The Silver Screen Was Lying

Golden Age Hollywood always looked like a dream of perfect hair, sparkling gowns, and dashing smiles, but the reality behind the camera was often much more chaotic. While we see these stars as untouchable icons, many of them were living with quirky habits, studio-mandated rules, or surprising personal histories. With that in mind, here are 20 Hollywood elites with secret lives.

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1. Hedy Lamarr’s Secret Frequency Hopping

Behind her bombshell persona, Hedy was actually inventing during the night in hopes of helping the Allied troops during WWII. She patented a “frequency hopping” signal with a team that helped stop enemy forces from jamming torpedo signals. Not only did she have brains as a backup to her beauty, but she also helped pioneer the technology we now know as Bluetooth and WiFi.

Los Angeles Times on Wikimedia

2. Cary Grant’s Real Identity

Cary Grant was actually born Archibald and had a tumultuous childhood. His younger years were spent trying to escape his circumstances by running away to join an acrobatic troupe as a teen, and later perfecting his slapstick prowess with them. It wasn’t until later in life that he practiced tirelessly to hone the cool and neutral British accent we know today.

Grant,_Cary_(Suspicion)_01.jpg: RKO publicity photographer. derivative work: Crisco 1492 (talk) on Wikimedia

3. Marilyn Monroe’s Marbled Wardrobe

To achieve her legendary "wiggle" walk and perfectly sculpted look on screen, Marilyn allegedly used a few clever tricks involving sewing. She was known to have marbles or even small buttons sewn into her bras to ensure she always looked a certain way, regardless of the temperature on set. It was a subtle bit of engineering that helped create the bombshell image the studios were so desperate to sell to the public.

Los Angeles Times on Wikimedia

4. Joan Crawford’s Boric Acid Routine

Joan used boric acid almost every day to help her eyes appear more “opened” and sparkly on film. The stinging crystals were placed in a small bowl of water, and she’d soak her eyes before filming began. While no actress likes to look washed up on screen, she took extra measures to appear youthful, even if it meant causing herself pain during every shoot.

George Hurrell on Wikimedia

5. Christopher Walken’s Lion Taming Past

During his stint as a struggling young actor in New York, Christopher Walken worked as an assistant lion tamer for a circus. His favorite animal he worked with was Sheba, who he still claims today was more gentle than her counterparts. He fondly remembers that summer job as inspiring the fearlessness we see in his acting style today.

Tommie Du Toit on Unsplash

6. Shirley Temple’s Black Box Punishment

Being the world's biggest child star wasn't all lollipops and rainbows, as Shirley later revealed that the studio had a very cold way of keeping kids in line. If the child actors misbehaved or forgot their lines, they were allegedly sent to a "black box" where they had to sit on a large block of ice. It’s a chilling reminder that the "Good Ship Lollipop" had some pretty strict disciplinary measures happening behind the scenes.

Harry Warnecke / Lee Jennings Elkins on Wikimedia

7. Clark Gable’s Missing Undershirt

In the film It Happened One Night, Clark Gable took off his shirt to reveal a bare chest, which was a huge scandal at the time because most men wore undershirts. This single scene supposedly caused a massive drop in undershirt sales across America because every man wanted to look like the rugged movie star. The industry was reportedly furious with him for accidentally tanking an entire garment market just by being himself.

Roy George & Assoc. - photographer on Wikimedia

8. Audrey Hepburn’s Secret Pasta Stash

Despite her petite frame and bonny looks, Hepburn loved Italian food more than most. She loved pasta so much that she would always travel with dried noodles in her suitcase. If she found that her destination wouldn’t offer a quality plate of spaghetti, she could just boil up some noodles at her hotel.

Hans Gerber (photographer) on Wikimedia

9. Katharine Hepburn’s Pants Protest

Katharine was famous for her stubbornness and her refusal to wear traditional dresses, often showing up to the studio in "unladylike" slacks. On one occasion, the costume department actually hid her pants to force her into a skirt, but she simply walked around the set in her silk underwear until they gave them back. She eventually won the battle, proving that her personal comfort was more important to her than the studio’s rigid fashion standards.

w:RKO Radio Pictures on Wikimedia

10. Jimmy Stewart’s Hidden War Heroism

Jimmy wasn’t always the boy next door. In fact, he served as a Brigadier General in the Army Air Force Reserve during World War II. Fittingly enough, he was a bombardier and never failed to complete a mission despite intense odds. He was awarded numerous medals for his service and was a certified war hero behind his patriotic classic.

