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The Most Iconic Swimsuit Moments in Movie History

Pam Grier – Coffy, 1973

Born on May 26, 1949, she was originally married to Pamela Suzette Grier. She has achieved herself the title of cinema’s first African-American action star. She began acting in action movies in the early 1970s. Grier rose to fame with her roles in the film Coffy and Foxy Brown Categorized.

In Coffy, she played the role of a nurse who wishes to take revenge on a few drug dealers in the town. Her character was defined as the “baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever hit the town!” and was even advertised in the trailer. The movie was filled with sensual and violent elements and was a hit at the box office.

Deborah Kerr – From Here to Eternity, 1953

Deborah Kerr is a British actress who received the Academy Honorary Award recognizing her as an artist of impeccable grace and beauty. Her motion picture career has always stood for perfection, discipline, and elegance. Her most famous movie Edward, My Son, revolves around a father’s extreme attempts to protect his corrupt son. Kerr stars as his long-suffering wife, who grows to resent the way he spoiled their child.

This movie, From Here to Eternity, shows Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kerr in the film has left her admirers awed with her stunning looks as visible in the image.

Jane Russell – The French Line, 1953

Ernestine Russell is an American actress, singer, and model known as one of Hollywood’s leading beauties of the 40s and 50s. Her most popular movie, The Outlaw, depicts western legends Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday, and Billy, the kids who played against each other over the law and the attentions of vivacious country vixen Rio McDonald.

The shown still is from her other famous movie, The French Line, in which Russell played an oil heiress with a fortune so immense that it intimidates most men, leaving only an eager line of gold-digging suitors. Posing in white and black lingerie, Russell looks retro darling in the movie.

Brigitte Bardot – Girl In The Bikini, 1958

Though today she is a hardworking animal rights activist, there was a time when this French beauty could actually steal all hearts with her angel-like face and amazing body. Brigitte Bardot is a former actress who got into the spotlight after appearing in the French movie Manina, la fille sans voiles, also released in the US as Manina, the Girl in the Bikini.

Apparently, Bardot’s father signed some contract to not show anything indecent about her daughter. But, amidst the filming, a picture of her was released wearing a white bikini that became a major highlight of the film.

Marilyn Monroe – How to Marry a Millionaire, 1953

Marilyn Monroe is a well-known American actress, model, and singer of the mid-90s, and her films grossed $200 million even by the time of her passing. Her most famous movie is the 1952 thriller Don’t Bother to Knock. Nell Forbes’s character is a beautiful but melancholy young woman taking a babysitting job after being released from a psychiatric facility.

Her movie, How to Marry a Millionaire, is about three women on a mission to marry millionaires. They leave no stone unturned to accomplish this task but eventually settle for true love rather than riches. Her iconic swimsuit look reveals her style.

Elizabeth Taylor – Suddenly Last Summer, 1960

Elizabeth Taylor was born on 27th February 1932 and is a British-American actress. She started her career as a little kid and became the most famous celebrity of classic Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. Born to socially eminent parents, she went ahead to build a life of her own with hard work and passion.

In the 1960s, Elizabeth became the highest-paid movie star. Her stunning shots in the white bikini from the movie Suddenly, Last Summer instantly became the talk of the town. According to the makers, it was a good thing for the film in a controversial way. The theatrical poster which was released also had Taylor’s famous bikini picture.

Sophia Loren – Madame Sans Gene, 1961

Italian women are beautiful, and this evergreen actress is a living example of that. If you are passionate about something, none of the obstacles can stop you, be it being born in a low-income family or having no dialogues in the debut project she faced and conquered it all.

Currently, she is the only living actress mentioned in the Greatest Female Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema list. Among many of her noteworthy movies, one is the 1961 film Madame Sans Gene, where she portrayed Catherine Hubscher. Her glamorous glimpse from the film set a benchmark for all the other actresses at that time.

Joan Blackman – Blue Hawaii, 1961

Joan May Blackman, aka John Blackman, was born on 17th May 1938 in San Francisco, California. She started as an actor at the age of 19 and gained an immediate following with her incredible talent and hard work. Although she is not working as an actor anymore, Joan is quite famous on social media.

