Stunning Vintage Photos From Hollywood That More People Should Get To See

So many of Hollywood’s most memorable events have been caught on camera. That’s their specialty in Los Angeles, after all. But there are snapshots that reveal quieter, simpler scenes – ones that really show us what life was like in Tinseltown’s Golden Age. And as you may not be familiar with these stolen moments, we’ve gathered plenty that you need to see...

The Caprini Sisters take Hollywood Boulevard

When you think of the Golden Age of Hollywood, you probably see women with retro-waved hair packed into convertibles and driving down the palm-tree-flanked streets of Los Angeles. And if that’s not the first image that comes to mind, then, well, it will be now. This stunning shot captures four women identified as the Caprini sisters. They’re in a classic car with the top down, ready to roll.

Monkey business

Not all of Old Hollywood’s stars were humans, you know. Take Bonzo the chimp – called Peggy behind the scenes – who “signed” a seven-year deal with Universal-International in 1950. The primate would go on to star in a handful of films and television series, including Bedtime for Bonzo. And here’s a neat bit of trivia for you. That show had a presidential performer on its cast list: a man by the name of Ronald Reagan.

Far-from-plain Jayne

Jayne Mansfield had a few successful Hollywood films, but she also made a name for herself by, well, being gorgeous. Her personal life kept people intrigued, too – she supposedly had an affair with John F. Kennedy in 1960, for one. So, cute pictures like this one of the blonde bombshell at home would certainly have grabbed people’s attention.

Cyrano-ses

A central plot point of Cyrano de Bergerac is the protagonist’s very, very large nose. When José Ferrer was cast in the movie version of the tale, then, he had to get a little help from make-up artists. They created a plethora of prosthetics for the actor to wear on set. And here, the Academy Award winner can be seen posing with the noses that helped him get into character – and win Hollywood’s top prize.