It’s hard not to be intrigued by the timeless glamour of old Hollywood stars. But behind the smiles and sparkles, there was a lot no one knew at the time. Actors and actresses were often subjected to impossible choices just to stay in the biz, and it was no easy ride. Some of it is downright cruel and even criminal! What seemed like a simpler, scandal-free time was really anything but. Here are some of the most spine-tingling stories that actually happened. If you thought today’s drama was bad, guess again!
Judy Garland Was Seriously Mistreated by the Execs
17-year old Judy Garland became a classic star as soon as The Wizard of Oz premiered. She appeared to have a bright future, by all accounts. But behind the scenes, Judy was surrounded by cynical adults who had their own agenda. First, there was the issue of body image, as a minor. Judy recalled: “From the time I was thirteen, there was a constant struggle between MGM and me — whether or not to eat, how much to eat, what to eat. I remember this more vividly than anything else about my childhood.”
Later, Hollywood executives made her have an abortion. Movie staff made her take different substances so she could work long, inhuman hours. By the time she was 16, she was already addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates! Later in life, that’s exactly how she overdosed and passed away. So sad!
Rock Hudson Had to Fake His Marriage
Rock Hudson was the definition of a marketable Hollywood hunk, in his day. The studios found incredible success selling his image as a sex symbol. Men wanted to be him, and ladies wanted to be with him. But the truth was a bit different than audiences knew. Rock was a gay man, and that didn’t make any sense for the business. As a result, executives made him marry a woman for appearance’s sake. Yes, really!
In the end, this sham marriage lasted for three years. Decades later, the world was surprised when Rock died of AIDS, and the secret was out: Fans finally understood who he was, all along.
Lauren Bacall Didn’t Mean to Look Sultry
Of all the classic Hollywood beauties, Lauren Bacall is a frequent favorite. There was just something about her, beyond her physical form. She had a low, sultry voice. And she started every scene with body language that hypnotized audiences. Lauren’s signature look was pressing her chin to her chest and looking up. Why did she really do that? As it turns out, she had tremendous problems with anxiety. She would shake, and this position helped her steady her face!
Lauren was honest: “Childhood anxieties, childhood fears, never disappear entirely. They fade, but not away.” On set, she had her own special way to cope. Incredibly, people found it visually appealing!
The Makeup They Used Was Poisonous
In The Wizard of Oz, the vividly green wicked witch of the west stood out in technicolor. We all loved the look, and most of us assumed the facepaint was safe. But it wasn’t! To get that hue of evil, makeup artists were using a weird formula on actress Margaret Hamilton. The makeup artist recalled: “Every night when I was taking off the Witch’s makeup, I would make sure that her face was thoroughly clean. Spotlessly clean. Because you don’t take chances with green.”
Why not? Well, the paint had toxic levels of copper. For some reason, professionals on set put Margaret on a liquid diet to deal with the daily poison. We’re glad dyes have come a long way!
The Director Threatened This Poor Child Actor
Child actor Jackie Cooper had trouble crying on command in the film Skippy. Incredibly, director Norman Taurog threatened to kill the boy’s dog. That seemed to work like magic! Jackie later wrote: “I could visualize my dog, bloody from that one awful shot. I began sobbing so hysterically that it was almost too much for the scene. [Taurog] had to quiet me down by saying perhaps my dog had survived the shot, that if I hurried and calmed down a little and did the scene the way he wanted, we would go see if my dog was still alive.”
Jackie Cooper actually got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor at age 9 for this performance. But was the cost of this honor too high? Many adults today would think so!
Charlie Chaplin Really Liked the Ladies
Charlie Chaplin remains one of the most celebrated names in Hollywood history. He was the king of the silent era, and film students still read about him today. But besides his techniques, we wonder if they learn about his personal life. It was pretty exciting, too! Charlie had a lot of attention from women and claimed to have been with over 2,000 of them in his prime. But did he have a type?
According to Charlie, he liked one-way streets. Reciprocation wasn’t part of the equation. He explained his ideal situation as: “I am not exactly in love with her, but she is entirely in love with me.”
The Wizard of Oz Munchkins Were Ripped off
By now, we’ve all seen The Wizard of Oz. We’re not alone: Hundreds of millions have seen it, too! We might assume that the talent that made this film a classic did pretty well, given its popularity. But the truth is, the money wasn’t all that good for some cast members. The iconic munchkins were paid a mere $50 per week to help the yellow brick road come to life. Guess who got more?
It’s shocking, but Toto the Dog actually got $125 per week. We’re not sure if they knew it at the time. But it seems a little insulting!