Out of all the fantastic work she has done, she got most recognized for her movies with Elvis Presley; one of them is Blue Hawaii, where she played the role of Elvis’s girlfriend. Elvis was smitten with her even before they did a movie together. While they were filming, his not rumors about them dating also sparked.

Ursula Andress – Dr. No, 1962

Ursula Andress is a diva in a true sense. She is a Swiss actress who is famous for making fashion statements. She has six siblings; growing up, she also worked as a nanny. She certainly came a long way from doing walk-on parts in films to featuring in the James Bond series.

She got her breakthrough after appearing in the first James Bond film Dr. No, as Honey Ryder. It is basically a spy film, directed by Terence Young. The white bikini Ursula wore in Dr. No is categorized as the most stunning bikini ever. Alongside, that particular scene is considered to be a masterpiece in the cinema and fashion industry.

Sue Lyon – Lolita, 1962

From a teenage model to a well-established actress and fashion icon. This is how one can define Sue Lyon’s incredible journey. She is an American actress who has featured in movies like The Night of the Iguana, 7 Women, and Tony Rome. However, she came into the spotlight after playing the lead role in the 1962 film Lolita.

There were reports that Sue was selected amongst the 800 other girls who auditioned for the same part. Interestingly, she was just 14 years old when she played the role of Dolores “Lolita” Haze. She became the fourth-youngest actor to win a Golden Globe Awards.

Annette Funicello – Beach Party, 1963

Annette Funicello is an American actress and singer who was born on 22nd October 1942. However, not many know that she began her career as a child performer at 12 years of age. Before establishing herself as a successful film actress, Annette appeared on the original Mickey Mouse Club as the most popular Mouseketeers. She also worked as a singer and released singles like Tall Paul and Pineapple Princess as a child.

Her major breakthrough happened when she appeared in the film Beach Party opposite Frankie Avalon. It is one of the seven Beach party films that aim at a teen audience.

Jayne Mansfield – Panic Button, 1964

Jayne Mansfield is one of Hollywood’s hottest bombshells. She is an actress and singer whose blonde hair and charming looks made every guy fall head over heels in love with her in the 1950s and 60s. Even in her short span of a movie career, she managed to win a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Her role in the 1964 movie Panic Button became utterly successful amongst people of all ages. Although a low-budget and Italian-produced film, it gained tremendous popularity, and one of the reasons was undoubtedly Jayne Mansfield, in the role of Angela.

Sally Field – Gidget, 1965

Sally Field’s list of achievements is never-ending. She is a woman who possesses sheer professionalism and unmatchable talent. She is an actress and a director who has done films like Stay Hungry, Heroes, The End, and Hooper. Her most noted work also includes a few Television shows like Gidget, The Flying Nun, and The Girl With Something Extra.

However, Gidget remains one of the most prominent shows Sally has been a part of. She was just 18 years old when she first appeared in the show. A cutesy girl wearing a cute two-piece set stole everyone’s attention.

Rachel Welch – One Million Years B.C, 1966

Rachel Welch is an American actress who caught attention after appearing in Fantastic Voyage and instantly signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. From there, she came in contact with Hammer Film Productions and became part of their film One Million Years B.C.

She barely had any lines in the film, yet she was the most talked-about of the movie’s characters. The reason was her ravishing images from the film in the fur bikini, which turned out to be the best-selling posters and one of the main pointers in the movie’s massive success.

Rachel Welch – Bedazzled, 1967

Rachel Welch is considered an icon of the 1960s and 1970s. She is an actress, singer and a model. She is known for her on-screen portrayal of strong female characters. Rachel rose to a whole another level of stardom in the 1960s when she tried and ended her image of “blonde bombshell” and got recognized not only for her face and body but also for her talent.

She starred in the British comedy movie Bedazzled in 1967, where she played the role of “Lilian Lust,” one of the seven sins. Her glamorous avatar in the film and fantastic acting got her really nice reviews.

Sharon Tate – Don’t Make Waves, 1967

Popular for featuring in fashion magazines as a model, Sharon Tate is also an American actress who started her career as a Television actress but went further ahead and became part of many movies. She garnered loads of appreciation for her comedy timing and acting.

Her film debut was with the Barabbas; however, she just had a small role in the film as an extra. She came into the limelight after featuring in the comedy film Don’t Make Waves. Most of the film was shot near beaches, and some alluring photos of Sharon from those shots became a worldwide sensation.

