Old Hollywood couples were some of the most influential couples of their era. Before the days of social media, they captured the imagination of the public through motion pictures, magazine spreads, and television appearances. Many of their relationships set the standard for those of today, and their iconic romances will always be remembered. This article will explore some of the most memorable movie star couples of the Golden Era of Hollywood.
Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles
Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles were one of the first truly iconic couples of the Golden Age of Hollywood. They both found success in the entertainment industry at a young age, and their relationship helped to shape the way we view relationships today. From 1941-1947, Hayworth and Welles had a tumultuous relationship that was as famous for their public feuds as it was for their fiery romance.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
No list of iconic Old Hollywood couples would be complete without the tempestuous romance between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The couple first worked together on the set of the movie Cleopatra in 1963. From their first meeting, it was clear that there was an undeniable chemistry between them, and their romance spanned the rest of the decade. Even though their relationship would ultimately be doomed, their passionate love affair remains one of the most memorable of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were perhaps Hollywood’s most beloved power couple. The couple met on the set of their 1944 film To Have and Have Not, and they were married soon after. The couple remained together until Bogart’s death in 1957, and their marriage was an iconic example of a Golden Age love.
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy had one of the longest-running legendary romances in Hollywood history. The couple first met in 1941 on the set of the movie Woman of the Year and began a relationship that lasted until Tracy’s death in 1967. The couple famously kept their relationship private, yet still remained one of the most famous movie star couples of their era.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’s marriage was something out of a fairy tale. The couple wed in 1954 and their marriage quickly became the talk of Hollywood. Unfortunately, the romance would be short-lived, and they were divorced after only nine months. Despite their lack of longevity as a couple, Monroe and DiMaggio’s influence on popular culture still resonates today.
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco are often remembered as one of the most beautiful and iconic couples of all time. Kelly, an Oscar-winning actress and Herbert Hoover Scholarship recipient, met Rainier while filming To Catch a Thief in Monaco in 1955. Their whirlwind romance resulted in one of Hollywood’s most magnificent and glamorous weddings of the time.
Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire
Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire were one of Hollywood’s finest partnerships both on and off screen. They teamed up for the film Funny Face in 1957, and their chemistry was undeniable. Even though their relationship never developed into a romance, their influence on the Golden Age of Hollywood still stands today.
The Golden Age of Hollywood was a remarkable time that produced some of the most iconic relationships of all time. Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, and Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire all set the standard for glamour and romance in the age of Hollywood. Though their relationships may have been short-lived, their influence on popular culture will last for generations to come.