With her early role of wholesome and loyal Wilma in the 1946 classic The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Alabama born and raised Cathy O'Donnell will always be reminded by legions of fans as the girl next door. It is quite probable her role in that film helped coined the phrase. Best Years success boded well for Cathy and soon she co-starred in the now-iconic Film Noir classic They Live by Night (1948). Farley Granger and Cathy were paired yet again in a Noir effort; Anthony Mann's Sidestreet two years later.

It all started with a gamble when Ann Steely (birth name) moved out to Hollywood at a very young age where her talent, beauty and charm were easily identified. Fortune landed her a contract under Sam Goldwyn. Extensive vocal training (to remove her thick Southern drawl) and acting lessons seemed to be pushing Cathy into a future with a long and successful career. 

However, her rise on the silver screen was sidetracked when, at age 23, she married Robert Wyler (more than double her age) - the older brother of director William Wyler, with whom Mr. Goldwyn was engaged in a bitter feud. In retaliation Goldwyn abruptly canceled her contract. Unfortunately thereafter she had no lasting bond with any studio. Her most memorable roles of the were in classic Film Noir's such as They Live by Night (1948) Detective Story (1951), Sidestreet (1950) and Bury Me Dead (1947). In fact, of Cathy's 17 films (of which she had starring or featured roles), 7 are Film Noir (or debatable-Film Noir). This makes her a major, although often underrated, contributor to the style. Her last film was Ben-Hur (1959). Her marriage to Wyler proved long-lasting but was unsuccessful in their attempts to have children. Her premature death on their 22nd wedding anniversary, at only 45 years of age, followed an extensive struggle with cancer.

In her first role - that of Sally Murfin in Blonde Fever (1944) - Gloria's character states: 'Mr.Donay there are two kinds of girls - good girls and the other kind. I hope you don't think I'm the other kind.'  Regardless, a few years later her role as distracting Violet in It's a Wonderful Life pushed to define her persona as a sexy temptress ripe for supporting and feature roles in the adult oriented crime dramas of the day. After appearances in such films as Song of the Thin Man, Gloria found a premium vehicle for exposure as Ginny Tremaine in RKO's Crossfire - directed by Edward Dmytryk in 1947. Although not a starring role it would prove to be the film capable of escalating her to stardom and eventually far more defining performances. Her excellent work in Crossfire was gratifyingly nominated for an Academy Award (eventually losing to Celeste Holm in Gentleman's Agreement).

Gloria received further critical recognition in 1952 for both Macao and Sudden Fear. Although she proved very talented in musicals like Oklahoma! (1955) Gloria's intrinsic sexuality and seductive visage will be forever associated with Film Noir primarily due to her classics roles in such notable entries as In a Lonely Place (1950), The Big Heat (1953) Naked Alibi (1954) and Human Desire (1954).

She continued some memorable television work later in her career (see Episode 28: The Homecoming of Season One of The Fugitive with David Janssen). Gossip surrounded her private life as she underwent frequent and unnecessary plastic surgeries and Gloria's fourth marriage produced further scandalous headlines as she married her former stepson, producer/director Anthony Ray (director Nicholas Ray's son). She bore him two children in the early 1960s but on October 5, 1981, at the age of 57, she succumbed to cancer leaving a legacy of cinema that is unforgettable to her fans. Some trivia about her background includes support that Gloria was descended from royalty. Her father's family descended from King Edward III through John of Gaunt; her mother's, from the Scottish Kings of the Hebrides and Gloria's grandfather Reginald Francis Hallward was said to have given Oscar Wilde the idea for his classic novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.' Although enigmatic Gloria is mentioned in many Noir and Hollywood books I only ever found one entirely devoted to her; Suicide Blonde: The Life of Gloria Grahame by Vincent Curcio.

NOTE: Gloria's fans may wish to check out the 2017 movie "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool", based on Peter Turner’s memoir about Gloria Grahame's last days of her life in Liverpool, where the author and his family cajoled, comforted, and wept with the dying Hollywood star.

