Can You Identify These Classic Hollywood Actresses?

Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Can You Identify These Classic Hollywood Actresses?
Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

The period between the development of "talkies"—movies with sound at the start of the 1930s—and and when televisions became common in the home in the late '50s is known as Hollywood's Golden Age. Fans flocked to theaters to get their entertainment fix, studios churned out some of the greatest movies of all time and actors and actresses glittered onscreen and off, thanks to studio-controlled images and a whole lot less paparazzi than what today's stars deal with.

Even as technology improves, special effects and CGI create new movie magic and generations of eager young actresses get their chances for movie stardom, the films produced during the Golden Age live on. Not only because of their engaging storylines and for the glimpse they offer into simpler times, but for the magnetism of their stars. Because what would "The Wizard of Oz" be without Judy Garland, or "Gone with the Wind" without Vivien Leigh as the stubborn Scarlett?

Though names of these legendary actresses live on, there are many today who might have never seen them light up the screen. Think you can still put a face to the name of some of the most famous actresses from Hollywood's Golden Age? Take our quiz to prove it!

Vivien Leigh
Wiki Commons by Fawcett Publications
What British actress was swept off her feet by Rhett Butler in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind?"
Lena Horne
Shelley Winters
Vivien Leigh
Joan Fontaine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's hard to believe that a classic British actress was able to transform into Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, but Vivien Leigh did it so well that she picked up the Best Actress Oscar for her work. She is also famous for playing Blanche DuBois in the 1951 production of "A Streetcar Named Desire."

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Katharine Hepburn
Wiki Commons by MGM
Can you name this actress who earned 12 Best Oscar nominations and won the prize a record four times?
Olivia de Havilland
Katharine Hepburn
Judy Garland
Veronica Lake
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Katharine Hepburn won four Best Actress Oscars, for "Morning Glory," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Lion in Winter" and "On Golden Pond." She co-starred in the 1941 film "The Philadelphia Story" with Spencer Tracy, which led to a 26-year love affair between the stars.

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Elizabeth Taylor
Wiki Commons by CINELANDIA magazine
Who is this former child star? She became one of the most famous actresses of all time thanks to her starring role in "Cleopatra."
Jane Wyman
Lauren Bacall
Judy Garland
Elizabeth Taylor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Elizabeth Taylor was a child star in the '40s before transitioning to adult roles by the '50s. She won an Oscar in 1960 for "BUtterfield 8" and again in 1966 for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Her most famous role just might be her turn as the Queen of Egypt in the 1963 film "Cleopatra."

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Audrey Hepburn
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures
Do you believe that the best way to beat the blues is by chowing down on a croissant at Tiffany's? If so, you can probably guess the name of this iconic actress.
Grace Kelly
Vivien Leigh
Mae West
Audrey Hepburn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Audrey Hepburn was a ballet dancer before turning her attention to film. She won an Oscar for Best Actress as Princess Ann in "Roman Holiday," then starred in the delightful flick "Sabrina" the next year. Her biggest hit came in 1961 with her role as the whimsical Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

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Grace Kelly
Wiki Commons by MGM
Before she became a real-life princess, this actress made it big starring in a pair of Hitchcock flicks. Think you can identify her?
Natalie Wood
Jean Arthur
Grace Kelly
Greta Garbo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grace Kelly starred in Hitchcock classics like "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief," then received an Oscar nomination for the 1953 flick "Mogambo." She retired at age 26 to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

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Rita Hayworth
Wiki Commons / Columbia Pictures / Ned Scott
Known for her red hair and dancing skills, this actress danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Remember her name?
Deborah Kerr
Rita Hayworth
Vivien Leigh
Gloria Swanson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rita Hayworth's trademark red hair made her the perfect choice to star opposite James Cagney in "The Strawberry Blonde" in 1941. She paired with Fred Astaire for two flicks in the '40s and danced with Gene Kelly in "Cover Girl." Later, she became known for film-noir work, like her role in the 1946 film "Gilda."

