Old Hollywood shimmered with sequins, stardust, and legends bigger than life, but it was a place that, most of the time, behind the curtain, had tragedies in store for it. Some of its brightest stars left the world stage way too soon, thus leaving death stories that are both haunting and unforgettable. Let’s look at ten of the most surprising deaths of Hollywood’s golden age, starting with the sad and ending with the unbelievable.
10. Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd, “the Ice Cream Blonde,” was the light of the funny films like Monkey Business and Corsair, by which she was well known. But in 1935, she was found dead in her car at the age of only 29. A carbon monoxide poisoning death is the official version, but the rumor of murder persists after almost a hundred years. At the very least, there would be questions raised: Was it an accident? Suicide? Murder? Hardly anybody can answer with certainty.
9. Adrienne Ames
Adrienne Ames was the epitome of 1930s glamour and had a career of 12 years before she was struck down by illness. At the age of 39, she passed away with cancer in 1947 and left fans of elegance who were deeply saddened.
8. Dorothy Dell
Dorothy Dell was meant to be a shining star. Through only three movies she had, she was acknowledged with raving reviews for her natural talent and good looks. But in 1934, at the age of 19, her career was stopped very abruptly when she was the victim of a car crash. Shirley Temple, who once referred to her as a close friend, also remembered her as such when she talked about Tinseltown getting shocked by her death.
7. Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard, Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, was not only an actor talented enough to extend his career into the realm of music but also a committed supporter of the Allied war effort during World War II. His airplane was shot down by the German forces, and it crashed, killing him and all the other passengers on board, in 1943. Thus, not only a very popular actor but also a very vocal supporter of freedom during the war was silenced by the tragedy of the world.
6. Russ Columbo
The suave-voiced crooner was the marked successor to Bing Crosby, except for when fate played a cruel joke on him. Columbo was killed in 1934 in a most dreadful death by an accidentally discharged revolver while a friend was holding it; he was shot and killed instantly at the age of 26. His premature death was like the beginning of a noir film.
5. Jean Harlow
The first “Blonde Bombshell” of Hollywood went on as if nothing could take her down, but Jean Harlow’s empire was very suddenly and very tragically over in 1937 when kidney failure took her away at only 26 years of age. She was in the middle of a production at Saratoga with Clark Gable, and her death not only left the fans devastated, but it also extended her myth.
4. Sal Mineo
Sal Mineo was an Oscar-nominated actor known for his role in Rebel Without a Cause and acclaimed for his dedication and talent. In 1976, he was stabbed with great violence at the doorway of his West Hollywood apartment. Although the murderer was caught, the random and brutal killing left people in the business utterly shocked.
3. Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood has always been a famous child, from Miracle on 34th Street to West Side Story. Although she grew up, people still saw her transition. However, she died mysteriously on a boat trip near the California coast in 1981. It was an accident, according to officials, but her death is still doubted by many people today.
2. Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was one of the most charismatic stars of the 1950s and 1960s, being a camp master and an icon, whose life was strangled by a terrible car crash in 1967 when she was only 34 years old. Three of her children survived the accident, including little Mariska Hargitai, who would later become famous through Law & Order: SVU.
1. Martha Mansfield
The actress of silent movies had been in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde when she was killed in an unfortunate incident in 1923. Her Civil War-era attire on the San Antonio set caught fire after a match was accidentally dropped on it. Co-stars tried to get her out, but the fire was too strong, and she died of shock at the age of 24. The hard way she died has kept her name close and serves as another one of the haunting legends of Old Hollywood.
Hollywood sells dreams, but its past is also defined by loss. These stars remind us that am idst all the glitz, tragedy often seized life suddenly, and their premature deaths are seared in movie history.