Take A Closer Look Into A Different Side Of America's Most Beloved Icons
By | November 25, 2022
Ever wonder what Marilyn Monroe looked like eating a burger? Have you seen Natalie Wood covered with pie? Or perhaps you would like to see a more “studious” Clint Eastwood as opposed to the “tough guy” we’re all accustomed to? Let’s take an exclusive look at some of America’s most beloved icons of all time with these rare photographs collected here.
Jayne Mansfield and her second husband, 1955 Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay, in 1958.
Here are Jayne Mansfield and her second husband, Mickey Hargitay, in 1958. In addition to being 1955’s Mr. Universe, Miklós "Mickey" Hargitay was also an actor. During the course of his marriage to Jayne Mansfield, the couple made four movies together: Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957), The Loves of Hercules (1960), Promises! Promises! (1963), and L'Amore Primitivo (1964). Mansfield was one of the early Playboy Playmates and a major Hollywood sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. As an actress, she had several box-office successes and won a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe. She died tragically at only 34-years old after a horrible car accident in 1967.
The sexiest mustaches in the West Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott in 1982's The Shadow Riders.
Those are some seriously intense mustaches we’ve got in the 1982 Western, Shadow Riders. Pictured here is Tom Selleck as Mac Traven, a Civil War veteran who fought for the North, while his brother, Dal (Sam Elliott), was allied with the South.
Despite opposing sides during the war, the siblings must join forces when they return home to find their younger brother and a fiance, have been kidnapped by rebels who refuse to accept the Confederacy’s defeat.
The made-for-television western was based on the book of the same name by Louis L'Amour. It was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and also starred Dominique Dunne and Katharine Ross.
Papa Don't 'Sweep'...a 24-year old Madonna at her brother's apartment in NYC. (1983)
Pictured here is a 24-year old Madonna hanging out at her brother's apartment in NYC back in 1983 just waiting for all the fame and fortune to come pouring in. It was July 27, 1983, when her debut album was released by Sire Records. She knew she had what it took, look at that sass. Those who knew her when she was performing live and trying to make a name for herself said she always had that diva attitude about her. Although, those who went to high school with her painted a much different picture. They claimed she kept to herself and they were shocked when she became famous. Guess she gained a whole lot of confidence between graduation and her launching her music career!
A serious looking Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) & George Lucas on the set of Star Wars. (1977)
Pictured here is director George Lucas making history on the set of Star Wars back in 1977. At his side is legendary British actor Sir Alec Guinness, or as he was known on set: Obi-Wan Kenobi. His portrayal earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sir Alec Guinness was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959 for services to the arts, the following year he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1980, he was awarded the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 1989.
Autographed photo of a humble but honest race car legend, Dale Earnhardt, in Darlington, S.C. (1979)
Here’s an old photo of race car driver Dale Earnhardt, back in 1979. Earnhardt is widely regarded as one of the most significant drivers in NASCAR history. With a total of 76 Winston Cup races won over the course of his career, how could he not be? He also earned seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships.
It was in February of 2001 when Earnhardt collided with Ken Schrader during the final lap of the Daytona 500 and died instantly. Earnhardt remains a NASCAR legend and has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2010.
Hunky Steve McQueen on the set of Le Mans with not one, but two women on his bike! (1970)
Le Mans was meant to be a dream come true for Steve McQueen, but it ended up being a nightmare. McQueen had wanted to make this movie for over a decade, he invested his heart and soul into making it and it was nothing but problems every step of the way.
Not only was he told just two days before shooting by the insurance company that he couldn’t drive in the actual Le Mans race as planned, but he clashed so much with the director that he quit. By the time a new director got on board, McQueen still had some rebellion left in him but he eventually relented, came to work on autopilot, and was just glad to be done with it once it finally wrapped.
McQueen was devastated for the duration of the shoot, he ended up suffering a mid-life crisis, having numerous affairs, and did way too many drugs. His wife left him during this production and he partied so hard one night that he wrecked a Porsche 911. Then he crashed a Peugeot, sending his co-star Louise Edlind through the windscreen. Another big stressor for McQueen at this time was the Manson family murders which had just occurred months earlier, police found Steve’s name on their hit list.
A young Freddie Mercury sitting behind a trophy while he was in boarding school in India- early 60's.
