12 Worst Tragic Stories About Old Hollywood's Actresses, here goes my vote..

foreign worst tragic stories about old Hollywood's actresses here's my vote explore old Hollywood's legendary actresses untold stories of heartbreak Scandal and Shattered Dreams your vote matters let's dive in in the early days of Hollywood Tinseltown held out starry-eyed dreams with a promise of Fame and Fortune but the price was often steep during the Roaring Twenties Hollywood held the Allure of wealth and glamor for the fortunate few while for others it became a realm of debauchery and excess as noted by 1920s fashion and music young women from across America and Beyond were drawn to this captivating World seeking their shot at stardom yet the reality was harsh for the majority of aspiring starlets success remained elusive Stranded by shame or poverty many hopefuls found themselves toiling in menial jobs as they waited for their breakthrough moment some even resorted to the shadowy Realms of sex work to survive even those who managed to rise faced adversity navigating a male dominated industry where the metaphorical casting couch as highlighted by variety often demanded compromising choices long-term contracts and undesirable roles were the norm and actresses were often forced to uphold a carefully curated image these pressures took their toll alcoholism erratic behavior and tragic Fates play many take a look at some of Hollywood's Golden Girls whose lives took heartbreaking turns amidst The Glitz and glamor of the era two thousand dollars oh no will wouldn't do that oh no brother Willie wouldn't do that number 12. Barbara Payton's Fame gets to her head Barbara Payton born as Barbara Lee Redfield in 1927 was a prime example of how not everyone in the golden years of Hollywood could handle the intoxicating Allure Of Fame her story as reported by vintage news and glamor girls of the Silver Screen begins with her early marriages before she caught the eye of Universal Pictures in 1948 the glamor and Spotlight of Hollywood Life beckoned her and she was soon immersed in a world of nightclubs high-profile Affairs and Reckless choices one Infamous incident involved her entanglement with the already married Bob Hope which ultimately led her to being fired from Universal however her journey in Hollywood continued as she signed with Warner Brothers appearing in a total of 14 films between 1949 and 1955. yet behind the glitzy facade Barbara's life was going out of control her tumultuous love life included a third marriage to actor Franco tone and a fourth to a fisherman named Tony provas both of which entered into Force her struggles with alcoholism manifested and bounced checks and even a shocking incident where she was found sleeping on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard dressed only in a bathing suit and a coat in 1962 as recounted by the San Diego reader Barbara Payton's tragic descent was documented by a bartender turned writer Robert Polito he vividly remembered her stumbling into a Hollywood bar called the coach and horses a shadow of her former self drunk overweight but still willing to share her thoughts with anyone who would listen Polito transcribed these conversations for her autobiography ghost written by Leo Guild in 1963. regrettably just four years later Barbara Payton's tumultuous Journey came to a heart-wrench again she was found dead at her parents home in San Diego number 11. Ann McKnight Murder by husband born in Connecticut in 1906 and McKnight's life took a dark turn that would unfold as a nightmare as recounted by hollywoodland Anne's early years were marked by geographical ships with her family eventually settling in Denver Colorado Census records from 1920 provide a glimpse into her life at that time but her Destiny was about to lead her down a much darker path in 1927 Dan and her sister Ada moved to Hollywood driven by a shared passion for acting Ada who went by Joy McKnight managed to secure a role in the 1928 movie bittersweets however for Anne opportunities were scared that she found herself relegated to minor roles as an extra and occasional dance gigs at local clubs it was during this tumultuous period that Anne crossed paths with William Burkhart a man whose demons would lead her to her tragic demise in 1928 Anne married Burkhardt unaware of the horrors that awaited her he was an abusive drug user and alcoholic and their relationship quickly deteriorated around a year after their marriage Ann summoned the courage to escape from the clutches of her Tormentor fleeing to her sister's home she initiated divorce proceedings to break free from the cycle of abuse but Burkhardt driven by a Sinister agenda managed to locate an and tricked her into a supposed reconciliation in a shocking act of violence fueled by alcohol Burkhart subjected Anne to a brutal assault shooting her five times he callously declared to a neighbor quote you might think that I am stiff but my wife is stiffer the extent of the brutality was further exacerbated by his violation of Anne's body