We have a Photo Archive of Gloria HERE (check it out!)

Carol Landis (Frances Ridste) was an uncommon beauty and desirable war-time pin-up star. After graduating high school in 1935, and scurrying away from an impetuous marriage, she fled to San Francisco to work as a nightclub dancer and band singer. She eventually got to Hollywood at age 18 where it took only a few years to identify her in motion pictures as the skin-clad lead in One Million B.C. (1940) with Victor Mature. Her only notable Film Noir, I Wake Up Screaming (1941) was well received as was her individual performance. Despite fabulous potential in comedy, musicals and some quasi-noir 'B' films - Twentieth Century Fox dropped her contract due to her volatile feminist stances and sexual dalliance rumors essentially stemming from an inability to build any lasting relationship. After visiting troops during World War II Carol contracted malaria, amoebic dysentery, and near-fatal pneumonia.

With financial problems, a halted career, declining health, four failed marriages behind her, and a disappointing culmination of her extra-marital affair with Rex Harrison, Carole Landis committed suicide with an overdose of Seconal in 1948. She was only 29 years old but had appeared in more than 60 films - her potential barely touched upon. For further information see E. J. Fleming's book - Carole Landis: A Tragic Life In Hollywood.

'The Bad Girl' - Audrey Totter

Audrey Totter, born of Austrian/Swedish heritage, might be the most prolific Noir actress on this list. Her balance of aggressive 'hard' looks and alluring feminine beauty found a perfect niche in shadowy confines of 'B' Film Noir. Sometimes cast as the tired and vexed wife (The Set-Up), the easy-pick up (The Postman Always Rings Twice) or the selfish gold-digging tramp (Tension and The Unsuspected) Audrey defined her roles with totally believable characterizations in the mature world of dark realism that Noir tends to export.

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Audrey's fatal blow, as to many in her profession, was to be stereotyped because of her efficient performances. As the tide of cinema turned to more family oriented films she found positions for her edgy 'tough-talking dame' roles began to dry-up. So be it. She wed a doctor and focused her energies on raising a family but her performances supporting Film Noir will always be remembered as essential to its legacy.   

'The Heights and Depths' - Veronica Lake

One can read the life story of 4'11" Veronica Lake (born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman) in sheer disbelief - certainly more dramatic than any of the roles she portrayed. Born in Brooklyn, New York on November 14, 1919 Veronica would escalate to legendary status in the Film Noir movement. During an early publicity photo, an errant lock of her shoulder-length blonde hair, covering half her face, led to an iconic peekaboo hairstyle that remained widely imitated by women for years after. Her contribution to the Film Noir cycle in the 1940's included some of the quintessential efforts of the style. She starred with Alan Ladd in the 3 mainstays; This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942) and The Blue Dahlia (1946). Unfortunately the latter being recognized as her last lauded film work.

Adored by the public but those who worked with her had a different story to tell. Her frequently reported combative fiduciary relationships stemmed from her complex personality possibly resulting from an allegedly undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia. Alcohol abuse and crumbling marriages (one with director André De Toth) soon followed and the Peek-a-boo Girl, distanced from friends and three children, arrested several times for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and bankrupt because of IRS seizure of assets due to unpaid taxes - was totally removed from the public eye. She eventually emerged working as a barmaid at the all women's Martha Washington Hotel in Manhattan and by the late 1960s, Veronica Lake, residing in Hollywood, Florida, was reportedly immobilized by paranoiac fear with claims that she was being stalked by the FBI. On July 7, 1973, Veronica died of hepatitis and acute renal failure (due to alcoholism) near Burlington in Vermont. The beautifully fragile actress, of Danish and Irish descent, once adored by millions, was dead at the age of 53. A frank depiction and timeline of Lake's flawed life is catalogued in Peekaboo: The Story of Veronica Lake by Jeff Lenburg.