Here we have a young Freddie Mercury while away in boarding school in India back in the early 60's. Mercury would grow up to be lead vocalist of one of the most famous rock bands in the world, Queen. With his flamboyant onstage personal and four-octave vocal range, he was destined for rock icon status.
The British singer and songwriter was also a record producer who also led a solo career while performing with Queen. He would produce and often serve as a guest musician for other artists.
Sadly, Mercury died at just 45-years old back in 1991 due to complications from AIDS. He was posthumously awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 1992 and a tribute concert was held in his honor at Wembley Stadium, London. Mercury was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 as a member of Queen, into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and then the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
Alice Cooper and Mae West, from the film Sextette, 1978.
What a gem! A still from the 1978 musical comedy Sextette. The film stars Mae West and includes appearances by big names like Ringo Starr, Tony Curtis,, Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Walter Pidgeon and of course Alice Cooper.
Sextette was Mae West's final movie. In it, West plays movie star and sex symbol Marlo Manners who has just married for the sixth time. But on the day of her wedding, she’s asked to intervene in a political dispute between nations, which leads to chaos.
Big hair, don't care! Michael Jackson checking out Cher's moves, 1974.
It was 1974 and big hair certainly did not care as can be seen here. The Queen of Pop shaking her groove thang with the King of Pop and just look at all that sparkle! This photo is pure gold. Cher and Jackson were two of the most consistently successful celebrities out there. Almost effortlessly releasing hit after hit, theirs are two of the most impressive music careers in the business. Jackson died in 2009 after consuming a lethal mix of prescription medications and going into full cardiac arrest. Cher, now 71-years old, is still releasing music, touring and doesn’t seem to have aged all that much.
Bad Reputation. Joan Jett getting cozy on top of a trash can, 1977.
Pictured here is rocker Joan Jett, drink in hand as she gets cozy on top of a trash can back in 1977. Cheers!
Jett was a co-founder of The Runaways, in 1979 she pursued a solo career and teamed with the Sex Pistols on a few songs. Then she formed Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, recorded new material in addition to re-releasing her older fan favorites like "I Love Rock n' Roll" and "Bad Reputation".
In recent years, Jett has had her songs featured in several films and television shows including, The Runaways, Baby Mama, and Shrek. While Jett still plays live, touring extensively she is actively involved in signing new musicians to her record label, Blackheart Records.
'Bennie and the jets...' Elton John playing and having a drink on his private plane - 1970's.
Pictured here is music legend Sir Elton Hercules John, enjoying a drink and making music on his private plane back in the 1970s. As glamorous as that may seem, he has an extensive list of far more impressive achievements. The man has more than fifty Top 40 hits and throughout the course of his five-decade career, Elton John has sold more than 300 million records (so far), making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.
He’s won pretty much everything there is to win and having already been named a Order of the British Empire in 1996, John was then made a Knight Bachelor by Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998. We raise our glasses to you, Sir John.
The classic beauty of Elizabeth Taylor. (1956)
Elizabeth Taylor, was such a beauty… even the film tycoon Howard Hughes wanted to marry her so bad, he offered her parents six-figures for her hand in marriage. She turned down the offer. She wanted to marry for love and as it turned out she fell in love many times.
The only thing that drew more attention than Elizabeth Taylor's stunning looks and acting career was her personal life…. And the attention wasn’t always good. Especially after she had an affair with her friend Debbie Reynold’s husband, Eddie Fisher. They had two children and Eddie ran off and left his family behind to marry Taylor. But it didn’t last, Taylor has had numerous lovers and eight husbands through the course of her life.
Bill Murray cutting the rug with his fellow SNL partner Gilda Radner at Studio 54 . (1978)
Not many people can easily recognize this ghostbuster busting a move on the Studio 54 dance floor, right next to one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner. But here it is. At the time this photo was taken, Bill Murray had already starred in a few extremely popular movies--Ghostbusters would be filmed just a few years later.
Like Radner, Murry also gained fame on Saturday Night Live. It was the 'must see' show of the time. It's amazing how many Hollywood legends danced between these walls considering it was only operational for 33 months.
Celebrities like Dan Akroyd, Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, Rod Stewart, Olivia Newton-John, and Andy Warhol among countless others, all helped build the club's glamorous reputation. Now it's iconic, Studio 54, just in reputation alone, has yet to be topped.
Blonde bombshell Diana Dors, known as the English Marilyn Monroe back in 1963.
