are Free, Shampoo, and Foul Play. Her portrayal of the title character in the 1980 film, Private Benjamin, earned Hawn an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also starred in Overboard, Bird on a Wire, The First Wives Club, and The Banger Sisters.
Lynda Carter Finds Life After Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, used the fame awarded to her after playing the superhero on television to star in a series of made-for-TV movies, as well as her own musical variety shows, Lynda Carter’s Special in 1980, Encore! in 1980, Celebration in 1981, Street Life in 1982, and Body and Soul in 1984. She starred in a biopic of Rita Hayworth and appeared with Loni Anderson in the television crime drama, Partners in Crime. In a memorable appearance on The Muppet Show, the host, Kermit the Frog kept trying to explain to the other muppets that the guest was actress Lynda Carter, not Wonder Woman, but everyone was unable to differentiate between the two.
Betty Brosmer enjoyed a high-profile modeling career in the 1950s and 1960s, which she credits to her bodybuilding and fitness routines. When she was still a teenager, Brosmer posed for some of the best pin-up photographers of the era, including Earl Moran and Alberto Vargas. Being underage didn’t deter the photographers from using her as a model. As she once explained, “When I was 15, I was made up to look like I was 25.” She became a sought-after commercial model and maintained a steady and busy modeling career. After her marriage to fellow bodybuilder, Joe Weider, Brosmer retired from pin-up modeling and focused on building a fitness empire.
French Crooner Sacha Distel Was in Full Fanboy Mode When He Wrote "Brigitte" in 1958 About Brigitte Bardot
French singer and guitarist, Sacha Distel was a total fan boy when he wrote and recorded, “Brigitte”, a 1958 song honoring fellow French performer, the beautiful actress and model, Brigitte Bardot. Bardot was so flattered and impressed by the song, that she posed for pictures with the rising singer. One of the photos of the two Frenchmen graces the cover of his record. Distel when on to moderate international fame as a singer, covering Burt Bacharach’s tune, “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” and performing a duet with Tony Bennett.
The Three Stooges Made a 1963 Cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Moe, Larry, and Curly…the Three Stooges…started out as vaudeville performers, doing slapstick and physical comedy routines. They parlayed that success into comic films. They produced 190 short films for Columbia Pictures throughout their five decade careers, but also appeared as their comic trio in cameo appearances in other movies, like It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, as seen here. The Three Stooges have cemented their places in pop culture history as true American icons. Even today, any bumbling, clumsy trio of people are referred to as The Three Stooges, in honor of Moe, Larry, and Curly.
Carly Simon Had a Series of Hits in the Seventies, But None as Popular as "You're So Vain"
The voice of the seventies, Carly Simon had a string of top hits in the decade, including “Anticipation” and “You Belong to Me”. Perhaps her most iconic song is “You’re So Vain”, a number one hit in 1973. The song earned Simon Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female Artist. Part of the appeal of “You’re So Vain” was the mystery that surrounded the subject matter of the song. Fans speculated over who Simon was bashing in her song about a self-centered egomaniac. Most theories point to Simon’s former lover, Warren Beatty, and Simon has confirmed that at least one of the verses is about him.
A Vampy Vampire, Cassandra Peterson Became Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark
Who knew you could become famous for creating a wacky character and adopting that persona? Apparently Cassandra Peterson did because that’s just what she did. In the early 1980s, producers wanted to resurrect the show, Fright Night, by adding a female host. Peterson auditioned and the producers left it up to her to create a character and costume for the role. She developed Elvira, a sexy, modern-day cleavage-bearing, punk rock, gothic vampire. As Elvira, Peterson was quirky and quick humored and never broke character. She was adept at being both flirtatious and macabre at the same time. Peterson’s Elvira character took on a life of her own and she was a frequent talk show and variety show guest, especially around Halloween.
Cyndi Lauper Was A Pop Princess in 1980 But Has Transitioned Into a Tony Award-Winning Composer
From “True Colors’ to Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper has proven that she wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan performer when she hit the spotlight in the early 1980s with a punk rock style and party-girl persona. Her hits, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “She Bop” were fun and fresh pop hits, but her ballads like “Time After Time” and “True Colors” have stood the test of time. The talented singer and songwriter most recently wrote the music for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots which opened on Broadway in 2013. Lauper won a Tony Award for Best Original Score for her work on Kinky Boots, making her the first female to win solo in that category.