burkhart's actions were met with swift justice as he faced a trial covered by newspapers including the San Bernardino Sun the trial concluded with a guilty charge and in 1932 Burkhart met his end through execution by hanging he was laid to rest in Hollywood Forever Cemetery not far from the final resting place of the woman he mercilessly murdered Anne McKnight number 10 the death of Gladys Brockwell was way too early intelligent and multifaceted actress Gladys brockwell's life was a story of early promise and tragic end born to a struggling chorus girl in the 1890s her trajectory into the spotlight was destined from a tender age by three years old she was already gracing the stage and in 1913 she made her debut in the film the rattlesnake as chronicled by silent Hollywood Gladys quickly made her Mark in Hollywood with Fox Studios recognizing her talents and adding her to their payroll her dedication to her craft was evident as she transitioned to full-length films in 1917 marking a pivotal step in her career as documented by IMDb yet while her professional life was blossoming her personal life echoed the complexities often faced by Hollywood actresses in 1918 Gladys took a decisive step by divorcing her husband of three years Robert Broadwell her candid statement in court quote he never took me out anywhere end quote revealed the underlying strains in their relationship undeterred by personal setbacks Brockwell star continued to rise her breakthrough came with the leading role in lights of New York in 1928 as highlighted by hollywoodland tragedy struck in 1929 when Gladys embarked on a fateful evening ride with advertising executive Thomas Brennan a center in Brennan's eye caused their car to Skid off the road hurtling 75 feet down an embankment flipping multiple times and entrapping them underneath the catastrophic accident led to brockwell's untimely demise on July 2nd succumbing to massive injuries while some reports suggested burial find a grave asserts that Gladys was cremated with her ashes entrusted to her mother number nine baby Peggy's parents spent more than she earned the story of baby Peggy born Peggy Jean Montgomery in San Diego in 1918 is a heart-wrenching tale of how a child star's promising career was marred by Family greed and tragedy as documented by IMDb This expressive young girl with her distinctive bobbed black hair had already become a star by the tender age of two in 1920. she was a prodigy starring at approximately 150 short films and a handful of feature films during her brief but meteoric career baby Peggy's talent and Charisma earned her the moniker Hollywood's Million Dollar Baby as her father adeptly negotiated million-dollar contracts on her behalf the fervor surrounding her career extended beyond the Silver Screen with baby Peggy dolls jewelry and a plethora of memorabilia flying off the shelves a testament to her immense popularity yet amidst the dazzling Knights of stardom baby Peggy's childhood was slipping away in her own words she once confessed quote I didn't know what a regular kid was because I didn't have any friends end quote the Relentless demands of Show Business left her with no semblance of a normal childhood tragedy struck when baby Peggy's career abruptly came to an end in 1924 a salary dispute between her over-ambitious father and a producer led to the cancellation of her contract as reported by variety the financial woes continued as her parents discovered that her grandfather had stolen all of her hard-earned money leaving her penniless in a bid to revive her career Peggy tried her hand at Vaudeville but the family's extravagant lifestyle crumbled in the face of the Great Depression their Wyoming ranch once a symbol of opulence was lost and the family's fortunes were dramatically reversed undeterred by adversity Peggy transitioned into a different role within Hollywood working as an extra during the 1930s however her true passion lay elsewhere at she reflected quote at eight years of age I was determined to become a writer end quote and so she did rebranding herself as Diana Sarah Carey she authored at least five books before passing in February 2020. number eight Gene Harlow from blonde bombshell to frail actress long before Marilyn Monroe captured the world there was Gene Harlow the original blonde bombshell of Hollywood's Golden Era however the story of Gene Harlow is not just about the actress herself but also about the intricate Dynamics between her and her mother as recounted by country living the Elder Gene Harlow had aspirations of becoming an actress but when that dream didn't materialize she saw the potential in her daughter and fervently encouraged her journey into stardom born harleen Carpenter the young actress to be had an unexpected encounter that would shape her Destiny visiting Fox Studios with a friend she spontaneously introduced herself as Gene Harlow a moniker that would become synonymous with Allure and glamor despite her mother's aspirations Arlene's initial interest in acting was lukewarm and she even eloped