Diana Dors was an English film actress, singer, and blonde bombshell. Her first husband, Dennis Hamilton, managed her career until it turned out he was defrauding her the whole time. She left him but maintained the image he originally presented her in, working in sexy comedies and risqué modeling.
She also became famous for hosting headline-worthy private parties. She later gained gained popularity as a chat-show guest and there’s a bit of a mystery surrounding all her riches. She allegedly left it all for her son in her will but a secret password was required. The code was left with her husband actor Alan Lake, but after Lake committed suicide the code was lost forever…. As was her fortune it seems.
'Bones heal, pain is temporary and chicks dig scars...' the one and only Evel Knievel! (1974)
Robert Craig Knievel Jr. or as he was known professionally, Evel Knievel, was a stunt performer and international icon. Evel’s first jump was at the National Date Festival in Indio, California back in 1966, and he spent the rest of his career outdoing himself. Each stunt became more ambitious and more dangerous than the last. Some of his most memorable being Caesars Palace (1967), Madison Square Garden (1971), Twin Falls, Idaho, Snake River Canyon(1975), and the famous Wembley Stadium jump (1975). Over the course of his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps and was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
Camping hippie-style at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969.
Woodstock was the largest festival in music history and a cultural landmark for an entire generation. Despite the absurd amount of people that descended on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm near the town of White Lake, it was still a very peaceful event.
The hippie generation got their wish, even if only for a duration of four days. They got to live amongst like minds, share food and drugs and rock out to music in their own Utopian society. All they had been protesting for came to life on that farm for those summer days in 1969.
Clint Eastwood looking more like Clark Kent in 1967.
David Bowie and Mick Ronson having a bite to eat-Mick was the guitarist and Bowie's cohort in the Spiders from Mars band in the early '70s.
Here is David Bowie and Mick Ronson, guitarist and Bowie's cohort in the Spiders from Mars band in the early '70s. While Ronson achieved critical and commercial success working with Bowie, he also worked on several albums with Ian Hunter, Morrissey. In 1982, Ronson worked with John Mellencamp on his American Fool album, in particular, the song "Jack & Diane". He worked with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, and also recorded several solo albums, the most popular being Slaughter on 10th Avenue. In 2003, he was named the 64th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone and then moved up to 41st in 2012 by the same magazine.
Dynasty's vixen, Alexis (Joan Collins) checking out her ripped pantyhose, probably after a cat-fight with Krystle (Linda Evans).
The career of the glamorous Joan Collins didn’t start to pick up until the 1960s after she guest-starred in an episode of Star Trek. By the 1970s she was starring in a series of horror films and the 1980s brought her to her most memorable role, Alexis Colby in “Dynasty” for which she earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
Dynasty was a soap opera that aired from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989, and revolves around the inner workings of the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in Denver, Colorado.
Linda Evans plays Krystle, the new wife oil magnate Blake Carrington. Joan Collins is Carrington’s former wife Alexis and as can be expected, the two women in his life do not get along. Pictured here is Joan Collins as Alexis, looking a bit disheveled after a cat-fight with Krystle.
Eating a hamburger never looked so good! Marilyn Monroe enjoying a burger at a drive-in. (1952)
Here we have the beautiful Marilyn Monroe, splurging on a little fast food at a drive-in back in 1953. The stunning onscreen goddess could certainly strike a perfect pose in pretty much any setting, give her a cadillac and a burger or even just a burlap sack and she was ready to go. This particular photograph was taken by Philippe Halsman, who enjoyed a prolific 30-year career.
Farrah Fawcett pouring herself a Coke while taking a break on Battle of the Network Stars in 1976.
Pictured here is the leggy blonde of legend herself, Farrah Fawcett in Battle of the Network Stars back in 1976. Fawcett was playing on behalf of ABC along with Lynda Carter, Ron Howard, and Penny Marshall to name a few.
The premise was simple, teams of television stars from all three major networks would compete against each other in sporting events. ABC, CBS, and NBC would gather their stars, choose a team leader, and the games aired on ABC. Regular occurring events included swimming, kayaking, volleyball, golf, tennis, cycling, and running, among various other challenges.
Glenn Frey onstage during the Eagles 'Hotel California Tour' in 1978.
Go ahead, take my chair....Clint Eastwood sharing his chair with a sleeping boy on the set of The Enforcer. (1976)
Guns N' Poses. A young Slash with his parents in 1970.