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Marlene Dietrich
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures, Josef von Sternberg
Which actress raised eyebrows when she donned a top hat and tux—and kissed a woman—in the 1930 flick "Morocco?"
Marlene Dietrich
Bette Davis
Ann Sothern
Shelley Winters
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marlene Dietrich was a silent-era star known for her bold personality and style. She played cabaret singer Lola Lola in "The Blue Angel" in 1929 before stepping into one of her most famous roles the next year, wearing a men's tuxedo and top hat in the 1930 movie "Morocco."

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Mae West
Wiki Commons by Los Angeles Times
Her plays were so scandalous they landed her in the slammer, but do you remember the name of this Old Hollywood actress?
Susan Hayward
Mae West
Judy Garland
Ingrid Bergman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mae West served 10 days for moral corruption after penning a 1926 Broadway play called "Sex." She was 40 years old in 1932 when she began her film career, but that didn't stop her from acting in dozens of films.

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Ingrid Bergman
Wiki Commons by MGM
She'll always have Paris—thanks to her iconic role as Ilsa Lund opposite Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 classic "Casablanca."
Ingrid Bergman
Lana Turner
Joan Fontaine
Ava Gardner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman won two Oscars for roles in the 1944 film "Gaslight" and the 1956 flick "Anastasia," but to classic-movie fans, she'll always be Ilsa—a woman torn between two men in French-ruled Morocco.

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Jean Harlow
Wiki Commons / Time Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer photograph by Harvey White
Who is this blonde bombshell? She sold out theaters in the '30s before dying of kidney failure at the age of 26.
Lauren Bacall
Barbara Stanwyck
Rita Hayworth
Jean Harlow
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jean Harlow was one of the biggest stars of the '30s, starring in "Hell's Angels" in 1930 as well as a series of films with Clark Gable. Tragically, her career ended in 1937 when she died of kidney failure at age 26.

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Jane Russell
Wiki Commons
She starred opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and was one of the top pinup girls of the '40s. Can you name her?
Mae West
Maureen O'Hara
Jane Russell
Lana Turner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jane Russell got her big break in Hollywood with the 1943 film "The Outlaw." The studio had trouble with the censors when releasing the film, however, because of Russell's voluptuous figure and low-cut tops. In addition to posing for countless pinup pics, she later starred opposite Bob Hope as Calamity Jane in "The Paleface."

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Carmen Miranda
Wiki Commons by 20th Century Fox
What Brazilian Bombshell made fruit hats fashionable thanks to roles in films like "The Gang's All Here?"
Carmen Miranda
Gloria Swanson
Lauren Bacall
Lena Horne
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carmen Miranda was a huge star in her native Brazil before moving to Hollywood in the '30s. She got her big break in 1939 with "Down Argentine Way," then donned a fruit hat for "The Gang's All Here" in 1943, one of more than a dozen films she starred in during the '40s and early '50s.

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Judy Garland
MGM
She took us over the rainbow in "The Wizard of Oz," but do you remember the name of this tragic star?
Jane Wyman
Judy Garland
Greta Garbo
Norma Shearer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judy Garland was just a teenager when she starred as Dorothy in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." After an Oscar nomination for "A Star is Born" and a Grammy win in 1961, she died of an overdose in 1969.

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Lauren Bacall
Wiki Commons
After her 1944 debut in "To Have and Have Not," she went on to marry co-star Humphrey Bogart and make four more films with him.
Greta Garbo
Anna May Wong
Lauren Bacall
Deborah Kerr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With her deep voice and signature "look," Lauren Bacall became one of the biggest stars of the '40s. In addition to four films with husband Humphrey Bogart, she co-starred with Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe in "How to Marry a Millionaire."

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Ava Gardner
Wiki Commons by Ben van Meerendonk / AHF / IISG
Which actress shown here counts Mickey Rooney as her first husband and Frank Sinatra—who left wife Nancy for her—as her third?
Ava Gardner
Marilyn Monroe
Lauren Bacall
Jane Russell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ava Gardner appeared in films from the '40s through the '70s. She picked up an Oscar nomination for her role in "Mogambo," then starred in a series of disaster flicks before moving to TV in the '80s.

