40 Stunning Vintage Photographs Of Iconic Golden Age Stars At Award Shows

If we say the words “Old Hollywood,” you can instantly picture the glitz and glamour in your mind. Cameras flashing, women with pin curls and satin gowns waltzing down the red carpet alongside escorts in crisp black and white suits. But such scenes don’t show you what it was really like at these Golden Age awards shows. Read on for a glimpse behind the scenes to see how your favorite stars let their hair down when they thought the cameras weren’t on.

40. Winning the Oscar can be stressful

David Nivens was sweating from his brow after winning the Best Actor Oscar in 1959 for his work in Separate Tables. Luckily, he had someone by his side who knew how stressful the ceremony could be. Susan Hayward – who won a Best Actress statuette that same night for her role in I Want to Live – sweetly dabbed a tissue on his forehead.

39. Who’s the winner here?

Jane Wyman won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1949, and we can see her gleefully holding her statuette in this photo. Meanwhile, fellow thespian Jane Wyman congratulates her with a hug – and a grin that’s almost bigger than the actual winner’s. Now, that’s what we call a supportive co-worker.

38. Hollywood’s version of multi-tasking

Donna Reed is perhaps best known for starring in the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life. But it was actually her supporting role in From Here to Eternity that earned her an Oscar. Here, she shows us how to juggle an Academy Award trophy while signing an autograph for an adoring fan.

37. Posing with the paparazzi

It’s not very often that we see the people responsible for snapping pictures of celebs at Hollywood’s most glamorous gatherings. But famously extravagant actress Zsa Zsa Gabor managed to pose alongside one of the photographers at the 1956 Emmy Awards. Is anybody else seeing a vague resemblance to Abraham Lincoln?