Nowadays Slash is known as the lead guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses and for his side project Slash's Snakepit. But before all that he was Saul Hudson named for the artist Saul Steinberg.
Pictured here are little Saul and his very talented parents. His mother, Ola J. Hudson worked as a costume designer. Her clients included big names in music like David Bowie. His father, Anthony Hudson, also worked as an artist, creating album covers for musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. It seems artistic talent and a love for the music industry, in particular, runs in the family.
Hat's my Valentine! John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Valentine's Day, 1968.
John Lennon was still married to Cynthia Lennon at the time this photo was taken. He met Yoko Ono in 1966 during a preview of her art exhibition at a London gallery, a year later they were having an affair. It didn’t seem as though Lennon had any intentions of leaving Cynthia, in fact, it was Cynthia who finally filed for divorce in 1969 and only then did embark on a real life with Ono. The two were married in 1969 after his divorce went through and in 1975 they had a son together, Sean Ono Lennon.
Lennon and Ono spent years collaborating on numerous recordings, including Two Virgins and "Give Peace a Chance," the couple held "Bed-ins for Peace" to protest the Vietnam War. After the disbanding of the Beatles, Lennon and Ono moved to New York. It was outside of their apartment there, that Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980.
Here's pie in your eye! Natalie Wood laughing after a pie fight scene during the filming of The Great Race, 1965.
The Great Race is a 1965 American slapstick comedy noted for having "the greatest pie fight ever" The film starred Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and the lovely Natalie Wood who is pictured here covered in pie. It also has the distinction of being the most expensive comedy film at the time. Unfortunately, it was not well-received upon release and was considered a flop. Many critics attacked its for lacking substance and for overdoing blatant the slapstick humor.
How sweet it was..Newlyweds Carly Simon And James Taylor, 1972.
Ah yes, Carly Simon and James Taylor, as newlyweds. It was no secret that Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell were rivals, both singers were vying for the love of James Taylor but it was Carly who ended up marrying him on November 3, 1972.
The fellow singer-songwriters had two children together, Sarah “Sally” Maria Taylor was born in 1974 and Benjamin Simon Taylor was born in 1977, both of whom grew up to be musicians and political activists. Sadly the couple divorced in 1983.
I Am the Greatest A 19 year-old Muhammad Ali in 1961.
Although much of the music Diana Ross is associated with came out of the seventies, her original breakthrough was while performing with The Supremes throughout the 1960s. In addition to her own musical success, her biggest accomplishment is probably how many others she has inspired to follow in her footsteps.
Pictured here is a young Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. He would grow up to become Boxing legend, Muhammad Ali. He began training at just 12-years old. At 18-years old, he took home a gold medal from the 1960s Summer Olympics in Rome. All that training and dedication certainly paid off. He became one of the most iconic and decorated athletes of our time.
I wonder what the talent part of the contest was. Dark Shadow's Jonathon Frid crowns Miss American Vampire-1970
Christine Domaniecik had the honor of being the first regional selection in MGM’s Miss American Vampire Contest back in 1970. The competition was a promotional tool for House of Dark Shadows and Domaniecki was the winner of the New York regional event. She along with eight other regional winners; Barbara Marciel, Diane Kirby, Nina Johns, Signe Vernon and Beverly Rose traveled to Los Angeles for the national finals. Marie Cruz ended up winning but it seems history has declared Domaniecki the true winner of the event. Her name and image is the name most often associated with the contest.
Inspiration for his song Photograph. Ringo Starr and French singer Sylvie Vartan check out their cameras, 1964.
Here with Beatle Ringo Starr, we have the inspiration for the song Photograph, the French singer Sylvie Vartan. As can be seen here, the two are armed with cameras, Ringo’s other artistic medium of choice. Ringo Starr isn’t just a drummer, he’s spent years perfecting his skills as a photographer and nowadays his work can be seen in exhibits.
He also has a published a book titled: Photograph: Ringo Starr. In it, Starr shares everything from childhood memories to his time spent in The Beatles. It’s full of rare, unseen photographs taken by the icon himself. In 2015, he told Brenda Emmanus of the BBC he started taking photographs around 19 years old. He distinctly remembered making a day of photographing himself at the beach in Liverpool around this age.