at the age of 16. however by 1928 Harlow's passion for acting was ignited propelling her to leave her husband behind and embark on a remarkable Journey that saw her appear in an impressive 43 films over nearly a decade as documented by IMDb yet her life was not without its share of hardships and Scandals mysterious circumstances surrounded the death of her second husband in 1932 and her relationships with married men made headlines her childhood struggles with illnesses such as meningitis and scarlet fever as revealed by Jean Harlow's official website had left their mark an emergency appendectomy and rumors of her puffy appearance attributed to excessive drinking added to her challenges during the filming of her final movie Saratoga Harlow endured not only in acute case of sunburn but also a throat infection and influenza as chronicled by history her health was already fragile and she was ultimately diagnosed with kidney failure the world mourned as the original blonde bombshell's light faded at the young age of 26. number seven Rita Hayworth a look at the Dual personalities born as Margarita Carmen cancino in the heart of Brooklyn as reported by Vanity Fair Rita would Ascent to become the quintessential Hollywood sex symbol however beneath the glittering facade a haunting Past cast a long Shadow over the actress revealing a dual personality that few knew existed as a child Rita endured a painful and traumatic upbringing her Vaudeville star father subjected her to verbal berating physical beatings and even sexual abuse as the dark secrets of her past would later unveil these scars remained etched deep within Rita's psyche hidden behind the dazzling smile and enchanting Allure that would Captivate audiences worldwide remarkably Rita's talents extended beyond the Silver Screen by the tender age of 12 she was already an accomplished dancer laying the foundation for a career that would redefine Hollywood gold Derby notes several groundbreaking achievements in Rita's career she was the first actress to share the screen with legendary dancers like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly cementing her status as a cinematic pioneer in the 40s she became one of the first pinup girls an emblem of desire for a generation Rita's personal life was as tumultuous as it was glamorous she embarked on five marriages and engaged in numerous Affairs A desperate search for The elusive love she craved perhaps the most astonishing chapter of her life was her marriage to a prince marking her as the first American actress to enter royalties Inner Circle later in life she would also become the first prominent celebrity to publicly raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease her filmography spanning from 1934 to 1972 is a testament to her enduring talent and remarkable career however behind the scenes the Criterion Collection aptly observes that the Rita Hayworth the world knew was a carefully crafted facade shaped not only by her own hands but also by the manipulative actions of her father and the portrayals of her husbands in the Twilight years of her life a stark contrast emerged those who encountered her like actress Shelly Winters were baffled by the site of Rita hidden beneath layers of coats Weeping at a Hollywood party it was a poignant reminder that the woman who stepped in front of the camera was an entirely different personality from the one that hid in the shadows tragically Rita's battle with Alzheimer's began in 1971 leading to Her diagnosis in 1980. she succumbed to the disease in 1987. number six Peg and twistle the tragic tale of the Hollywood Sign girl Pig and twistle's name Echoes through Hollywood's history but it's a name forever tied to a tragic end her suicide by leaping from the iconic Hollywood sign back when it still bore the letters Hollywood land born Millicent Lillian and twistle in Wales her journey to America was marked by adversity from the start as recounted by Harper's Bazaar life proved relentlessly challenging in 1921 her mother passed away followed by her father in 1922. in 1929 during a tumultuous marriage to Lee Keith She testified against him revealing harrowing abuse that included him physically assaulting her after parting ways with her husband in divorce Entwistle began to thrive in New York's theater Guild although her Ambitions were boundless I would rather play roles that carry conviction she boldly declared yearning for the bright lights of Hollywood her chance to pursue a screen acting career came when the theater Guild ventured to California while she pursued her dreams life was far from glamorous she lived with her Uncle struggling to make ends meet despite the challenges she continued to Grace the stage earning accolades for her role in a play titled The Uninvited Guest finally in 1932 and twistle secured a role in the film 13 women however her hopes were cruelly dashed when nearly all of her scenes were mercilessly cut leaving her with a mere 15 seconds of screen time this devastating blow pushed the fragile actress into