Dreaming of Stardust: David Bowie Looking Pensive in Paris
David Bowie does look like he is lost in thought in this pic, taken on a Paris balcony in the early 1970s. Perhaps the legendary singer and performer was dreaming up his rock persona, Ziggy Stardust, at this time. Bowie added a level of flamboyance and theatrics to rock concerts in the seventies with his Ziggy Stardust character, flashy costumes, and punk hair. Oftentimes, performers adopt some sort of gimmick to compensate for lack of talent, but that was definitely not the case with Davie Bowie who went on to become one of the greatest entertainers of all time until his untimely death in early 2016.
Inseparable in Life and in Death...Debbie Reynolds Died the Day After the Death of Her Daughter, Carrie Fisher
A more iconic and talented mother-daughter duo would be hard to find. Debbie Reynolds was one of Hollywood’s shining stars, appearing in films such as The Catered Affair, Tammy and the Bachelor, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and How the West Was Won. Reynolds’ daughter, Carrie Fisher, was perhaps best known for portraying Princess Leia in the Star Wars trilogy. Despite their own personal struggles with mental illness and addiction, Fisher and Reynolds were an inseparable force. Carrie Fisher suffered a medical emergency on December 23, 2016, and was hospitalized. She died on December 27 at age 60. The very next day, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, suffered a stroke and passed away. She was 84 years old.
Emmylou Harris Released Her Solo Debut Album, Pieces of the Sky, in 1975
Country music singer and musician, Emmylou Harris, released albums from the 1970s through the current decade. The prolific songwriter was honored with a Grammy lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has 15 Grammy Awards to her credit, as well as numerous other awards, honors, and achievements. Among her hits singles are “If Only I Could Win Your Love,” “Save the Last Dance For Me”, “Heaven Only Knows,” “You Don’t Know Me” and “I’m Movin On”.
That Time Frank Zappa and Dee Snider Put U.S. Senators in Their Place
In the mid-1980s, Washington’s Parents Music Resource Center compiled a list of what they deemed as obscene music artists and pushed for warning labels on records with sexual or violent content. Members of the music industry were outraged at the censorship attempts and several of biggest names in music spoke before the U.S. Senate on the issue. It was clear that most of the politicians assumed the rockers would be dumb, inarticulate, drug-heads, who would react with anger and aggression to the senators’ questions. What they got instead was Twister Sister singer, Dee Snider, and Frank Zappa, two of the most family-oriented, educated, articulate, intelligent representatives of the music industry.
Beatle's Wife Linda McCartney Shot This Pic of Grace Slick in 1968
Grace Slick, the outspoken and outrageous singer of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, was a symbol of the sixties psychedelic music scene, centered in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District. The former model turned singer and songwriter was a fixture in the rock and roll music industry in the sixties and seventies. Linda McCartney, the wife of Beatle Paul McCartney, worked for a time as a photographer, shooting photos of musicians and bands. She proved that she had a knack for dealing with impatient and temperamental musicians. Her images of Grace Slick are among the best in her portfolio.
Heather Locklear Was One of the Hardest Working Actresses of The Eighties, Starring in Two TV Shows at the Same Time
Ageless Heather Locklear was still a teen when she landed the role of Sammy Jo Carrington on TV’s Dynasty, a role she played from 1981 to 1989. During that time, she also starred on the TV show, TJ Hooker, making her one of the hardest working television stars of her day. She also appeared on Melrose Place, Spin City, and Hot in Cleveland. Her portrayal of Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place earned her two Golden Globe nominations. The blonde beauty has a thing for rockers. She was married to Tommy Lee from 1986 to 1993 and then to Rickie Sambora from 1994 to 2007.
Julie Newmar Isn't Just a Pretty Face...She is an Inventor and Real Estate Investor
You think you know actress Julie Newmar from her role as Catwoman, but she is also an inventor and entrepreneur? She holds two U.S. patents, both for lingerie designs. One is for a style of pantyhose with a ‘cheeky relief’ in the rear. These were sold under the brand Nudemar. The other patent is for a brassiere that is so thin that it is nearly invisible. She described it as a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ style. In addition to designing and patenting these lingerie items, Newmar has invested heavily in neighborhood restoration projects in the Los Angeles area. She began investing in real estate there in the 1980s.