Studio publicity still on Wikimedia

11. Marlene Dietrich’s Molars

Legend has it that she had her back molars surgically removed so that her cheeks would look hollow under the lights and her jaw would appear more razor sharp. It would be her trademark look that would come to symbolize the femme fatale for generations to come. She paid for it with missing teeth and what could only be described as agonizing pain.

Marlene_Dietrich_in_No_Highway_(1951).jpg: Twentieth Century Fox derivative work: TonyPolar (talk) on Wikimedia

12. Buster Keaton’s Broken Neck

During the filming of a famous water tower scene in Sherlock Jr., a massive gush of water actually slammed Buster onto the tracks and broke his neck. Amazingly, he didn't even realize the severity of the injury at the time and continued to work through the blinding headaches for years. He only found out years later when he was getting an X-ray for another problem, and a doctor noticed immediately.

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13. Elizabeth Taylor’s Double Lashes

Everyone always commented on Liz’s electric violet eyes, but few knew she was born with an abnormality called distichiasis. She had an extra row of eyelashes growing on her upper lids. When she was getting started in films, crews would send her back to the makeup room to remove her “false eyelashes,” only for her distressed makeup artist to rush out crying because they were, in fact, real!

Studio publicity still on Wikimedia

14. Rock Hudson’s Arranged Marriage

The studio shepherded Rock into marrying his agent’s secretary to keep up appearances. Lavender marriages were common in classic Hollywood, where a male and female celebrity would secretly marry for show. Many speculated about the pair’s relationship.

Photographer not credited on Wikimedia

15. Greta Garbo’s Spinach Diet

When she first arrived in America from Sweden, MGM studios thought she was too stocky and put her on a forced diet. Her meals mainly consisted of spinach, which she was only allowed to eat for three weeks straight. This experience contributed to her famous desire to "be alone" and her general distrust of the Hollywood machine.

Screenland on Wikimedia

16. Errol Flynn’s Vodka Oranges

When the notorious swashbuckler was banned from drinking on set, he found a very creative and fruity way to bypass the rules. He’d use a syringe to inject fresh oranges with vodka and then eat them during his breaks right in front of the directors. Nobody suspected a thing because he just looked like a health-conscious actor getting his daily dose of vitamin C.

Warner Bros. Pictures on Wikimedia

17. Rita Hayworth’s Painful Hairline

Executives didn’t think audiences would accept Rita’s “too Spanish” look, so they insisted she move her hairline up. She endured electroshock therapy to the scalp for nearly a year, which burned the hair follicles so they would not grow back. Along with dyeing her curls red, this made her nearly unrecognizable to anyone who knew her before.

Columbia Pictures, photograph by Ned Scott on Wikimedia

18. Humphrey Bogart’s Height Secrets

At 5’8″, Bogey had to use some tricks to look taller than his leading ladies. He wore lifts in his shoes and pads on chairs so he’d be higher up on camera. Study some of his walking scenes, and you’ll see that he has an awkward shuffle because he’s on four-inch heels the whole time.

Trailer screenshot on Wikimedia

19. Fred Astaire’s Perfectionist Meltdowns

Fred Astaire is one of the smoothest dancers of all time, but he was such a perfectionist that he would practice routines until his feet were red. He actually had an entire picture recalled and destroyed because he spotted a tiny flaw in his stepping. His secret wasn't magic but rather obsessive hard work.

Los Angeles Times on Wikimedia

20. Judy Garland’s President Connection

When life got her down, President John F. Kennedy would call Judy up and have her sing to him. He was such a huge fan that whenever he wanted to relax, he’d pick up the phone and have her serenade him with “Over the Rainbow.” Talk about a hidden talent.

Eric Carpenter for en:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on Wikimedia