a deep abyss of depression on what would become that fateful day she told her uncle that she was meeting friends instead she ascended a workman's ladder ultimately perching herself atop the letter H of the Hollywood land sign with a heavy heart she took a fatal leap into the abyss below two long days passed before her lifeless body was discovered in a poignant twist of fate her ashes were interred next to her father's in Ohio far from the bright lights of Hollywood she had aspired to conquer number five Marion Davies the Mistress of a media Mogul Marion Davey's journey to becoming a legendary silent film star was a story of talent overshadowed by Scandal despite grappling with a debilitating stutter as revealed by Deco films Davies was well on her way to stardom when she crossed paths with newspaper Tycoon William Randolph Hearst in 1917. at the time she was a youthful 21 while he was a mature 55 and already married their entangled love story as reported by Fascinate would go on to become one of Hollywood's worst kept secrets hersed More Than Just A Lover became an integral part of Davey's career according to Hearst Castle he not only produced her films but relentlessly promoted her in his newspapers together they founded Cosmopolitan Productions marking an unprecedented collaboration between a medium local and a Hollywood star yet despite Davey's undeniable Talent her career was often overshadowed and dismissed as the result of hearst's influence and patronage in 1941 Orson Welles Unleashed Citizen Kane a cinematic Masterpiece that Drew striking parallels to Davies and Susan Alexander a character unmistakably inspired by her the film as noted by all that's interesting subject to Davies and Hearst to public ridicule exposing the intricacies of their relationship for all to see the media didn't just focus on their high-profile parties which drew the Rich and Famous but also on Davey's remarkable sacrifice she sold a staggering million dollars worth of her own jewelry to bail out the financially struggling Hearst Corporation in the late 1930s a testament to her loyalty and devotion however when Hearst pushed too aggressively to secure Davies an Academy Award nomination for her role in Peg o my heart the Oscars didn't respond as expected she'd never received another nomination and her career slowly waned to cope she turned to drinking and the Glory Days of her cinematic stardom began to fade tragedy struck again when Hearst passed away in 1951 the LA Times reported that every trace of him including photographs of him with Davies was forcibly taken from her by hearst's Family Davey's later years were marred by illness battling cancer and she ultimately succumbed to the disease in 1961. number four the biggest lie about Francis Farmer it's time to set the record straight regarding one of Hollywood's most enduring myths despite persistent rumors and claims actress Francis Farmer of the 1930s did not undergo a lobotomy during her tumultuous life the truth as clarified by sources such as KCET reveals that farmer did find herself in a precarious situation in 1943. she was arrested at the renowned Knickerbocker Hotel for unpaid DUI fines and was reportedly discovered in a distressed State disrobed and in the midst of a manic episode fueled by alcohol understandably her behavior during this incident made her less than Cooperative with authorities subsequently in 1944 as reported by the evening star Farmer's mother took the difficult step of having her committed to Washington's Western State Hospital her stays there were intermittent spanning until 1950. in a revealing episode of this is your life in 1958 farmer herself spoke candidly about her struggles attributing them to a nervous breakdown she asserted that she emerged from this challenging period without ever undergoing a lobotomy afterwards she deliberately chose a life of relative obscurity as history link corroborates farmer continued to Grapple with alcoholism and her inner demons leading to intermittent setbacks even as she made brief returns to television her tumultuous Journey persisted throughout her life however it wasn't until eight years after her passing in 1970 that writer William Arnold introduced the false Narrative of a lobotomy in his biography of the actress fortunately as all that's interesting confirms Arnold's account was discredited in 1983. her Legacy endures even receiving musical homage on Nirvana's 1993 album in utero with a song titled Francis Farmer will have her revenge on Seattle number three Lupe Velez a desire to be remembered there's a memorable and somewhat Darkly humorous scene in the TV series Frasier where Roz Doyle shares the tragic tale of Lupe Velez The Mexican actress who tragically ended her life in 1944 as documented by find a grave however the less's life was marked by anything but humor born in 1908 into a tumultuous and violent environment the less his early years as revealed by mysterious facts earned her a reputation as a Mexican Spitfire her mischievousness as a child even led to her being