The Australian Women's Weekly: Icons

Revisit the magic of Hollywood’s golden age with a new Icons issue. From leading lady Lucille Ball’s path to becoming our favourite funny girl to the secret lives of stars including Frank Sinatra, Leslie Caron, Burt Lancaster and more there are 164 page of gripping reads and vintage photos to enjoy.

From the editor

LEADING ladies • Bette Davis Eva Marie Saint Jean Arthur

A history-making snub • In 1934, the star gave what many considered the performance of the year in Of Human Bondage, only to find herself missing from the Oscar ballot. The resulting uproar would help to change the Academy Awards forever, writes Claire Isaac.

A quiet force • From her Oscar-winning film debut to Alfred Hitchcock’s cool blonde spy, the actress brought intelligence, restraint and a hint of steel to the screen.

The American Garbo • The comedy queen embodied confidence and independence on screen, while privately battling severe anxiety and a disdain for Hollywood’s machinations and fame game. Tim Gill reports.

STARS AT play • Hollywood hobbies The 21 Club

At their leisure • Away from the cameras, Tinseltown’s biggest names made time for fishing, knitting, riding and everything in between – keeping them entertained when they weren’t in the spotlight.

New York’s finest • From Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall to Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, the 21 Club was where Hollywood ate, drank and made news in the Big Apple. Tiffany Dunk reports.

DYNAMIC duos • Rock Hudson & Doris Day Laurel & Hardy Katharine Hepburn & Cary Grant

Best of friends • They were the all-American duo whose comedies sparked a friendship that would last for decades. Sarah Rodrigues retraces how a seemingly unlikely pairing would become a lifeline for them both.

A fine pairing • One permanently baffled and the other always exasperated, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy turned comic catastrophe into enduring screen magic.

A perfect pair • They made just four films together. Yet, writes Claire Isaac, this talented duo would become one of Hollywood’s great screen partnerships and help shape each other’s careers along the way.

scandals & TRAGEDY • Jean Harlow James Dean & East of Eden Corinne Griffith

The smokescreen marriage • When the platinum blonde’s affair with a married boxer threatened another scandal, MGM may have found the perfect solution: a conveniently timed walk down the aisle. Peter Griffiths investigates.

Forever young • Taken far too soon, the actor was at the top of his game when he made this acclaimed saga – its perfection a glimpse of the unfulfilled promise of a long and glittering career. Tim Gill reports.

A curious case • In May 1966, a former silent screen star took the stand in a Los Angeles courtroom and delivered one of the strangest plot twists of all time: she claimed she was not herself. Sarah Rodrigues reports.

LEADING men • Tony Curtis Douglas Fairbanks Sr Marcel Marceau

A second coming • In this interview from our archives, Alan Markfield discovered that – despite a rebound in his fame and fortune – the actor was happiest being unhappy.

The original action hero • This charming star thrilled 1920s audiences with athletic daring and an enduring larger-than-life presence.

The silent star • After losing his father at Auschwitz, the mime artist transformed silence into a universal language of performance on stage and screen. Peter Griffiths reports.

THE STYLE makers • Wardrobe tests Models who shaped our style

Dressed FOR APPROVAL • The wardrobe test was a vital part of cinematic costume approval. Peter Griffiths takes a look.

Models who shaped our style • From couture queens to Swinging ’60s rule-breakers, these trailblazing...