Myrna Loy

You never think of her as the most beautiful 30’s star, nor do you think of her as a siren, but Myrna created one of the most lovable characters in all of film in Nora Charles, wife of detective “thin man” Nick Charles played by William Powell (photo right, the 'thin man' was actually a suspect, not Nick, my review is here: Thin Man Series).
She was deft with comedy, had such a lovable smirk that even when she’s picking on Nick you can still like her. Her wealthy character allows Nick to be a pro 'slacker' and solve crimes as a hobby, so she didn't have to take any guff and called the shots; he called her 'mama'. A definite keeper, I doubt the big screen will ever see such a popular married couple (and dog, in ASTA). Watch the entire box set on dvd, five films and a documentary on “Nick and Nora”, then just try to NOT fall in love with her! I wanted to show some very early shots of Myrna so I shrank these photos drastically – check out the 300 or so of her at Fanpix.

Greta Garbo

Perhaps the most popular and enduring screen goddess, the Swedish born Garbo had a timeless beauty that seems to transcend all eras. She has such a warm, friendly face that she seems to combine all the warmest qualities of friend and lover. She also had the grace to retire from the screen when young and beautiful.

This photo is a rare early one from the mid 20's. She started in silent films, with racy titles like Flesh and the Devil, then learned English when talkies came and was one of a few stars to successfully make that transition, and became the leading screen goddess of the 30's. She broke many hearts when she retired early in New York City, when a Garbo sighting was rare and a media event.

Louise Brooks

Brooks was another 20's vamp, often appearing in racy films where she was a temptress, a prostitute, a femme fatale. Pandora's Box (1929) is the most famous, available on dvd. She also had 'it', along with Clara Bow, and I think she epitomized the phrase bedroom eyes.

Clara Bow

In the roaring twenties, Clara was designated the "IT girl", with it being sex appeal, apparently something you couldn't say in public, so you had to use 'it'. She was actually considered the first sex symbol from films, with a modern look, which seems to scream available. My grandmother was born in 1890 and loved Clara (also Charles Laughton and Rudolph Valentino, and of course thought Gable 'very handsome').

Note: Clara was the one rumored to have 'rewarded' the entire USC football team when they won the Rose Bowl, which included John Wayne!

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford is likely the first major screen idol from films. She became the nation's sweetheart (just look at the cat photo), then married the popular Douglas Fairbanks, and they built the famous house Pickfair in Hollywood. The photo to the right is from 1918, and displays a classical beauty similar to a Renoir painting.