Marilyn Monroe: AfterOld Hollywood's Plastic Surgery Secrets
Published: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - 18:20
Yeah, those old Hollywood legends may seem classy and straight-laced compared to the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of today, but Hollywood will always be Hollywood. Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll? You bet your bottom dollar, toots. Our favorite screen sirens even dabbled in plastic surgery. Shocking, isn't it? It's sort of like finding out your grandmother used to go by the nickname "Busty McCoy." Check out which classic stars were ahead of their time.
Marilyn Monroe: Before & AfterMarilyn Monroe
A name change and a bottle of peroxide weren't the only things that separated Norma Jean Baker from Marilyn Monroe; the sex symbol is said to have undergone rhinoplasty in 1946 upon signing a contract with Twentieth Century Fox, claims CelebrityPlasticPics.com. The actress is also rumored to have received chin implants. The rest, as they say, is history, but it's safe to say that her transformation did little to ease Monroe's troubling self-esteem issues.
Rita Hayworth: Before & After Rita Hayworth
This legendary actress was one of the great beauties of her time-and a princess to boot-but it took some work to achieve that status. According to the New York Times, Hayworth relied on electrolysis to raise her hairline, while a 2003 documentary, Rita, asserted that the Spanish starlet sought plastic surgery to "Americanize" her ethnic looks. In fact, not even her trademark red hair came courtesy of a bottle of hair dye.
Burt Lancaster: Before & AfterBurt Lancaster
This leading man apparently didn't feel confident that his dashing good looks were going to be with him From Here to Eternity, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. It's rumored that Lancaster had a facelift, and according to Imdb.com, the actor told Ulzana's Raid co-star Bruce Davison that "he had undergone so much plastic surgery over the years that at the age of 58 the most real thing about him were his eyes." Oh, but what eyes they were.
Robert Mitchum: Before & AfterRobert Mitchum
You wouldn't expect to see a tough guy like Robert Mitchum flipping through a magazine in the plastic surgeon's office, but the New York Times asserts that the actor had an eye lift before filming 1983's "The Winds of War." Somehow, he managed to retain that famously craggy and intimidating look-just a slightly more awake version. Fun fact: His Imdb.com biography reports that Mitchum attributed his "lizard eyes" to boxing injuries and insomnia.
Gary Cooper: Before & AfterGary Cooper
Proof that Oscar-winning actors aren't immune to vanity, Gary Cooper reportedly went under the knife for a little upkeep. According to Imdb.com, "On 16 April 1958 he [Cooper] entered the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital for a full facelift and other cosmetic surgery by Dr John Converse, one of the leading plastic surgeons in America. Newspaper articles commenting on the effects of the operation said his face now looked quite different and the procedure had not been successful." That's what you get for "trying hard to look like Gary Cooper."
John Wayne John Wayne
Things that John Wayne would probably rather you not know: 1) His real name is Marion. 2) He famously wore four-inch lifts in his boots to make him appear taller. 3) He's had plastic surgery. The Boston Globe reports that the tough-as-nails actor underwent cosmetic procedures during the 1960s, and even wore a toupee. ABC News went on further to say that the Hondo star "had cosmetic surgery on his neck and eyelids before going on to make 11 more films." Perhaps that explains the eye patch in True Grit? Johnny, we hardly knew ye.
Joan Crawford: Before & AfterJoan Crawford
"The face and boobs are new, only the ass is the same," Joan Crawford reportedly said after getting some work done (source: TanPhotos.co.uk). As luck would have it, Crawford even portrayed a scarred woman undergoing plastic surgery in 1941's A Woman's Face. At the time of Crawford's death, close friend Doris Lilly told People that "thanks to expert plastic surgery and a superb bone structure, she could have passed for 55."
Dean Martin: Before & AfterDean Martin
In the old days, the Rat Pack was the epitome of cool. But what would Frank and Sammy say if they knew their pal Dino had had a nose job before he made it big? According to the BBC, Martin followed the Marilyn Monroe playbook by having rhinoplasty and changing his name prior to making his film debut; photos reveal that the new nose was more refined and slimmer than the original. What makes the story even more interesting is that the procedure was paid for, according to Allocine.co.uk, by comedian Lou Costello, who served as Martin's manager at the time.
Marlene Dietrich: Before & AfterMarlene Dietrich
You have to give this German bombshell credit. She never actually had plastic surgery-as far as we know-but instead relied on carefully applied pieces of tape to get the same effect. As BreckStewart.com explains, "The temporary "face-lift" tapes were like tiny squares of fabric with a small chord attached to them. The make-up artist would put glue on the squares, stick many of them all around the face of the actress and put each chord at the back of the head. Then, all the chords would be tied in the back of the head very tightly, lifting up the face and making every wrinkles disappear to preserve the illusion of youth." Apparently this was common practice at the time, but Dietrich is the most recognized abuser. Still, it's got to be a lot cheaper than a surgeon's bill.
Elizabeth Taylor: Before & AfterElizabeth Taylor
In the film Ash Wednesday, Elizabeth Taylor's character has plastic surgery to win her husband back. So does life imitate art? It does, according to MontyClift.com, which cites this quote from Liz when asked about work she's had: "It is an impertinent question, but I will answer it. I have had a chin tuck." Granted, the admission is less candid when you consider that this woman is BFF with Michael Jackson, the poster child for excessive plastic surgery. However, she may have been holding something back. Last year StarPulse.com reported that a new book asserts that she had a nose job back in her 20s. "She had her first plastic surgery when MGM (studio bosses) deemed her nose was too thick," claims author J. Randy Taraborrelli. Taraborrelli also says that Taylor used the same surgeon as Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood. Juicy!
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