Best Buds...Huey Lewis and Phil Lynott
Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis and the News opened for Thin Lizzy when they were first starting out in the early 1980s. It was during that time that Lewis came to appreciate the incredible stage presence of Thin Lizzy frontman, Phil Lynott. Lynott became a mentor to Lewis, helping him with everything from his wardrobe to his stage presence to the business of show business. This photograph shows the friendship and respect the two performers have for each other. Huey Lewis and the News went on the headline their own shows and hit the charts with such tunes as “I Want a New Drug” and “Workin For A Living”.
Jane Seymour Almost Ended Her Career Before It Got Started Because She Was Harassed by a Movie Producer
Jane Seymour appeared in the 1977 action fantasy film, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, the first installment of the Sinbad trilogy, long before she became known to TV audiences as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The English-born actress was also a Bond girl, appearing in Live and Let Die in 1973. In February of 2018, Seymour posed for a spread in Playboy, making her, at age 67, the oldest woman to be featured in the publication. In the accompanying interview, Seymour admits to be sexually harassed by an unnamed movie producer early in her career. The incident almost forced her to quit show business but now, bolstered by the Me Too Movement, Seymour is talking about the incident in an attempt to warn other young actresses.
Janis Joplin's Lifestyle Lead to Her Tragic Death at Age 27
The hard, rocker life was the life of Janis Joplin. The pioneer of the bluesy, hippie culture, Joplin was deep into drinking and drug use throughout much of her tragically short life. In this photography from the 1960s, Joplin is getting a buzz on before hitting the stage to perform for the crowd. Her substance abuse issues may have helped her sing the blues, but her lifestyle eventually caught up with the talented singer and songwriter. She was found dead from a drug overdose in October of 1970. She was only 27 years old. Her death came just about two weeks after the death of Jimi Hendrix, also 27 years old and also from a drug overdose.
King Kong Was Getting Handsy with Damsel in Distress Jessica Lange
When movie producer Dino De Laurentis decided to remake the classic 1933 film, King Kong, in 1976, he was tasked with finding a leading lady that could fill the role made famous by Fay Wray. He found that person in Jessica Lange, who at the time was a part-time waitress and part-time model with the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. The King Kong remake was Lange’s first role and she beat out established actresses like Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep for the role. Subsequent films included Tootsie, Frances, Country and Blue Sky. In 1995, Lange was the second actress after Streep to win a Best Actress Award as a follow up to a Best Supporting Actress Award.
That Time Jimi Hendrix Ended Up in a Foreign Prison
Jimi Hendrix partied as hard as he rocked. While on tour in Sweden and Denmark, Hendrix and his entourage checked into the Hotel Opalen then hit the nearby clubs. After last call, the group returned to the hotel and partied in their hotel rooms. At 4 a.m., the guests in the room below them reported the noise to the hotel management. Jimi Hendrix was found lying in a pool of blood. The rock legend, in a drug and alcohol-fueled rage, trashed the hotel room and broke out the window, cutting his hand open in the process. He was arrested and placed under a travel ban until his court date. He received a hefty fine for the damage that he did.
Rocker Chick Joan Jett in 1976!
The Queen of Rock N Roll and the Godmother of Punk, Joan Jett is most commonly known for being the frontwoman of the band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. In 1982, the band’s song, “I Love Rock N Roll”, spent seven weeks at the number one spot on the music chart. The group also found success with “Crimson and Clover,” “Do You Want to Touch Me”, and “I Hate Myself For Loving You.” In addition to singing, Jett is a songwriter, music producer, actress, musician, and composer. She was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
Kate Bush, an English Singer, Songwriter, Musician, and Producer Was Snapped By Paparazzi at London's Heathrow in the Seventies
In 1978 when she was only 19 years old, the British singer Kate Bush became the first female recording artist to hit the top of the charts with a song that was also penned by the singer. Bush’s song, Wuthering Heights,” spent four weeks at the top of the charts. Since then, she released more than two dozen singles, as well as four studio albums. Her other hit songs include “Running Up That Hill,” “The Man with the Child in His Eyes,” and “Babooshka”. She joined Peter Gabriel for a duet called “Don’t Give Up.”
Remember Markie Post from The Fall Guy?
