Old Hollywood Secrets Revealed In Colorized Photos


Rita Hayworth (1942)

Does anyone recall when Kim Kardashian talked about having surgery to make her hairline “prettier”? She wasn’t the first to sign up for this operation, after all. Rita Hayworth, a sex icon and mega-famous actress, secretly performed the same thing, albeit it was considerably more expensive, thorough, and painful back then. Rita was born with Spanish ancestry from her father, and the studios wanted her to seem more “white,” so they put her through a 2-year struggle in which each hair on her forehead was zapped until her whole hairline was elevated.

Rita Hayworth riding a bicycle (1939)

In the first half of the twentieth century, Rita Hayworth was so well-known—arguably the most renowned actress of all time—that the first test atomic bomb was named after one of her film roles. Rita was a beautiful redhead with brilliant eyes and a feisty personality who appeared on far too many posters and had acting chops to rival anybody of her generation. But, in actuality, her appearance had been carefully crafted before she arrived on the scene. Rita, who was born half Latina, colored her hair red, changed her name, and, as previously said, went so far as to alter her forehead to seem less Latina fully.

Joan Crawford and Dorothy Sebastian (1928)

Our Dancing Daughters, Modern Maidens, and Blushing Brides were a successful female-centric trilogy of silent and sound films starring Joan Crawford and Dorothy Sebastian. This series was very significant for Joan since she’d previously appeared in over 30 silent films as the same typecast “flapper girl ditz,” These films would be the first in which Joan would finally be able to break out of her Hollywood-imposed stereotype and exhibit her acting ability.

Dean Martin & Angie Dickinson on the set of Rio Bravo (1959)

Rio Bravo was a picture that contained a gang of old pals, including Dean Martin, John Wayne, and Ricky Nelson, in a part that would make Angie Dickinson a celebrity. Angie was the odd woman out in the group, but she rapidly won them over. The film was even shot on John Wayne’s Ranch, and for the first time, Angie’s portrayal of John would present a kinder, less rugged, and brutal side of John than anybody had ever seen in any of his films previously. Angie was a late bloomer as an actor back then, at 27, not expecting the part to rocket her to prominence.