Alfred Hitchcock Had an Even Darker Side
Alfred Hitchcock was the king of creepy, and that’s exactly how audiences liked him. But behind the scenes, his behavior was strange in a different way with one of his employees. On the set of the cult classic film The Birds, actress Tippi Hedren discovered this truth firsthand. Al became obsessed with his beautiful star, and he stalked her during filming. He had her handwriting analyzed. He even had someone follow her outside work!
But that’s not all: On set, he locked Tippi in a room with live birds until she had to be hospitalized with a breakdown. The film’s screams turn out to be pretty real, sadly!
Louis B. Mayer Ruined People’s Lives
We always think about studio executives as shadowy figures somewhere on the lot. But they definitely have names and faces. Sometimes, ugly, mean ones! Louis B. Mayer co-founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. In his time at MGM, he made the studio one of the biggest. He was ruthless in business, and he was happy to play dirty. One day, Louis decided that actor John Gilbert was too expensive and annoying to work with, but he didn’t want competitors to have him. How did he deal with it?
First, Louis planted stories in the press that colleagues were distressed by John’s high-pitched voice. Then, he put the actor in terrible movies, on purpose. In the end, he destroyed the man’s career. Problem solved!
Ava Gardner Was Forced to Make an Impossible Decision
When starlet Ava Gardner got pregnant, she was told to get rid of the baby. Her contract would actually fine her if she became a mom! She was married to Frank Sinatra, and that made no difference. Ava explained: “If I had one, my salary would be cut off. So how could I make a living? Frank was broke and my future movies were going to take me all over the world. I couldn’t have a baby with that sort of thing going on. MGM made all the arrangements for me to fly to London. Someone from the studio was with me all the time. The abortion was hush hush…very discreet.”
Old blue eyes himself actually didn’t know this was going on. MGM’s penalty clause was a scary thing, and you can see it made secrets between husband and wife. Pretty scary to think about!
They Wouldn’t Let Jean Harlow Do This
Actress Jean Harlow signed a morality clause when she became an actress with MGM. That was common, in her day. The studio had control over her behavior and image outside work, as a way to sell the product. According to Jean: “Men like me because I don’t wear a brassiere. Women like me because I don’t look like a girl who would steal a husband. At least not for long.”
To keep this ruse going, the blond bombshell couldn’t get married. Executives forbid her, even when she was in love: She would be more desirable as a single woman fantasy, still on the market. Where was her Hollywood ending?
There Was Something Seriously Wrong With the Snow
Back before current science, asbestos was used all over the place in construction. It was also used as a movie prop ingredient. The material was cheap and widely available, and it could never catch on fire. We get why the studio used it! Sadly, we now know that it causes deadly cancer. This still from The Wizard of Oz shows exactly how close actors got with the stuff. It’s the fake snow, and it’s all over their faces. What are the odds they didn’t breathe it in?
It has not been confirmed that any cast members from the movie died from the exposure. But now, we know it was a real risk.
Margaret O’Brien’s Mom Was Nuts
Child actress Margaret O’Brien had a stage mom with a plan. The little girl would cry on command and become a star. How did she achieve this? Margaret explained: “The way they got me to cry is that June Allyson and I were in competition as the best criers on the MGM lot. So when I was having trouble crying, my mother would come over to me and say, ‘I’ll have the makeup man put the false tears down your face, but June is such a great, great actress — she always cries real tears.’ And then I started crying because I couldn’t let June win the competition.”
That’s right: Mama O’Brien claimed that the other girls were better criers than Margaret. Authentic tears happened as a result. We can’t see her scenes the same way ever again!
The Old Hollywood Accent Was Fiction
We’ve all seen the classics and wondered why all the Americans were talking so funny. We can’t figure out where that old accent came from, or what class it might represent. As it turns out, it was all bunk to begin with. This was not how anyone spoke at the time, and it must have sounded unusual to viewers, too. Today, it’s termed the Transatlantic Accent. Did anyone speak like that, anywhere?
Maybe a small number of people tried to use it. A combo of upper-class American and British tones, this accent was only taught at boarding schools. Hollywood cleverly used it to make money!
Beauty Could Be Brutal
Today, we see a lot of plastic surgery, even in young people. It’s also incredibly easy to get an injectable on our lunch breaks. Science has come a long way! But long ago in Hollywood, actresses had to get creative with the tech available. Actress Joan Crawford, for example, had a number of her back teeth removed. The idea was to create a more hollow look in her face and emphasize her cheekbones.
They really showed up on camera! Allegedly, Marlene Dietrich had her upper molars removed for the same reason. It all sounds pretty gruesome today. Isn’t there a reason nature gave us 32 healthy teeth?