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Debbie Reynolds
Wiki Commons by The Associated Press
After a breakout role in "Singin' in the Rain," this actress went on to give birth to a daughter named Carrie Fisher.
Norma Shearer
Rita Hayworth
Hedy Lamarr
Debbie Reynolds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Debbie Reynolds became a huge star thanks to "Singin' in the Rain" and was later nominated for an Oscar for playing the title role in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She was married three times. Her first marriage was to singer Eddie Fisher, shown here in 1955. Her daughter Carrie Fisher went on to act as well; she was in a little film called "Star Wars."

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Lucille Ball
Wiki Commons by Yank, the Army Weekly
Which actress once used the stage name Diane Belmont and was known for her TV show that paired her with real-life hubby Desi Arnaz?
Jean Arthur
Maureen O'Hara
Lucille Ball
Hedy Lamarr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lucille Ball spent the '30s and '40s working as a model and B-movie actress, often using the stage name Diane Belmont. By 1951, she had her own TV show, "I Love Lucy," which co-starred husband and band leader Desi Arnaz.

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Ginger Rogers
Wiki Commons / International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Photo by John Miehle
Who is this actress, who is remembered today for her long-term partnership with fellow actor and dancer Fred Astaire?
Betty Grable
Jayne Mansfield
Carole Lombard
Ginger Rogers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ginger Rogers was already a Broadway star before heading for Hollywood. She paired up with Fred Astaire in ten films and won an Oscar for her role as a retail clerk in the 1940 film "Kitty Foyle." Two decades later, she was back on Broadway starring in "Hello Dolly!"

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Lena Horne
Wiki Commons by MGM
Despite struggling to find leading roles because of her race, this actress is remembered for her magnificent singing voice.
Veronica Lake
Lena Horne
Jane Wyman
Marilyn Monroe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lena Horne struggled in Hollywood because of her race, but she won a Tony Award for her role in "Jamaica" in 1958. She is also remembered for singing the title song in the 1943 production of "Stormy Weather," as well as for extensive TV work in the '60s and '70s.

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Joan Crawford
Wiki Commons
Her status as a Hollywood legend was somewhat tainted when her daughter released the book "Mommie Dearest" after her death. Can you remember her name?
Joan Crawford
Katharine Hepburn
Elizabeth Taylor
Loretta Young
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joan Crawford transformed from a Broadway dancer into one of Hollywood's leading ladies in the '40s. She won the Oscar for Best Actress thanks to her role in "Mildred Pierce" and had another huge hit with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" After her death, her daughter published a much-disputed account of her relationship with her mom that left the star's legacy a bit dimmed.

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Barbara Stanwyck
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures
Before she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for "The Thorn Birds," this screen legend picked up four Oscar nominations in the '30s and '40s.
Natalie Wood
Doris Day
Olivia de Havilland
Barbara Stanwyck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Barbara Stanwyck starred in more than 80 films over her long career. She earned Oscar nominations for "Stella Dallas" in 1937, "Ball of Fire' in 1941, "Double Indemnity" in 1944 and "Sorry, Wrong Number" in 1948.

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Hedy Lamarr
Wiki Commons
Not only beautiful but also brilliant, this Golden Age actress was a '40s screen siren and a successful inventor. Do you know her name?
Hedy Lamarr
Shirley Temple
Lucille Ball
Maureen O'Hara
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr had several movie hits in the '30s and '40s but is best known for her role in "Samson and Delilah" in 1949. Somehow, she still made time to invent a radio-guidance system during WWII. The tech was later developed into something we know today as Bluetooth.

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Marilyn Monroe
Wiki Commons by MGM / Macfadden Publications
So much more than just a sex symbol, this actress starred in a series of '50s films before dying in 1962 of a drug overdose.
Marilyn Monroe
Jayne Mansfield
Betty Hutton
Mae West
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marilyn Monroe packed a lot into her short life. She not only married and divorced three times but also starred in some big box office flicks, including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "The Seven Year Itch."

