Portrait of a Lady

A while back I did a photo essay of some handsome movie star men who were the beneficiaries of flattering portrait photography during the hey day of Hollywood. Today, I'm giving the ladies a shot as we take a look at some eye-catching, colorful portraits of some of the cinema's notable ladies. Some are more famous than others, some more beautiful, but hopefully there is someone in here who's a personal favorite of yours!

Kicking things off is this dreamy rendition of Rosalind Russell.

The elegant and sophisticated Myrna Loy.

Florally festooned Loretta Young.

A similarly blooming Betty Hutton.

And Maureen O'Hara, whose garden is also growning!

Here is a later shot of Miss O'Hara, who is an Underworld favorite.

The divine Angela Lansbury, sporting a fun hairdo.

Mysterious Merle Oberon.

Ava Gardner, outdoing the beauty of a rose.

Maria Montez also goes the rose route...

...as does Gene Tierney.

While Ann Miller opts for a gigantic bouquet!

Dolores Del Rio keeps the blossoms on the print of her colorful dress.

As does Vera Ellen.

Lena Horne makes use of a parasol.

And Rita Hayworth does the same.

Here we find a gilded Alice Faye.

And here is a burnished Eleanor Parker.

Lovely Linda Darnell (love the lips!)

Pretty Ella Rains.

A rare color photo of Katharine Hepburn.

Likewise, Hedy Lamarr seemed most often filmed in black and white.

Fresh as a daisy Elizabeth Taylor.

And here is Ms. Taylor after maturing slightly, yet still looking amazing.

Good girl who turned bad to score an Oscar nomination, Ann Blyth.

Good girl practically all the time, Janet Leigh.

Good girl unless you were asking Eddie Fisher (and sometimes Carrie!), Debbie Reynolds.

Good girl unless you asked Joan Fontaine, Miss Olivia de Havilland. (We love you, Liv!)

And the perennially sunny good girl, Doris Day.

Sandra Dee also built a career on being a good girl...

...while Joey Heatherton built one on being bad... Both fell out of favor with the manstream before too long.

Singer Peggy Lee swathed in red.

Famous redhead Susan Hayward.

Temporary redhead Judy Garland.

Part-time redhead Jeanne Crain.

Real redhead Piper Laurie.

A famous redhead sporting darker locks than usual (and looking so relaxed and natural in the bargain!), Rhonda Fleming.

Redhead who's run the gamut from ingenue to bimbo to serious actress, even singing and dancing along the way, Ann-Margret.

And the most famous redhead who ever boarded the S.S. Minnow, Tina Louise.

One-time novice nun June Haver.

Never a nun, Lana Turner.

Mamie Van Doren.  No comment!

A freshly dried-off Esther Williams.

A heavily made-up Marlene Dietrich.

Who was ever more intense-looking than Carolyn Jones in this shot?

An interesting shot of Miss Barbara Stanwyck.

Jean Simmons in repose.

We love the way Miss Jane Wyman looks here, even if she does seem to be groping a "breasty" looking pillar!

Briefly blonde Hollywood Survivor Patricia Neal.

Regal even before the princely marriage, Grace Kelly.

A beauteous moment for Miss Kim Novak.

The nearly disembodied head of Sophia Loren.

Sultry Gina Lollobrigida.

Pneumatic Anita Ekberg around the time of her greatest fame.

The reflective beauty of Miss Joan Collins.

And the last one, in which the hair, eyes, jewels and makeup all combine for a devastatingly glamorous effect, Miss Dorothy Lamour.