Which Leading Lady of the 20th Century Are You? ~ Water Signs ~

By Shelby Sweet

Water Signs Edition: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

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Cancer: Gina Lollobrigida (July 4th, 1927)

Before Gina Lollobrigida was dubbed “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” she was just a normal girl growing up in a quaint, picturesque mountain village in Italy. She was a young art student at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts when she caught the eye of influential film tycoon, Howard Hughes.

While the soon-to-be star had dabbled in a few minor film roles after she’d come in third place in the Miss Italy beauty competition, young Lollobrigida was much more interested in art than acting. But Hughes was very persistent and (after having her flown to LA for a screentest) Lollobrigida signed a seven-year contract before heading back home to her husband in Italy.

Lollobrigida’s star rose quickly after her Hollywood breakout film, “Beat the Devil,” premiered in 1953, after which her co-star, Humphrey Bogart, said that Lollobrigida made “Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple.”

With her trademark natural brunette hair, deep seductive voice, and earthy Italian good looks, she had earned her title as early as 1955 with the premiere of what would later be her most well-known movie, “Beautiful but Dangerous.” She even had a lettuce leaf affectionately named “La Lollo” after her because of her signature choppy, “tossed salad” hairstyle.

While she was known for her love of Chanel and her exquisite taste in Bulgari jewelry (particularly emeralds), Lollobrigida was never really one for all the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. She wanted to be an artist above all else.

Throughout her career, Lollobrigida also became a photographer and a sculptor when she grew bored of acting. She tried her hand at journalism, famously interviewing and photographing Fidel Castro, and she worked as an executive for cosmetics companies.

Lollobrigida never cared too much about fame and fortune; she was interested in finding the art in everything she did. She was, nonetheless, successful. Born in 1927, Lollobrigida is one of the last icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age still alive.

Today, she lives in an enchanting villa outside Rome, behind high, mysterious walls along the ancient Appian Way. Retired now, she spends her days happily following her first love, art. She tells us she “studied painting and sculpting at school and became an actress by mistake.”

Scorpio: Grace Kelly (November 12th, 1929)

Grace Kelly possessed a regal elegance long before she became a princess. She grew up in an affluent family in Philadelphia, attending private prep schools before moving to Manhattan to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Despite coming from money, the ever-independent Kelly paid her own way through college by working as a model for print ads. Kelly always dreamed of the stage, but sadly her voice was too high, flat, and nasally for Broadway because of her bad sinuses. At school, she was advised to work on her Philadelphia accent, and she practiced relentlessly into a tape recorder.

When Kelly finally made her way to Hollywood, she was able to negotiate a flexible seven-year contract with MGM that allowed her to pick-and-choose her roles and gave her the freedom to live in New York every other year so she could continue to pursue her dreams of live theater.

Kelly was known to dress very conservatively when she was first starting out. She’d wear a plethora of wool skirts and cashmere cardigans with horn-rimmed glasses, and she became well-known for wearing white gloves to auditions. She kept her style very simple as her career progressed, but her ensembles became a lot classier and chicer. She was a vision in white and pastels and was often styled by Edith Head, the queen of style in herself!

Kelly worked very closely with Alfred Hitchcock, who said she was his perfect heroine because she epitomized “sexual elegance.” Of him, Kelly said, “Mr. Hitchcock taught me everything about cinema. It was thanks to him that I understood that murder scenes should be shot like love scenes, and love scenes like murder scenes.” It was with him that Kelly starred in some of her most memorable films like “Dial M for Murder,” “Rear Window,” and “How to Catch a Thief.” She became the highest earning female star in 1955, and her classic, elegant style earned her a spot on the Best Dressed list.

Kelly retired from acting after she wed Prince Rainier III in 1956, thus crowning her Grace Kelly Princess of Monaco. Their wedding was dubbed the “Wedding of the Century,” and it was broadcasted live from Monaco by MGM to almost 30 million viewers all throughout Europe. Kelly, who had always looked stunning in white, was absolutely radiant, and her dress is still considered today to be one of the most iconic of all time.

Kelly and Rainier would go on to have three beautiful children, and Kelly had her very own Hermes tote bag named after her once she was photographed using the large brown bag to hide her pregnant belly.

Sadly, Princess Grace was the victim of an untimely death at the age of 52 when she suffered a stroke while driving with her youngest daughter, Stephanie. Her daughter survived, but her mother’s injuries were too great, and she passed away the following day. Millions mourned the death of their beloved princess, but Kelly’s legacy of class and elegance still lives on today.

Pisces: Elizabeth Taylor (February 27th, 1932)

Elizabeth Taylor was born in London, England, but her American family quickly returned to the United States when she was just seven, after being advised that the outbreak of WWII was imminent.

Her father became an art dealer in LA with many Hollywood clients, and her mother had been a successful stage actress prior to her marriage, so it’s no surprise that Taylor became interested in showbiz at such a young age. She was in her first film, “There’s One Born Every Minute,” when she was only ten years old! Taylor continued to earn roles throughout her adolescence, but unlike most childhood stars of the age (and now, for that matter) Taylor was able to transition from juvenile to adult roles without much difficulty.

Taylor had a very unique beauty and was known for playing strong-willed, powerful, and unpredictable female characters. She had a bold, dramatic style and would often use dark, striking eye makeup and lighting to make her deep blue eyes appear violet.

A secret to her unusual eyes is that she was born with distichiasis, a genetic condition that produces a double row of lashes around the eye. She kept her short auburn curls pulled back to show off her face, and (like Marilyn Monroe) she always chose ensembles that accentuated her curvy frame. She liked to accessorize with furs and tiaras and was known for her love of high-octane jewelry, specifically diamonds and pearls.

Taylor was a free spirit when it came to love, and she was married a whopping eight times, two of which were to Richard Burton. The two had met on the set of their film — the iconic “Cleopatra” — and began an affair, despite both being married. Enveloped in scandal, they later left their spouses and married each other. They were married for ten years before divorcing in 1974, only to get married again a year later. Their second marriage ended after less than a year, but the media had still dubbed their relationship “The Marriage of the Century.”

Despite her scandalous love life, Taylor had a very long, very successful career. She received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.

She became a dedicated philanthropist, helping to establish the American Foundation for AIDS Research and later her own Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation to provide direct relief to those affected by the AIDS crisis.

Taylor’s style may have moved with the times, but her dedication to glamor never waned. As she aged, she moved from long, dazzling gowns to well-tailored suits and always knew how to accessorize. She lived a long, happy life, passing away in 2011 at the age of 79.