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Jayne Mansfield
Wiki Commons by 20th Century Fox
Though she died in a car crash at age 34, the actress in this image had plenty of time to become a star thanks to a series of '50s films.
Vivien Leigh
Carole Lombard
Jayne Mansfield
Rita Hayworth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jayne Mansfield landed her first starring role in "The Girl Can't Help It" in 1956, but it was her role in "The Wayward Bus" the next year that earned her a Golden Globe. She tragically died in a car accident in 1967 at age 34. Popular TV actress Mariska Hargitay is one of Mansfield's five children.

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Maureen O'Hara
Wiki Commons by RKO Radio Pictures
Nicknamed the Queen of Technicolor, this fiery redhead actress had a long-standing working relationship with director John Ford.
Mae West
Carmen Miranda
Ingrid Bergman
Maureen O'Hara
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With her bright red hair, Maureen O'Hara stood out on screen in five John Ford films. She played the lead in the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street" and starred opposite John Wayne in "The Quiet Man" in 1952. She is seen here in RKO's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1939.

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Claudette Colbert
Wiki Commons
Which actress transformed a Broadway career in the '20s into a position as a top Hollywood actress in the '30s and '40s?
Grace Kelly
Lucille Ball
Claudette Colbert
Ginger Rogers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After dominating the Broadway stage in the 1920s, Claudette Colbert made the move to Hollywood. She played a socialite who falls for a reporter in the 1934 flick "It Happened One Night," then took on roles in "Cleopatra" and "The Palm Beach Story."

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Olivia de Havilland
Wiki Commons
Born in 1916 and famous for her role in "Gone with the Wind," this actress is the only one in this quiz who is still living at the time of publication.
Irene Dunne
Bette Davis
Katharine Hepburn
Olivia de Havilland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Olivia de Havilland played the graceful Melanie Wilkes in "Gone with the Wind," then picked up a pair of Oscars for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress." She made more than 50 films in her career and was still going strong at age 102 when this quiz was published in 2019.

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Deborah Kerr
Columbia Pictures
You've probably seen the iconic scene where this actress rolls on the beach with Burt Lancaster in "From Here to Eternity," but do you know her name?
Lauren Bacall
Deborah Kerr
Elizabeth Taylor
Ruby Keeler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Deborah Kerr had one of her most memorable onscreen moments on that Hawaii beach in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity." She is also remembered for "The King and I" and "An Affair to Remember." Despite six nominations for Best Actress, Kerr never won an Oscar.

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Doris Day
Wiki Commons by William P. Gottlieb
She was a big band singer in the '30s before making the move to Hollywood, where fans loved her all-American look. Think you know her name?
Joan Blondell
Lucille Ball
Doris Day
Audrey Hepburn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bubbly blonde singer Doris Day had a smooth transition to film in the '50s, starring in "Calamity Jane" in 1953 and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in 1955. She had her biggest commercial success with romantic comedies from the late '50s through the end of the '60s.

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Bette Davis
Wiki Commons by George Hurrell
Singer Kim Carnes made this actress famous 50 years after her heyday with a 1981 hit pop song about the star's gorgeous eyes.
Bette Davis
Clara Bow
Audrey Hepburn
Hedy Lamarr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bette Davis batted those famous eyes on Broadway before becoming a Hollywood star in the '30s. She won the Best Actress Oscar twice in 1935 and 1938, but it was her work as waitress Mildred Rogers in the 1934 film "Of Human Bondage" that was her breakout role.

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Betty Grable
Wiki Commons by 20th Century Fox
Which '30s Hollywood starlet said, "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them?"
Marilyn Monroe
Jayne Mansfield
Betty Grable
Shirley Temple
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Betty Grable was so well-known for her gorgeous legs that a studio once took out a one-million-dollar insurance policy on them. Her biggest onscreen successes came in 1947 with "Mother Wore Tights" and 1953 with "How to Marry a Millionaire."

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Carole Lombard
Wiki Commons
After a breakout role in "The Arizona Kid," this talented actress died in a plane crash at age 33, leaving husband Clark Gable devastated.
Carmen Miranda
Debbie Reynolds
Lana Turner
Carole Lombard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carole Lombard had her biggest hit with "My Man Godfrey" in 1936 and was even nominated for an Oscar for her role as a wealthy woman who hires a man to act as her butler. Her career came to a tragic end when she died in a plane crash in 1942 after spending an evening in Nevada selling war bonds.

