Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings.    Today’s post is one that I did a version of, in a way, about two years ago.    At the time I ranked my favorite female Old Hollywood Icons in a top 10 list.    I no longer really agree with all of those rankings, as I have such a huge and abiding love of Old Hollywood that my exact rankings alter a little bit over time, so I decided to do a revamped list.   This time it is a top five list that is focused on these actresses not just in their icon status, but also on how much I enjoy watching their films!   These are in particular my favorite actresses of all time.   Without further ado, let’s get onto my ranking.

Number 5: THEDA BARA

~My number five pick had to go to Theda Bara, the original screen vamp.   The only reason she is ranked below my number four pick is that we only have one complete film of this Silent Screen Siren surviving.   I do hold out hope that other films of hers will be discovered in someone’s attic or basement!   She was the Femme Fatale of the Silent Films beginning in 1915.    I adore her look and presence in films, as she is quite entrancing to watch!    

Number 4: CLARA BOW

~My number four pick is Clara Bow, another Silent Screen Siren, this one an iconic Flapper actress.    She played a sexy Flapper who loved to flirt and seduce in many films in the 1920s!   She not only played these iconic Flapper roles, but she also lived a life of raucous parties, very much in line with the splendor of the Jazz Age, but unfortunately had many struggles later in life.    Clara Bow is a fascinating actress as well as a fascinating person, whom I suggest learning about if you are unfamiliar with her biography!

Number 3: ELIZABETH TAYLOR

~My number three pick just had to go to Elizabeth Taylor.    Whether she was playing ancient Queens or modern romantic roles, she lit up the Silver Screen!    I especially adore her films where she partnered with her real-life husband Richard Burton (well he was one of seven husbands she had).   Another thing of great note about Elizabeth Taylor is that she became one of the first major AIDs activists in the 1980s because she saw several of her long-time friends dying of the disease!   Elizabeth was such a strong-willed woman in addition to being a talented actress, that even watching her in interviews, especially talking about the studio system in her later years, is utterly fascinating!    She did not hold back in telling it like it was growing up as an actress (she did begin acting as a child) and dealing with the pressures of the studio system.          

Number 2: JEAN HARLOW

~I had difficulty choosing between my number one and number two slots, as in the last list I inverted them, but honestly, they are nearly tied in my love of them as actresses.   Now, my second-place spot goes to Jean Harlow, who was the iconic Silver Screen Siren, the Original Blonde Bombshell of the 1930s!    I especially adore her films when she acts alongside Clark Gable and her real-life lover William Powell!   She made many films from 1930 until her tragic death in 1937 and was one of the most in-demand and beloved actresses of her age.   She starred in two films that loosely mimicked her life.   The first was Bombshell and the second was Reckless.   Bombshell was one of the first Hollywood send-ups, showing what it was like to live as an actress in the day.   Reckless had some loose parallels to the tragic death, some will say murder, of Harlow’s second husband Paul Bern!   Through all of her trials and tribulations, she kept her sweet demeanor in real life, even as she played the sexy bad girl on screen.   She even managed to write a novel in her short life, which was published decades after her death, titled Today is Tonight!    In the end, she died of kidney failure during the filming of her final film Saratoga, aged just 26 years old.  

Number 1: MARILYN MONROE

~My number one pick had to go to Marilyn Monroe!    I have always absolutely adored the iconic Silver Screen Siren Sex Symbol of the 1950s.    Some of my earliest memories of falling in love with films have been watching Marilyn Monroe films!   I adore her for the fun and silly films as much as for her more dramatic roles.    She is the icon of the era, who is endlessly fascinating in both her films and her real-life tragedy!   Watching her light up the screen in light-hearted fare like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, and The Seven Year Itch is a great way to unwind after a rough day.   Yet, it is still amazing to be able to see her range in drama, which I love to see in films like Bus Stop, River of No Return, and even as early back as her often-overlooked film Don’t Bother to Knock (which is one of her earlier films and shows how well she could play drama even in the beginning).   Her real-life events are just as fascinating, from her marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller to her famed affairs, to her battling with the studio for better roles.    Sadly, her life is often dramatized and not presented accurately on screen, as her real life was dramatic enough and truly interesting to learn about.   I would love to one day see a biopic done right about her if they ever attempt another one!   In the end, she is one of the most memorable Old Hollywood Icons of all time!   She is so well-known that her face is recognizable to even those who have never seen a single film of hers.

~I hope you have enjoyed this ranking.   Who is your favorite actress of all time?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/