The Australian Women's Weekly Icons

Revisit the magic of Hollywood’s golden age with a new Icons issue. From leading lady Lucille Ball’s path to becoming our favourite funny girl to the secret lives of stars including Frank Sinatra, Leslie Caron, Burt Lancaster and more there are 164 page of gripping reads and vintage photos to enjoy.

From the editor

LEADING ladies • Grace Kelly Jane Russell Billie Burke Barbara Eden

A magic touch • The beautiful blonde’s deft performances and astonishing presence often stole the limelight, but her talents also brought out the best in her leading men, writes Tim Gill. We re-examine some of those incredible on-screen relationships.

The sex symbol • While Hollywood was obsessed with her looks, the talented star took the attention in her stride, impressing as a dramatic actress and musical performer alongside Tinseltown’s brightest.

An enchanted comeback • She’s indelibly burnt into our memories as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz. But this was actually the second coming for the former silent film star, who had been forced out of retirement as she entered her 50s to save her family. Georgia Moore reports.

Magic in a bottle • At 8pm on September 18, 1965, a new show was launched on American TV, hoping to win over audiences with a mix of magic and mayhem. Sixty years on, its star talks to Tiffany Dunk about the impact of I Dream of Jeannie – and the reason it’s still endlessly re-run around the world.

Stars AT PLAY • Stars on bicycles Stage Door Canteen

Celebrity cyclists • On the extensive backlots of the studios and across the Hollywood Hills, the stars of the Golden Age hit their bike saddles and got pedaling.

Broadway’s finest • During the war years, this legendary Times Square haven saw New York’s biggest stars cater to the boys in uniform, lifting spirits and having plenty of fun themselves along the way. Tiffany Dunk reports.

SCANDALS & tragedy • Marilyn Monroe Jean Acker & Rudolph Valentino Wallis Simpson

Gentlemen prefer blondes • In this exclusive extract from a new book by James Patterson and Imogen Edwards-Jones about the incredible life – and shocking death – of the glamorous star, we learn about the first time Marilyn Monroe laid eyes on JFK.

Matrimonial mistake • The silent screen duo’s marriage was doomed to fail before it began, still holding the record as the shortest marriage in Hollywood history. As Nicole Hickson discovers, their nuptials would loom large over his cut-short life, and define her legacy.

Heist of the century • In 1946, thieves snatched priceless jewels worth millions from the collection of Wallis Simpson. But were the Windsors the victims of an audacious theft, or did they mastermind the heist themselves? Bronwyn Phillips reports on a right royal mystery.

LEADING men • Leslie Howard John Gilbert Robert Redford

The reluctant romantic • His dashing good looks and debonair appearance made him the perfect film hero. Yet, writes Sarah Rodrigues, his greatest role may have been the one that lead to his early death, aged just 50.

The silent era’s great lover • He was one of the biggest movie idols of the silent era, rivalling Rudolph Valentino as a great lover. But after falling out with MGM boss Louis B. Mayer, and being left at the altar by Greta Garbo, his star soon faded.

Face for the ages • He was the poster boy for the American hero, his classic good looks as persuasive as his acting skills. In this story from our archives, we find out there was much more to this talented star than his handsome exterior.

FORGOTTEN pioneers • Alice Guy-Blaché Sessue Hayakawa

First lady of film • The young innovator didn’t just break barriers; she built the very foundation of filmmaking. Yet despite having brought the world of storytelling to moving...