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

Making of a star • A new biography by Hollywood historian Samuel Garza Bernstein traces how a girl named Lucille LeSueur became one of the most enduring A-listers of all time. We publish an exclusive extract here.

The Swedish bombshell • Parlaying a modelling career into a five-decade run in Hollywood, the screen siren became the toast of Italian cinema thanks to an iconic movie moment.

Forgotten face of the ’30s • She was among the highest-paid stars of her day, but her career fell apart shortly before a tragic accident would see her retire from screens – and public life – forever. Ashleigh Austen revisits the brief but impactful career of the glamourous actress.

Making a movie princess • She may have wed a real-life prince, but it was the king of Hollywood thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, who would be the one to help shape her glorious film career. Tiffany Dunk looks back on a dynamic relationship that changed film history.

Stars AT PLAY

Sizzling stars cool down • You are never too old – and it’s never too cold – to enjoy the sweet, frozen delight of an ice-cream. Whether they’re cooling down on the set, or taking time out, Hollywood’s biggest stars indulge in a scoop or two ... some with a cherry on top!

View from above • When Griffith J. Griffith proposed an observatory that would be a gateway to the stars for the common man, he could not have known that the beautiful building itself would become a star of countless films. Genevieve Gannon reports.

POWER players

Man behind the movies • From film noir to comedy to war movies and more, he would write and direct some of the most iconic films of all time – creating a slew of stars in the process. Georgia Moore reports on the life of a legend.

Mother of modern acting • She was the celebrated actor who took American theatre in a bold new direction and became one of Hollywood’s most influential acting instructors, as Nicole Hickson discovers.

The hit maker • His Famous Artists talent agency would forever change Hollywood – launching hundreds of glittering careers in the process. Sarah Rodrigues revisits the life of the man behind the movie stars.

SCANDALS & tragedy

The haunted heart-throb • He was Russia’s answer to Robert Redford, his piercing blue eyes and chiselled good looks making women around the world swoon. But as an award-winning documentary highlights, a catastrophic marriage to a political heavyweight’s daughter and his refusal to play by the rules would see him exiled – his stellar career stunted. Tiffany Dunk reports.

A monstrous mystery • From ghouls to monster brides, Vera West designed some of the most iconic costumes of Universal’s Golden Age of horror. Her tragic death was ruled a suicide, but murder rumours still swirl thanks to allegations of blackmail, a fortune teller, and her vanishing husband, writes Bronwyn Phillips.

LEADING men

The tragic idol • The promising actor with the bad boy image found fame early before his life was brutally cut short.

The Thin Man • Starting his career in silent films, the actor made his mark playing villains and felt his face would always doom him to playing total cads. Yet when the talkies came, he found his niche as a sophisticated leading man. Kylie Walters revisits the life of one of the most prolific stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

The inside man • The suave and supremely cynical British actor was as famed for his failed romances as he was for...