'The Goddess' - Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino) may have had one of the most seductive relationships with the camera in Hollywood history. She exuded an undeniable hypnotic aura supporting her moniker "The Love Goddess" and further identifying her as the major sex symbol of the 1940's. 

Naturally shy and reclusive, Hayworth was the antithesis of many of the characters she played. She once commented that "Men go to bed with Gilda, but they wake up with me". This statement embodied her paradoxical existence as she spent her life subjected to other people's perceived definition of her. Her personal relationships were often strained due to both this and alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse she endured from her father at a very young age.

Gifted as a multi-faced performer who could sing, dance and star in comedies, Rita Hayworth's limited contributions to the Noir cycle included, future husband, Orson Welles' complex The Lady from Shanghai made in 1947, and two films co-starring her long-time next door neighbor and good friend Glenn Ford - Charles Vidor's Gilda made in 1946 and Vincent Sherman's Affair in Trinidad from 1952, where the world saw her return from her 1948 marriage to Prince Aly Khan, the heir to Aga Khan III.

Like many Noir gals here her personal life was often discontented. With a string of five failed marriages behind her and an ongoing battle with alcohol, Rita Hayworth passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 1987 at age 68. Many modern film audiences were exposed to Rita from a clip and poster from Gilda used in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption. There are numerous books about Rita Hayworth but I thought Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity, and Hollywood Stardom by Adrienne L. McLean did a good job of capturing the essence of what was the highly misunderstood lady; Margarita Carmen Cansino.

Exotic looking, native Texan, Monetta Eloyse Darnell gave some significant performances to benefit her inclusion in the list although her most critically acclaimed roles were not in Film Noir. After the sterling John Ford western My Darling Clementine (1946) and her more lauded work in Preston Sturges comedy Unfaithfully Yours (1948) - Linda followed those with a fine performance, but again Oscar neglected, as one of the spouses in A Letter to Three Wives. Her sultry characters in Hangover Square (1945) and strong Noirs like Fallen Angel (1945), and No Way Out (1950) were likewise unjustly passed over causing her to drift into alcohol, resulting in failed marriages and seeing her gain significant weight.

Expectantly important starring roles became fewer and farther between. One of her most transparent performances was Zero Hour! (1957), near the end of her career, teaming her with past co-star Dana Andrews. Indifferent panning helped push her back into live stage productions. Sadly though she died a horribly painful death at age 41. She heroically attempted to save her friend's child from a house fire in Glenview, Illinois unaware that the young girl was already safe. Linda Darnell was badly burned over 80 percent of her body and she died the following day. Ronald L. Davis has a book; Hollywood Beauty: Linda Darnell and the American Dream that I recommend if you are keen on more about her short life and career.

'The Canuck' - Yvonne De Carlo

Talented Yvonne De Carlo was born Margaret (Peggy) Yvonne Middleton on September 1st, 1922, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her contribution to Film Noir may be limited - a small role in This Gun for Hire (a showgirl at Neptune Club) but two iconic films; - both with Burt Lancaster - Jules Dassin's impacting prison picture Brute Force (1947) and Robert Siodmak's brilliantly cynical Criss Cross (1949) mark her with significant firepower to deserve mention. Hired by Paramount primarily because of a resemblance to Dorothy Lamour she later moved to Universal Studios, as a kind of B-movie western version of Maria Montez (The Caribbean Cyclone) who, by the way, was far less talented in all areas - singing, dancing and acting. When Maria left Hollywood for Europe Yvonne's career began to pick up steam.

Although her most prominent film role would be as Sephora, the wife of Moses (Charlton Heston) in The Ten Commandments (1956) unfortunately pop culture has slapped Yvonne with television's Lily Munster as her most widely remembered character. The bizarre cult television series The Munsters ran from 1964-1966. Yvonne De Carlo penned a revealing autobiography in 1987 entitled Yvonne: An Autobiography and she passed away January 2007 at the age of 84 from natural causes.