Movie Stars of the 1940's

The 1940s was a decade that changed the history of mankind forever. It started with the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the world witnessed World War II, that affected almost every country. This time of history, however, proved very profitable for Hollywood as it produced beautiful pre and post war movies like Destination Tokyo (1943), The Way Ahead (1944), A Walk in the Sun (1945) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), which won multiple Oscars. All these movies were inspired either from the lives of the men who fought in the war or those who witnessed it. These wonderful creations also cast some of the best movie stars of the 1940s, who won various awards for their work in them. The speciality of these famous movie stars was that, they were flawless performers who changed the perception of acting. Their style of theater was nothing but natural and touched the hearts of millions with it. Find out who they were from the following paragraphs.

1940s Movie Stars

The movie stars of the 1940s were at the peaks of glamor and fame because of their excellent performances in heart whelming movies. This was one of the decades when Hollywood came up with some of the best documentaries, pseudo documentaries and feature films based on the World War II timeline. So, if you have been a fan of these famous actors and actresses, find a short recap mentioned in the following paragraphs just for you!

Humphrey Bogart, 1899 - 1957
One of the best male movie stars of the 1940s, Humphrey Bogart started off as the 'Bad Guy', and then moved on to finding fame as the leading star of his movies. He gave great performances in movies like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. He was married to actress Lauren Bacall, with whom he acted in his very well-known movie, To Have and To Have Not. Commonly known as 'Bogie', he was one of names in the list of famous male movie actors. He also won the 1951 Best Actor Award for his movie, The African Queen.

James Cagney, 1899 - 1986
He went by the name Yankee Doodle Dandy, after the release of his movie by the same name, in the 1940s. James Cagney had the image of being the chocolate boy of that era with his energetic and full of life entertaining abilities. Being one of the greatest actors of all time he played roles of a dancer, gangster, comic and also the lead hero in many of his movies. He was one of his kind and received the Best Actor Award in 1942 and the Oscar for playing George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Bob Hope, 1903 - 2003
The legendary Bob Hope was also known as Rapid Robert and Old Ski Nose. He was one of the best comedians Hollywood ever found and became a people's favorite because of his song, 'Thanks for the Memories'. It was from his debut feature film, 'The Big Broadcast' of 1938. He further went to play the lead in many Road movies like Road to Morocco, Road to Rio, Road to Bali, etc. Bob Hope was also honored as the best entertainer in the Guinness Book of World Records and received many Academy Awards and a Golden Globe, and is one of the most famous actors of the past.

Lauren Bacall, 1924
This Hollywood beauty of the 1940s was one of those New York girls who had big dreams for herself. She initially worked as a model and then made her debut with Humphrey Bogart in 'To Have and To Have Not'. She was happily married to Bogart till his death in 1957 and later married Jason Robards in 1961. She being one of the female Hollywood movie stars of the 1940s was also known as Baby and was a true 'seductress' in her younger years. Her work in The Big Sleep and Key Largo, earned her a lot of fame.

Katharine Hepburn, 1907 - 2003
Known to be one of the most beautiful and stunning female movie stars of the 1940s, Kate suited her British accent and looks. She had a very distinct personality with a strong acting career which she started with The Czarina in 1928. She was also one of the most famous people and well-known actresses in her time, as her beauty mesmerized many around her. She also won the Best Actress award in 1932, 1967, 1968 and 1981 for various movies like Morning Glory, The Lion in Winter with husband, Henry 2 and On Golden Pond. Her last movie was Love Affair.

Judy Garland, 1922 - 1969
If you had to talk about a famous actresses list, Judy Garland's name has to be on it. She was one of the best movie stars of the 1940s and a sensation throughout her career. She got her nickname as Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz in 1939, where she played a little girl away from home. Judy's enthusiasm and energetic roles continued even after huge success. She has one of the best performances ever known in 'A Star is Born', to her credit.

Some more movie stars of the 1940s are:

• Ingrid Bergman
• Gary Cooper
• Joan Crawford
• Bing Crosby
• Bette Davis
• Oliva De Havilland
• Vivien Leigh
• Fred MacMurray
• Mickey Rooney
• Barbara Stanwyck
• Spencer Tracy

With this information about some of the best and greatest movie stars of the 1940s, I am sure you must have come across some of your favorite stars as well. These individuals defined character and built images on the foundation of their hard work. This is why, even today the world knows them for who they were.