1980s TV fans will remember actress Markie Post from two of her iconic roles of the decade. She portrayed bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in the series The Fall Guy from 1982 to 1985. She followed that role with a stint on the sitcom Night Court on which she played public defender Christine Sullivan. She had bit roles on many other television series of the seventies and eighties, including The Love Boat, Eight is Enough, BJ and the Bear, The Greatest American Hero, and The Incredible Hulk.
Dancer Turned Model Turned Actress Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates was born into a family of TV and Broadway producers so show business is in her DNA. She studied dance until a knee injury ended her dreams of being a dance. She then enjoyed a brief modeling career, appearing in Teen and Seventeen magazines. Cates landed a role in the coming of age film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In this movie, she appeared in what Rolling Stone Magazine called ‘the most memorable bikini drop in cinema history.’ She also appeared in Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred.
Buddy Holly Last Performance Before the Plane Crash
The Winter Dance Party Tour required Buddy Holly and his fellow performers to travel from one venue to another in the January cold. After their concert at the Surf Ballroom, Holly chartered a plane to carry the performers on to the next venue, in Moorhead, Minnesota. There wasn’t room for everyone on board the small plane so only Ritchie Valens and J P Richardson, also known as the Big Bopper, boarded the flight with Holly. The weather was bad and the pilot was inexperienced at flying using only the instruments as a guide. On February 3, 1959, just after 1 a.m., the plane crashed into a Iowa cornfield, ejecting the entertainers from the aircraft. All were killed on impact and the event has become known as ‘the day the music died.’
Raquel Welch Found Success as a Model Before Becoming an Actress
Although she was born in Chicago, Raquel Welch grew up in San Diego and dreamed of a career as a dancer. She won her first beauty pageant at age 14, followed by a long line of crowns and titles from local, regional, and state pageants. She performed in school plays while maintaining her spot on the school’s honor role. After school, she was able to find consistent work as commercial model, as this image shows. It was shortly after this modeling job ended that Welch started to land small film roles which led to her break-out role in One Million Years BC in 1966.
This Rare Promo Pic of Princess Leia from Return of the Jedi Was Never Used
Prior to the 1982 release of the much-anticipated Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi, publicity stills were taken of the movie’s main characters, including Princess Leia, by acclaimed photographer Brian Griffin. This image of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia is one of those photographs that were taken but never used to promote the film. We aren’t sure why they weren’t used. Princess Leia looks a lot more sexy and fierce in this costume than she did in the full length, turtle-neck, long-sleeved white robe she wore in the first Star Wars film from 1977.
Harry Anderson Starred as a Wacky by Wise Judge on Night Court from 1984 to 1992
Who could forget funnyman Harry Anderson as Judge Harry T. Stone on the long-running television series, Night Court. The series ran from 1984 to 1992 and gave Anderson three Emmy Award nominations. Did you know that Anderson was also a magician? He got his start as a street magician when he was just a teen. He was successful and popular with it because of his great sense of humor and comedic timing. When he hit Hollywood, he landed a reoccurring role on the mega-hit sitcom, Cheers. He appeared on Saturday Night Live eight times. Sadly, Anderson passed away earlier this year from complications from a stroke and the flu.
The leg-endary Tina Turner in 1980!
Some things just get better with age. That applies to Tina Turner…her music and her legs! The iconic “What’s Love Got to Do With It” singer is pushing 80 years old but she can still rock like no one’s business, belt out a tunes, and strut her stuff with those trademark legs. A fixture in the music industry for decades, Tina Turner is one of the all time greats…a superstar. She has closets full of awards and stacks of gold and platinum albums. She is even in the Guinness Book of World Records as the solo performer who has sold the most concert tickets ever.
English Actress and Model Caroline Munro Appeared in Horror, Sci-Fi and Action Films
Caroline Munro appeared in Vogue when she was just 17 years old. She was a cover and commercial model in her native England before signing with the British-based Hammer Films. In fact, she was the only actor to ever sign a long term contract with the horror movie company. During her time at Hammer Films, she made two movies, Dracula AD 1972 and Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter. She turned down other roles, including Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, and Vampirella because they all required nudity. She also appeared in the 1977 James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.