Is it hot in here or is it Raquel Welch! Photograph by Franco Rubartelli (1973)
Raquel Welch is just radiating a brilliant bohemian goddess vibe in this gorgeous photograph by Franco Rubartelli. The photoshoot was for Vogue Italia and it certainly ended up being one of her best! Welch may have been one of the most popular sex symbols of 1960s and 1970s but she also broke the mold of what it meant to be a sex symbol. She helped change America’s view on sexuality by portraying strong female characters at a time where women in submissive roles was desirable.
I've Just Seen a Face! Linda McCartney taking a mirror selfie with hubby Paul, their daughter Mary and sheepdog Martha in London, 1969.
Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969 in a small civil ceremony—when Eastman was four months pregnant with their first of three biological children, Mary McCartney. Paul legally adopted Linda’s daughter Heather, from her first marriage and then the couple went on to have two more kids, Stella and James McCartney.
Sadly, Linda died on April 17, 1998 of breast cancer at the age of 56-years old. According to McCartney he and Linda spent less than a week apart during their entire marriage, (aside from McCartney's incarceration for drugs in Tokyo back in 1980). Paul later credited his wife as the woman who "gave me the strength and courage to work again", referring to his depression after the break-up of The Beatles.
Johnny Depp wearing a crop top in Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984.
Here we have an oh-so-80’s Johnny Depp in his breakout role as Glen in Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street. Funnily enough, it’s Craven’s daughter Depp has to thank for launching his acting career. Apparently, she was a teenager at the time and she told her father Depp was the one who would keep the female viewers interested. She was right, Depp went on to be a teen heartthrob after A Nightmare on Elm Street was released. And since then, he's become one of the highest paid and most highly sought after leading actors in Hollywood. And it all started right here... when he got sucked into his own bed and torn apart in the bloodiest scene in the film while wearing this crop top.
Keith Moon and his daughter at Tara, his home was shaped like pyramids & named by the original owner after Gone with the Wind. (70's)
Here we have a photo of drummer Keith Moon and his daughter back in the 70’s. Moon played with the English rock band the Who from 1964 until his death in 1978. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest drummers of all time, in fact, he was voted the second best in the world by Rolling Stone's readers in a poll. He was posthumously inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1982, becoming only the second rock drummer to be chosen.
Moon was known for being quite the eccentric, so it’s not really that shocking that he decided to move his family into an offbeat pyramid inspired house and name it Tara, after Gone With the Wind. Tara was a party house for much of the 1970s… “It was a very unusual house, maybe not that conducive an atmosphere for a child,” his daughter Mandy Moon later recalled.
Ladies, he makes house calls! 'Marcus Welby, M.D.' actor James Brolin as the handsome Dr. Steven Kiley. (1969)
Pictured here is actor James Brolin in one of his more memorable roles, as the handsome Dr. Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby MD. and boy did the ladies love him!
The show follows two doctors, the title character Marcus Welby, a general practitioner and Steven Kiley, Welby's young assistant. Together, they treated patients compassionately and as individuals in an age of specialized medicine and uncaring doctors… swoon.
Brolin went on to do a wide range of sitcoms and soap opera work throughout his career. Among other awards, Brolin has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is married to singer/actress Barbra Streisand and the father of actor Josh Brolin.
Lew Alcindor (later to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in New York City, photo taken by Richard Avedon. (1963)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. He was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and has the reputation of being the greatest basketball player of all time.
Over the course of his career, Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, and a best-selling author. He was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador back in 2012. Then in 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
Maureen O'Hara, John Wayne and Yvonne De Carlo starred in 'McLintock!' 1963
Pictured here are stars of the 1963 western comedy McLintock! John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara., along with co-star Yvonne DeCarlo (who was billed as "Special Guest Star").
The storyline is loosely on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. In it, Wealthy rancher G.W. McLintock tries to keep the peace between farmers, ranchers, land-grabbers, Indians and corrupt government officials. But things aren’t all peaceful on his own home front either. He also has to deal with the return of his estranged wife Katherine (Maureen O'Hara), who left him two years before, suspecting him of adultery and now wants a divorce…. Which he won’t give her and he doesn’t even get why she’s been “mad at him” for two years.
Moore, Roger Moore as the iconic spy James Bond in 1973.
It's actor Sir Roger George Moore, is best known for having played Ian Fleming's British secret agent James Bond in seven feature films. It was 1972 when Moore took over the role of James Bond from Sean Connery, making his first appearance as 007 in Live and Let Die (1973). He was the longest-serving Bond, portraying the spy in a total of six more films until finally retiring from the role in 1985.
