The Golden Age of Hollywood spanned from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, marking a remarkable time in film. It was most memorable for the rise of iconic actresses. With alluring star quality, these ladies left an indelible mark on the film industry. Although they once graced the silver screen and were the most popular household names in the world, they disappeared from the public eye. How come they fell off the map, and why did they leave the industry? Find out more below.
Clara Bow
Known for her famous roles in the silent films of the 1920s, Clara Bow often played modern young women who defied conventional cultural norms at the time. Though she was known for being clever and oozing sex appeal, Bow’s life was filled with scandal, and she didn’t have the best reputation due to her erratic behavior and mental health issues. She left due to betrayals and pressure from the studios, and by 1933, she married and moved to a ranch in Nevada.
Norma Shearer
Norma Shearer was once the queen of MGM and had a lot of power with that specific studio. It’s no surprise that this was due to her being married to Irving Thalberg, who was Metro’s head of production. But even beyond her husband’s clout, Shearer had an undeniable star quality, showcasing many different kinds of femininity. She could go from noble and dignified roles to liberated and chaotic ones in the blink of an eye, and she retired in 1942, six years after her husband passed away.
Mabel Normand
Normand was one of Hollywood’s most impressive female trailblazers. Although she was a director, writer, and comedy star, many remember her legendary reputation as a reckless party girl. She often co-starred with a comedian called Fatty Arbuckle, who had notorious legal issues in 1920. Scandal was always present around Mabel Normand. This includes her chauffeur, who committed a shooting, and her director friend, William Desmond Taylor, who was murdered. After films started being censored for immoral behavior, she lost traction as a star, and her last film was released in 1926. She died of tuberculosis in 1930.
Frances Farmer
Paramount discovered the beautiful Frances Farmer at 22 years old. But after getting sick of the studio world, she left and returned to her theater roots. Although she eventually returned to Hollywood, she suffered many mental health and addiction struggles and was portrayed as a fallen star by the headlines. Along with these scandals, she had a conservatorship under her controlling mother and experienced a very public breakdown that ended her career.
