How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

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Fossy
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How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

Post by Fossy »

How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Star?

Here is a list of actresses in my collection. This list is mostly based on information from IMDB. TV appearances are not counted. For the purpose of this exercise a star must be listed as number one in IMDB.

For the actresses Betty Grable, Cyd Charisse, Gloria DeHaven, Hedy Lamarr, Ilona Massey, and Judy Garland , movies they appeared in under different names are counted. Short movies and foreign movies are also counted.

Did not star in any of their movies

Vera Ellen
Cyd Charisse, although she was listed as number two ten times.
Helen Parrish, despite her appearance in forty seven films.

Became A Star in their first movie.

Ann Ayars, Fiesta (1941)
Ann Rutherford, Waterfront Lady (1935)
Betty Compson, Wanted : A Leading Lady (1915)
Evelyn Laye, The Luck Of The Navy (1927)
Fay Wray, Gasoline Love (1923)
Gloria Jean, The Under-Pup (1939)
Grace Moore, A Lady`s Morals (1930) was number one in eight of her nine movies.
Gracie Fields, Gracie In Our Alley (1931)
Irene Dunne, Leathernecking (1930)
Lily Pons, I Dream Too Much (1935)
Marilyn Miller, Sally (1929) appeared in only three movies and was number one in them all.
Shirley Temple, Kids Last Stand (1932)

Became A Star In Their Second Movie

Alice Faye, She Learned About Sailors (1934).
Bebe Daniels, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (1910)
Betty Hutton, One For The Book (1940) short
Ginger Rogers, A Night In A Dormitory (1930)
Jane Powell, Delightfully Dangerous (1945)
Sonja Henie, One In A Million (1936) starred in eleven of her twelve movies.

Became A Star Their Third Movie
Ann Blyth, Babes On Swing Street (1944)
Deanna Durbin, One Hundred Men And A Girl (1937). Starred in twenty of her twenty one feature movies.
Eleanor Powell, Born To Dance (1936)

Became A Star In Their Fourth Movie
Anna Maria Alberghetti, Duel At Apache Wells (1957)
Jeanette MacDonald, The Lottery Bride (1930)
Kathryn Grayson, Seven Sweethearts (1942)
Hedy Lamarr, Man Braucht Kein Geld (1932)

Became A Star In Their Fifth Movie
Leslie Caron, Lili (1953)
Lupe Velez, Lady Of the Pavements (1929)
Doris Day,Tea For Two (1950)
Shirley Jones, Bobbykins (1959)

Became A Star In Her Sixth Movie
Judy Garland, Every Sunday (1936) (short)

Became A Star In Their Seventh Movie
Anna Neagle, The Little Damozel (1933)
Ilona Massey, Invisible Agent (1942),
June Haver, Three Little Girls In Blue (1946)
Margaret O`Brien, Lost Angel (1943)
Norma Shearer, The End Of The World (1922)

Became A Star In Their Eighth Movie
Esther Williams, Fiesta (1947)
Luise Rainer, Big City (1937)

Became A Star In Her Ninth Movie
June Allyson, Rollin` In rhythm (1939)

Became A Star In Their Tenth Movie
Susanna Foster, listed as number one in her tenth movie,Frisco Sal (1945)
Vivien Blaine, Doll Face (1945)

Became A Star In Her Eleventh Movie
Virginia Mayo, Smart Girls Don`t Talk (1948)

Became A Star In Her Twelfth Movie
Louise Allbritton, Her Primitive Man (1944)

Became A Star In Her Sixteenth Movie
Marlene Dietrich, Die Frau, Nach Der Man Sehnt (1929)

Became A Star In Her Twenty Second Movie
Arlene Dahl, Wicked As They Come (1957)

Became A Star In Her Twenty Fifth Movie
Gloria DeHaven, listed as number one in her twenty fifth movie, Bog (1983)

Became A Star In Their Thirty Second Movie
Carole Landis, Mystery Sea Raider (1940)
Marcia Mae Jones, Tomboy (1940)

Became A Star In Her Forty First Movie
Betty Grable, A Quiet Fourth (1935) (short)
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

Post by charliechaplinfan »

It looks like you've put an awful lot of research into this topic Fossy. I think it was perhaps easier to get a starring role in your first movie earlier in movies, unless you were coming from Briadway success, like Marlon Brando.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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CoffeeDan
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Re: How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

Post by CoffeeDan »

Katharine Hepburn's ascent was rapid. She became a star in her first movie (A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT), was billed above the title in her second movie (CHRISTOPHER STRONG), and won the Best Actress Academy Award for her third movie (MORNING GLORY).
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movieman1957
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Re: How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

Post by movieman1957 »

Did I miss Audrey Hepburn on Fossy's list? I know she had a bit part in an Alec Guiness movie but Roman Holiday must have pushed her to a star. It looks like (IMDB) she did some extras work but hardly anything that might have been a qualifier.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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CoffeeDan
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Re: How Many Movies Does it Take Before An Actress Becomes A Sta

Post by CoffeeDan »

I know Audrey has a small but important part in THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, and she was also in some early TV shows. Her career really took off with ROMAN HOLIDAY, which not only made her a star, but earned her a Best Actress Oscar and a slew of other awards as well.
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