He was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991, and was then knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for "services to charity". Moore received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
Motley Crue's Tommy Lee & Heather Locklear when they were an item in 1985, back when rockers wore more makeup than their girlfriends-wives!
Pictured here is rocker Tommy Lee of Motley Crue and actress Heather Locklear back in 1985.
These two tied the knot on May 10, 1986, and fans couldn’t have been more confused (their public images were wildly different)
Lee was perceived as a reckless hedonist and Locklear had this “sweet and innocent” reputation, mostly driven by her appearances as Sammy Jo Dean on Dynasty and Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker.
But outside of their Hollywood personas, the couple was as normal as could be. "Tommy doesn't worship the devil," Locklear once said to the press, "He worships me."
Theirs wasn't a love built to last, they divorced in 1994, and by the end of the year Locklear had gone on to marry guitarist Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi.
Poster child (ha ha) Keith Richards by a drug free America sign in 1972.
Oh how rich, rocker Keith Richards looking a bit ‘under the influence’ while posing with a drug-free America sign back in 1972. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and author is best known as a guitarist and founder member of the Rolling Stones.
Richards along with his bandmates were infamous partiers. They were heavy users and involved in several drug busts during the late 1960s and 1970s. Richards has also discussed his drug use, particular heroin with great candor.Richards has been tried on drug-related charges five times, with only one involving a prison sentence; one year. A month later the appeals court overturned Richards' conviction for lack of evidence.
Richard Pryor on the Ed Sullivan Show, 1966. He made his debut on the show a year earlier and returned many times during the late 60's.
"I ain't no movie star, man. I'm a booty star!" It’s Richard Pryor on the Ed Sullivan Show back in 1966 The actor, comedian, and social critic, reached a wide audience with his profanity-filled, examinations of contemporary issues and colorful storytelling style. Pryor remains widely regarded as one of the most influential stand-up comedians of all time and he’s been an unwavering influence to all the greats to come after him.
According to Jerry Seinfeld, Pryor was the "The Picasso of our profession". Dave Chappelle had a great description of Pryor’s contributions, "You know those, like, evolution charts of man? He was the dude walking upright. Richard was the highest evolution of comedy."
SNL's Chevy Chase doing some grocery shopping in the 70's.
Chase had an ongoing feud with John Belushi and was regularly combative with pretty much everyone. He even got into an actual physical brawl with Bill Murray just moments before broadcast in 1978. Chase has also been known to spouted racist, misogynistic and even homophobic views on set.
Stop! In the City of Love-The Supremes looking tres chic in Paris (1965)
Dressed in pastel and sitting pretty in a Parisian cafe is Diana Ross and the Supremes back in 1965. Although much of the music Diana Ross is associated with came out of the seventies, her original breakthrough was while performing with The Supremes throughout the 1960s. In addition to her own musical success, her biggest accomplishment is probably how many others she has inspired to follow in her footsteps.
Dolph Lundgren was a bodyguard for Grace Jones and they became a item. They also co-starred in the Bond film View To A Kill (1984)
Pictured here is super model Grace Jones who became known for her androgynous, yet bold appearance. At her side is former lover and colleague Swedish actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and martial artist Hans "Dolph" Lundgren.
Before partnering up with Grace Jones, Dolph earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology, then went on to get a master's in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney in the early 80’s. He received a Fulbright scholarship to MIT but Jones convinced him to move to New York with her and launch an acting career.
Lundgren’s debut role was as a KGB henchman in the James Bond film A View to a Kill, but his breakthrough role was Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV in 1985. Since then, he has starred in more than 40 films, almost all of them action movies.
Teenage Idol Ricky Nelson rocking a pair of short-shorts in 1958.
Ricky Nelson started out in the entertainment industry at the age eight, starring alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
Just one year before this photo was taken Nelson launched his long and successful career as a performing artist. He was among the top teen idols of the time and his popularity scored him a co-starring role alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in the western film Rio Bravo (1959).
He managed to plac 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973. He then went on to record 19 more Top 10 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987.
The Batmobile must have had a flat tire...So here's Batman riding an elephant in 1967.
Here we have Adam West as Batman, Gotham’s great protector riding an elephant back in 1967. Billionaire Bruce Wayne spared no expense and worked tirelessly to protect the inhabitants of his city, even if that meant improvising when his Batmobile was in the shop.