Jacqueline Bisset – The Sweet Ride, 1968

The prettiest Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She began her career as a film actor in 1965 with the movie The Knack… and How to Get It, although she received no such credit for the role. Her first noteworthy part was in the comedy-drama movie Two for the Road.

She was not someone who would give up easily; she kept on working hard until she finally became part of films like The Detective, Bullitt, and The Sweet Ride in 1968. She received a Golden Globe Nomination for her character Vickie Cartwright in The Sweet Ride.

Trina Parks – Diamonds Are Forever, 1971

This black beauty was born on 26th December 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. She is a brilliant actress who started off as a theatre artist and later became a popular television and film actor. Apart from these, Trina is also a fabulous vocalist, dancer, and choreographer.

One of her most cherished achievements in her entire career was when she became the first African American woman to be cast in a James Bond movie series. The film was titled Diamonds Are Forever and released in 1971. Parks played the character of Whytes’s bodyguard Thumper. Some of her memorable scenes from the film are still genuinely exceptional.

Pam Grier – Coffy, 1973

Born on May 26, 1949, she was originally married to Pamela Suzette Grier. She has achieved herself the title of cinema’s first African-American action star. She began acting in action movies in the early 1970s. Grier rose to fame with her roles in the film Coffy and Foxy Brown Categorized.

In Coffy, she played the role of a nurse who wishes to take revenge on a few drug dealers in the town. Her character was defined as the “baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever hit the town!” and was even advertised in the trailer. The movie was filled with sensual and violent elements and was a hit at the box office.

Gloria Hendry – Live and Let Die, 1973

Gloria Hendry is a former model and an African-American actress who was born on March 3, 1949. Hendry initially worked as a playboy bunny at the playboy club of New York in 1965 and later stepped into acting with the movie “For the love of Ivy,” released in the year 1968.

Hendry is best known for her characters in films from the 1970s. She is most famous for her role as CIA Rosie Carver, starring along with Roger Moore as James Bond in the movie Live and Let die. The first African American actress who was romantically involved with 007 James Bond was Gloria Hendry.

Carrie Fisher – Star Wars, 1977

As the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Carrier Fisher was all set to leave her mark in the Hollywood industry. Apart from being an actress, she was also a great writer who wrote some great movies such as Hook and Wishful Drinking.

She left her mark in the acting industry as Princess Leia, who starred opposite Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill in the science fiction film “Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope.”

Before being cast for this role, Fisher had to fulfill the condition of losing 10 pounds of weight. Fisher was also nominated for four Saturn Awards for her character in Star Wars.

Farrah Fawcett – Sunburn, 1979

Farrah Leni Fawcett was an American fashion model, artist, and actress. Born on February 2, 1947, at just the age of 21, she began her career in the Hollywood industry with commercials and a few guest roles on various TV series like Six Million Dollar Man and Harry O.

Starring in Charlie’s Angel was her breakthrough into various movies. One of which was Sunburn, released in the year 1979, a British American comedy detective movie. In the film, Farrah played the role of a hired wife to Dekker, whose name was Ellie Morgan. Farrah’s first film was to be sold for $3.5 million.

Bo Derek – 10, 1979

Mary Cathleen Collins, popularly known as Bo Derek, was born on November 20, 1965. She was an American model and actress who was best known for starring in the romantic comedy movie 10, released in 1979. At the age of 19, Mary Collins, whose stage name was Bo Shane, married John Derek and was called Bo Derek after that.

Mary’s role as Jenny Hanley became really popular, and her cornrow hairstyle was liked and copied by the people. After this movie, Bo Derek was shot to fame as a symbol of womanliness. Her character in 10 was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award For New Star Of The Year.

Brooke Shields – The Blue Lagoon, 1980

Brooke Christa Shields is the daughter of famous model and actress Teri Shields. Born in 1965 and began her modeling career at just 11 months old. She had a very successful career as a child model and actress. She was the youngest fashion model to be on the cover of Vogue at just 14 years.

Arguably The Blue Lagoon was her best-known movie released in 1980, in which she played the role of Emmeline. This movie was quite sensual and starred Christopher Atkins along with Brooke Shields. The film about teenage love on a tropical island and including nude scenes grossed over $58 million on just a $4.5million budget.

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