Here's a great Saturday Night Special for you, a documentary from 1965 called "The Love Goddesses!"
"The Love Goddesses" is a wild ride not unlike this slide which was one of my favorite rides as a kid. I'm not sure where this one was, maybe Pacific Ocean Park, or The Pike in Long Beach, or the one I remember the most, on The Boardwalk in Santa Cruz!
"The Love Goddesses" is the story of sex in the movies," or at least that's what the tagline says!
It's really more like the story of women's sexy roles in the movies from the 1920's to the 1960's, starting with the innocence of Lillian Gish!
They all had their place in cinematic history, but some you might not have ever heard of like Louise Glaum, but "The Tiger Woman" as she was known, was one of silent screen's most infamous and exotic vamps!
Theda Bara is considered to be the very first vamp in film, and along with Claudette Colbert, and Elizabeth Taylor, she shared the role of the notorious Egyptian Queen, "Cleopatra!"
Unfortunately Nita Naldi is not a household name any more, but she certainly could be again if enough of you watch this movie! Her first film was the 1920 version of "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde," but it was the 1922 feature "Blood and Sand," when Nita starred opposite Rudolph Valentino, that her career really took off. "Blood And Sand" is considered the last of the vamp roles filmed after Clara Bow showed that good girls knew about sex too!
Clara Bow is hot in "Hula."
"The Love Goddesses" is a documentary, so almost every shot would be worth showing you, and since we try to limit these things to about twenty photos, many actresses got left out, but Claudette Colbert is not one of them!
Jeanette MacDonald was a singer who has more credits for soundtracks than she did for movies, and in 1939, she was voted "Queen of the Movies" by 22 million fans in a New York Daily News survey.
She had even further popularity later as a singing duo with Nelson Eddy.
She had even further popularity later as a singing duo with Nelson Eddy.
Louise Brooks or 'Brooksie"was born in Cherryvale, Kansas, and was quite the trendsetter in the 20's because of her bobbed hair style.
The very independent Louise epitomized the flapper age and when finished acting, she became an accomplished author!
With this massive array of talent in one film, it was very difficult trying to figure out who to include, but when you use a term like 'Love Goddess,' there's no way you can't include the always delightful Mae West..............
.............Or the amazing Marlene Dietrich!
From 1932, here's a 24 year old Bette Davis as Madge Norwood in "The Cabin In The Cotton."
The list of Goddesses goes on and on and includes the likes of the ravishing Rita Hayworth!
Sophia Loren starred in "It Started In Naples," with Clark Gable, and is the only color film used in this documentary.
Elizabeth Taylor is on everybody's list of the greatest everythings!
French sex kitten Brigitte Bardot can never be forgotten!
And then.......Of course there's Marilyn!
The names and photos of all the beautiful "Love Goddesses" I've left out like Ingrid Bergman, Anita Ekberg, Greta Garbo, Betty Grable, Jean Harlow, Audrey Hepburn, Hedy Lamarr, Dorothy Lamour, Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner etc. is magnanimously sinful, so to make up for it, here's a link to The Internet Archive where you can watch this cool piece of history for yourself. Just in case you don't know, you'll be either shocked or pleasantly surprised how much nudity there was back in the 20's before everybody got so damn uptight!
3 comments:
I shouldn't be surprised that there was a movie devoted to the mainstream sex goddesses of yesteryear, but I am surprised, nonetheless. And what's more, several of the sensuous beauties featured here still ring my chimes, not least Louise Brooks & Sophia Loren & Rita Hayworth & Bette Davis, and -- of course -- the Divine Miss M!
one of my favorite genre appearances is Zita Johann in The Mummy.
I grew up 10 miles from Cherryvale, Kansas! The university library at work at has some Louise Brooks stuff in our archives and special collections area.
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