placed in a Convent unfortunately her penchant for trouble continued into adulthood and she was no stranger to violence accounts suggest that she was involved in incidents such as stabbing and firing a gun at her former lover the actor Gary Cooper as reported by Los Angeles magazine in her own words she once described her life story as that of a devil confessing quote I am wild I cannot help it velez's turbulent life included a tumultuous marriage passionate Affairs and an unwanted pregnancy as documented by encyclopedia ultimately she added 45 film credits to her name but tragically chose to end her own life in 1944. the evening star reported that the less was found lifeless due to a drug overdose discovered by her secretary however several years later writer Kenneth Anker introduced a different and far more lurid version of the Les's demise suggesting that she was found with her head in a toilet having regurgitated in her final moments number two the tragic fate of Elizabeth Short The Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short known as the Black Dahlia had a unique affinity for the color black which extended from her dark hair to The Elegant dresses she favored often adorned her hair with dahlias earning her the moniker that would come to Define her as documented by find a grave yet beneath this distinct Persona by a life marked by hardship and turmoil Short's early life was shadowed by her father's departure when she was just five years old leaving behind a large family as noted by a biography strikingly he later staged his own death and incident highlighted on the Black Dahlia webpage growing up in challenging circumstances and grappling with health issues like asthma shorts penchant for black attire became a symbol of her autonomy in a world that had dealt her an unfair hand her dream of making it in the movie industry Drew her to California when her father offered her a place to stay however by the age of 19 Short's life had become somewhat unraveled in 1943 she was expelled from her father's home and faced legal trouble due to underage drinking her relationships were fleeting and by January 9 1947 she was last seen alive with Robert Manley who spent the night with her in a hotel and saw her for the final time in the lobby sadly Short's life came to a gruesome end on January 15 1947. according to FBI records her body was discovered in a Los Angeles neighborhood separate in half at the waist the shocking and horrifying nature of her murder sent shockwaves through the community despite extensive efforts with countless leads followed and interviews conducted the identity of shorts killer remains an unsolved mystery number one the mysterious death of Virginia rapid victim of sexual assault in the annals of Hollywood's history one of its earliest scandals unfolded not in the glitzy Streets of LA but in the heart of San Francisco at the center of this story is Virginia rapid a woman whose life began with a challenging backdrop born as the illegitimate daughter of a chorus girl rapay's Journey was marked by adversity from the start after her mother's passing the 14 year old made her way from Chicago to San Francisco there she pursued a career in dress design and modeling tragedy struck when her first love Robert moscowitz lost his life In A Streetcar accident nevertheless repay's heart would find love once more this time with director and producer Henry lehrman by 1921 rapay had ventured into the world of Cinema amassing appearances in several movies and even securing an award for best dressed girl in pictures as recounted by Hollywood Forever her life seemed to be on an upswing until one fateful evening an evening hosted by actor Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle at San Francisco's Saint Francis Hotel it was here that Maude Delmont identified by Smithsonian as a Hollywood Madam and blackmailer witnessed Arbuckle's interaction with repay according to reports Arbuckle allegedly uttered quote I've waited for you five years and now I've got you before leading rape into a nearby room moments later rapay's agonized screams pierced the air and she would succumb to a ruptured bladder a few days later what followed were three manslaughter trials for Arbuckle marked by extensive media coverage while Delmont never testified she freely shared her side of the story with the Press Arbuckle was ultimately acquitted but the Scandal had left an indelible mark on his reputation and financial stability today Virginia rapid rests in Hollywood Forever Cemetery her death shrouded in mystery with the truth behind her tragic end remaining unsolved and enigmatic Virginia's death would forever remain one of Hollywood's most tragic deaths we've come to the end of these heart-wrenching Tales From old Hollywood if you felt touched by these Tales don't forget to hit that like button subscribe to get more fascinating Hollywood content

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Length: 29min 1sec (1741 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 03 2023