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Gloria Swanson
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures
After great success as a silent film star in the '20s, this actresses made the move to talkies, reaching her peak with "Sunset Boulevard" in 1950.
Marilyn Monroe
Betty Grable
Gloria Swanson
Greta Garbo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gloria Swanson was one of the most famous actresses of the silent era, known for her extravagant wardrobe and glamorous style as much as she was for her work on screen. She is best remembered today as the reclusive Norma Desmond in the 1950 classic "Sunset Boulevard."

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Greta Garbo
Wiki Commons by MGM
Which Swedish actress, shown in this image, made her talkie debut in the 1930 film "Anna Christie?"
Greta Garbo
Barbara Stanwyck
Shirley Temple
Jane Wyman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Greta Garbo was a huge star in the silent era, and her 1930 talkie debut in "Anna Christie" was marketed with the tagline "Garbo Talks!" She earned an Oscar nomination playing a courtesan in the 1936 film "Camille," then retired at the age of 35, settling into life as a serious art collector.

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Veronica Lake
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures
Which actresses' peek-a-boo hairstyle helped make her a style icon in the '40s?
Claudette Colbert
Jane Russell
Veronica Lake
Norma Shearer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Veronica Lake peeked out from behind strands of her signature blonde hair to win fan's hearts in films like "Sullivan's Travels" and "The Hour Before the Dawn." Her career ended abruptly thanks to troubles with alcohol and a reputation that she had become difficult to work with.

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Joan Fontaine
Wiki Commons by J. Fred Henry
This sister of actress Olivia de Havilland starred opposite Laurence Olivier in the 1940 Gothic film "Rebecca."
Jean Harlow
Ava Gardner
Joan Fontaine
Marilyn Monroe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joan Fontaine played the second Mrs. de Winter in the 1940 version of "Rebecca." She won an Oscar for her role in the 1941 flick "Suspicion," then paired up with Orson Welles to make "Jane Eyre" in 1943.

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Dorothy Dandridge
RCM Productions / Soundies Distributing Corporation of America
Though she found her roles limited due to her race, this actress remains one of the brightest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. Do you know her name?
Mae West
Dorothy Dandridge
Ruby Keeler
Ginger Rogers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dorothy Dandridge had her first starring roll in the 1953 film "Bright Road" as a teacher trying to help a troubled student. She became the first African-American actress to receive an Oscar nomination for her work in the 1954 film "Carmen Jones."

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Margaret Sullavan
Wiki Commons
She starred in four movies opposite Jimmy Stewart, including "The Shop Around the Corner." Think you know her name?
Veronica Lake
Margaret Sullavan
Katharine Hepburn
Deborah Kerr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Margaret Sullavan was a theater star before moving to Hollywood in the '30s. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in "Three Comrades" in 1938 and made four movies with James Stewart before dying of an overdose in 1960.

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Shirley Temple
Wiki Commons by Library of Congress
Even though she wasn't even old enough to drive, this actress was the top box-office draw in the mid-'30s. Can you name her?
Jane Withers
Shirley Temple
Ginger Rogers
Debbie Reynolds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Shirley Temple made her movie debut at the ripe old age of three. Two years later, she sang "On the Good Ship Lollipop" in "Bright Eyes," before moving on to films like "The Little Princess" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." Later in life, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and the Czech Republic.

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Lana Turner
Wiki Commons by Screenland
Which teen star of the Andy Hardy movies went on to become a top Hollywood actress, appearing in the 1941 film "Ziegfeld Girl?"
Lana Turner
Jane Wyman
Myrna Lot
Doris Day
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Femme fatale Lana Turner starred opposite Mickey Rooney in the Andy Hardy flicks before moving on to more adult roles. She famously traded kisses for war bonds during WWII, co-starred with Clark Gable in four films and had her breakout role opposite James Stewart in the 1941 movie "Ziegfeld Girl."

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