Adam West's Batman was the best, it's a shame the show was canceled after only three seasons. West was certainly not hardpressed to find work post-Batman. He did a lot of voiceover work for wildly popular animated shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, Robot Chicken, Rugrats, Kim Possible, Johnny Bravo, and he was even brought in on an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. He died after a battle with leukemia in June of 2017.
The 'Bat's' meow! Feline fox Julie Newmar as Catwoman (1966)
The beautiful Julie Newmar played Catwoman in the Batman television series. Sporting a tight one piece and armed with a bullwhip, the provocative thief had quite the love-hate relationship with Gotham’s hero. It was Newmar who was responsible for modifying the Catwoman costume. She wore the belt at the hips instead of the waist, to accentuate her hourglass figure.
With her Catwoman costume now sitting in the Smithsonian Institution, Julie Newmar has gone on to establish an immensely successful career since her Batman days. She is still going strong and in addition to acting, Newmar has become a vocal supporter of LGBT rights. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing organization in 2013.
The debate still goes on, Tiffany or Debbie Gibson as the Teen Pop Princess of the 80's.
The two teen pop princesses of the late ‘80s: Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. Both of these talented young ladies released their debut albums in 1987 — Tiffany’s was self-titled and Gibson’s was “Out of the Blue”. The media often tried to paint the girls as rivals, although according to Tiffany then two of them were so busy with their careers that they didn’t even have time to connect with each other on any level. They did finally find the time to develop a friendship as adults however and they even toured together.
The iconic smoking comedy duo, Richard 'Cheech' Marin and Tommy Chong! (70's)
It’s everybody’s favorite stoners, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong! The Grammy Award–winning comedy duo gained notoriety throughout the 1970s and 1980s for their standup and films. Their first feature film, Up in Smoke,came out in 1978 and became a cult classic. It grossed over $44 million which warranted two sequels: Cheech and Chong's Next Movie in 1980, and Nice Dreams in 1981.
Some of their other films include Things Are Tough All Over (1982), Still Smokin (1983), Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984), and Get Out of My Room (1985). They also have a ton of notable side projects to their names.
The late Monty Hall and announcer Jay Stewart with happy contestants on Let's Make a Deal. (1970's)
The long-running game show Let's Make a Deal, originated in 1963 and was created and produced by Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall. Hall also hosted for many years and Jay Stewart was the show’s announcer throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
The show’s format involves selecting members of the studio audience to be "traders," who are given the option to keep something of value or make a deal for another (hidden) item. The show is also known for its audience members dressing up in outrageous costumes to increase their chances of being selected.
The late Tom Petty and Johnny Depp on the set for the music video Into the Great Wide Open. [1991]
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Into the Great Wide Open" is the third song on the 1991 album of the same name. The music video starred heartthrob Johnny Depp as the protagonist, Eddie Rebel, and Gabrielle Anwar as Eddie's girlfriend, and Faye Dunaway as his manager.
Petty himself also played multiple roles in the music video; he was the narrator, the tattoo artist, Eddie's roadie Bart, and a reporter.The other members of the Heartbreakers also had cameos as did singers Terence Trent D'Arby and Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips. Randomly enough Matt LeBlanc (aka Joey Tribbiani ) also appeared in this smorgasbord of famous faces.
Hot off the press! Only Sophia Loren can casually sit on top of a pile of newspapers and make it look this good! (1955)
Pictured here is the great screen goddess of the sixties, Sophia Loren. You'd think sitting on a pile of newspapers would be awkward but this Italian beauty looks gorgeous no matter what.
Loren got her start in the 1950s but she only had small bit parts. It wasn’t until her performance as Cesira in “Vittorio De Sica's Two Women” that Loren' talents were fully recognized. The role ended up earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1962. This made her the first artist to win an Oscar for a foreign-language performance. She has worked hard to maintain her unique beauty over six decades in the entertainment industry, appearing in almost 100 film and TV roles.
The original Ronald McDonald, Willard Scott, in 1963.
Horror of horrors, it's the original Ronald McDonald, come to swallow your soul with a smile. From 1963 to 1966 and occasionally as late as 1971 Willard Scott smeared on the grease paint, rocked a paper cup nose, and terrifying double eyebrows as Ronald McDonald for the McDonald's franchise.
It’s amazing how unintentionally menacing wide eyes and a smile can be... But seriously what made him think those eyebrows were a good idea?