The sexy Farrah Fawcett...1970s
Although most people remember Farrah Fawcett for her appearance on the hit seventies TV show, Charlie’s Angels, she received critical acclaim for the work she did in two made-for-TV movies. The first was The Burning Bed, a 1985 movie about a battered wife and her act of revenge against her abusive husband. The second was the 1989 movie, Small Sacrifices, about real-life murderer Diana Downs. Fawcett earned Emmy Award nominations for these roles, as well as Golden Globe nominations.
Looking Groovy, Alex Trebek!
This promotional photograph was taken when Alex Trebek was hired to be the host of the TV trivia game show, Jeopardy, in 1984. That was 34 years ago and Trebek is still hosting the show, though rumors have been swirling for a few years now that he may be retiring and handing over the Jeopardy reins to someone new. Apparently, his current contract runs until 2020. Prior to joining Jeopardy, Trebek hosted several television game shows, including The Wizard of Odds, To Tell the Truth, Classic Concentration, High Rollers, and Double Dare.
Edgy Seventies Model Marisa Berenson Showing Off Her Risky Side in 1968
Fashion model, Marisa Berenson, was one of the world’s highest paid models in the 1960s. She graced the cover of Vogue magazine, as well as Time and numerous other magazines. Designer Yves Saint Laurent labeled her “the girl of the seventies.” An original ‘scene’ girl, Berenson was called the ‘Queen of the scene’ because she was present at every major nightclub, event, and party of the era. She was known for taking a risk with her modeling, as is evident in this photograph by Gianni Penati. Berenson’s transition from high fashion model to actress was a rocky one, but she was a favorite of director Stanley Kubrick, who cast her in Barry Lyndon in 1975. She also appeared in the 1972 film, Cabaret.
The Groovy and Gorgeous Sharon Tate
Sharon Tate’s story is so tragic. The beautiful model and actress earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role in the 1967 cult classic, Valley of the Dolls. The next year, she married her director and co-star of the 1967 movie, The Fearless Vampire Killers, director Roman Polaski. She was eight and a half months pregnant with her and Polaski’s child when she was brutally and viciously attacked and murdered by members of the Manson Family, a cult of hippie murders led by the charismatic Charles Manson.
Wonder Woman Lynda Carter was a Beauty Pageant Winner Before Becoming a Superhero
It should come as no surprise that the beautiful Lynda Carter was a beauty pageant winner. In 1972, she was crowned Miss World America and she went on the compete in the Miss World competition where she made it into the semi-finals before being eliminated. After her pageant days were behind her, Carter took acting lessons in New York than sought acting jobs with television studios. She appeared as a guest in a few TV shows, such as Starsky and Hutch, before auditioning for the title role in the TV action series, Wonder Woman, a role that turned Lynda Carter into a superhero and a household name.
Tracy Reed, the Only Female in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove
Sultry Tracy Reed may be best known for playing Miss Scott, the mistress of George C. Scott’s character in Dr. Strangelove. She was the only female in the 1964 film, directed by Stanley Kubrick. A well-publicized photograph of Reed as the centerfold, Miss Foreign Affairs with “Strains on the Alliance” by Henry Kissinger strategically draped across her supposedly nude body. Much later, Reed acknowledged that the photo is not all it seems. “I was wearing a bikini the whole time,” she said.
Playmate of the Month Vicki Witt Playing Pinball in 1978
Vicki Witt was relaxing, fully clothed, when this photograph was snapped. Witt’s photos graced the August, 1978, issue of Hugh Hefner's famous magazine, and the rest is history. Pinball was at its peak at that time with new electronic games hitting the arcades. Very soon, however, pinball games became almost obsolete with the introduction of video games. That same year, in 1978, Space Invaders was released, followed by Asteroids in 1979, Pac-Man in 1980, and Galaga in 1981.
Audrey Hepburn Grocery Shopping with her Pet Deer ... Nothing Weird About That
Yes, that is Audrey Hepburn hanging out with a deer. When she was shooting Green Mansions in 1858, she portrayed a girl with a knack for nature who had a pet deer as a companion. The director of the film, Hepburn’s then-husband, Mel Ferrer, suggested that Hepburn take the fawn home with her to bond with the animal. Hepburn, an animal lover, bottle fed the baby deer and took it everywhere with her. The fawn was named Pippen, but Hepburn shortened it to Ip and the two were inseparable. Hepburn even noted, “When filming is over and they take Ip away, I will be heartbroken.”