Scott is now an author and has worked as a weather presenter, radio personality, and is also well known for his TV work on the Today show.
The Playboy jet “Big Bunny” had wild discos, on-board showers and the stewardesses dressed in leather were called Jet Bunnies. (late 60's)
The Playboy Jet, appropriately named “Big Bunny”, was exactly what one would imagine… debauchery with wings. No body hosts a “Mile High Club” meeting quite like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
He spent $5.5 million on the stretch DC-9 and gave it a custom shower, round bed covered in fur in the luxury bedroom, and of course a lounge area where his celebrity passengers dined on lobster and roast beef. There was a bar and a cinema area and space to host his own private disco. It was full of scantily dressed Playboy bunnies (naturally) who Hef sent to be trained as stewardesses at Continental Airlines' stewardess school.
This model is wearing a groovy Micia mini-dress by Leombruno-Bodi in 1965.
Designers and photographers Jack Bodi and Joe Leombruno partnered up as a design team; Leombruno-Bodi. Their designs (which they also photographed) like the Micia mini-dress and knitt stockings pictured here appeared regularly in popular publications such as Town & Country, The Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Vogue and The New York Times. They were known to use natural light during photo shoots, showcasing the details of the designs and brilliant color of the clothing with extreme clarity.
On the set of teen comedy, "Private School", with Michael Zorek, Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell and Kari Lizer.
Here on the set of the 1983 comedy "Private School", are the talented Michael Zorek, Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell and Kari Lizer. The film also starred Matthew Modine, and its plot follows a teenaged couple attempting to have sex for the first time.
Christine (Phoebe Cates plays Christine, an all-girls private school student, is in love with Jim (Modine), from the nearby boy's academy. Of course, Christine's arch rival Jordan (Russell) also wants Jim, and she’ll do anything to steal him away. Christine and Jim try to run away for the weekend together and as can be expected in a film such as this, things don’t go as smooth or as romantic as they had hoped.
A 16 year-old Sylvester Stallone with his younger brother Frank, mother Jacqueline and stepfather Tony out on the town in NYC. (1963)
Here we have a fresh-faced Sylvester Stallone out to eat with his family: brother Frank, his mother Jacqueline, and his stepfather Tony are all out in NYC back in 1963.
Little "Sly" Stallone would grow up to be a writer, actor, and filmmaker best known for his action roles as boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo.
Stallone was nominated for two Academy Awards for Rocky in 1977, the first was for Best Original Screenplay and the second was for Best Actor. This made him the third man in history to receive these two nominations for the same film, the first two were Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles.
Yvonne Joyce Craig was best known for her role as Batgirl in the 1960's television series Batman.
Yvonne Joyce Craig was a ballet dancer and actress best known as a pioneer of female superheroes for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s Batman television series. Barbara Gordon (daughter to Commissioner Gordon), librarian at the Gotham Library by day, by night she fights crime with Gotham’s finest-- and in heels. She even saved Batman and Robin when Killer Moth had them cocooned. Then she rode off on her Batgirl-cycle.
Craig’s acting career was sporadic at best after Batman, although she was also Marta, the green-skinned Orion slave girl in Star Trek episode "Whom Gods Destroy" (1969) which is pretty cool. She stopped acting in 1990 and went on to pursue a career as a real estate broker. From 2009 to 2011, she was the voice of "Grandma" on the popular children's show Olivia. Then in 2000, Craig published an autobiography; From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond. She died of metastatic breast cancer in August of 2015.
Big screen beauties Sharon Tate and German-American actress Barbara Bouchet together in London, 1966.
Pictured here are actresses Sharon Tate and Barbara Bouchet in London, back in 1966. Barbara Bouchet best known early work was Casino Royale in 1967, then in 2002, she was in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York. The year this photo was taken Sharon Tate made her film debut with the occult-themed film Eye of the Devil. Her most memorable performance would come a year later when she played Jennifer North in the 1967 cult classic, Valley of the Dolls. This role earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Tate was one of Hollywood's most promising up and comers and on January 20, 1968, she married director/producer Roman Polanski.
Then on August 9, 1969, Tate and four others who were hanging out in the home that she shared with Polanski, were brutally murdered by members of the Manson Family. Even worse, at the time of her death, she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with the couple's son. She was a beautiful young woman showing great promise in Hollywood and on her way to becoming a mother. Her death and the death of her unborn child was such a tragic loss.
