LONG before the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie walked the red carpets, it was Hollywood royalty such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly who stole the show.
With the Oscars just around the corner, this fascinating collection of vintage photographs reveals Hollywood’s Golden Age and the icons who defined the era.
26
American actors Cleo Moore (left) and Jayne Mansfield (right) display their cleavage while posing in front of an Oscar likeness at the Academy Awards in 1956Credit: Getty Images
26
Audrey Hepburn holding the Academy Award for best actress in Roman Holiday, her first American filmCredit: Bettmann
26
Shirley Temple presents an Academy Award to Walt Disney for his outstanding cartoon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one big statue and seven little ones in 1939Credit: Bettmann
26
Actors Gregory Peck (left), Sophia Loren (centre left), Joan Crawford (centre right) and Fernando Lamas (right) stand backstage at the Academy Awards in 1963. Peck won Best Actor for his role in To Kill a MockingbirdCredit: Getty Images
Since its launch, the annual event has seen silver screen legends like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Shirley Temple walk its red carpets.
Glamour and the Oscars have always gone hand in hand as these stunning black and white images of showbiz’s elite demonstrate.
Sophia Loren and Barbra Streisand can be seen dressed to impress in sensational dresses, with Elizabeth Taylor looking resplendent with a striking diamond necklace.
26
Icon Elizabeth Taylor steals the show with her striking lookCredit: Ron Galella Collection
26
Italian actress Sophia Loren and US actor Marlon Brando dressed to the nines in 1954Credit: Getty Images
26
American actor Humphrey Bogart sits at a table with place settings and liquor bottles, holding up his Best Actor statue at the Academy Awards in 1952Credit: Getty Images
26
Actress Elizabeth Taylor, accompanied by actor Richard Burton, finds time to top up her make up during the 42nd Annual Academy Awards in 1970Credit: Ron Galella Collection
26
Stunning starlet Grace Kelly poses with her Best Actress Oscar in 1955 for her role in The Country GirlCredit: Getty Images
26
Goldie Hawn standing out from the crowd as she dines at the OscarsCredit: Ron Galella Collection
26
John Chambers accepts a special Oscar for his achievement in creating the makeup for most of the cast of the picture Planet Of The ApesCredit: Bettmann
Actors and actresses were invited to attend the award ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in LA which consisted of a private dinner.
It was the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television, with the event rising in prestige and popularity over the years.
Barbra Streisand stumbles and tears her see through gown as she goes up the steps to receive her share of the Best Actress Award at the 41st Annual Academy AwardsCredit: Bettmann
26
Actress Meryl Streep hugs her Oscar after winning the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980Credit: Bettmann
26
Prince and members of his group accept their Oscar for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain in 1985Credit: Bettmann
26
American actress Raquel Welch and American football player Joe Namath are dressed to impress at the Oscars in 1971Credit: Getty Images
26
The 1989 Oscars opener featured actress Eileen Bowman, then 22, performing as Snow White alongside Rob LoweCredit: Getty Images
26
Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine joke around after receiving awards for their roles in Terms of Endearment in 1984Credit: Rex Features
26
Actor Mickey Rooney kisses Judy Garland while holding the Oscar that he won during the 1938 Academy Awards CeremonyCredit: Bettmann
It’s hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a 6,000-strong group made up of film industry professionals such as actors, directors and producers.
It has a total of 24 awards, one less than the Golden Globes, but the Oscars focus solely on films and has separate category for writer(s), original music score, cinematography and screenplay.
26
American singer and actor Sammy Davis Jr., who accepted the award on behalf of Leslie Bricusse, stands with presenter Barbra Streisand, holding the Oscar for Best Song in 1968Credit: Getty Images
26
Academy Award winner Sydney Poitier poses next to glamorous songstress Leslie Uggams in 1965Credit: Bettmann
26
High-angle view of people dancing and dining in the ballroom during the 39th Annual Academy Awards in 1967Credit: Getty Images
26
American actors Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper have fun at the glittering awards show in 1970, next to singer Michelle PhillipsCredit: Getty Images
26
Audrey Hepburn, 22, smiles sweetly as she receives Hollywood's highest accolade - an Oscar for Best Performance in 1954Credit: Bettmann
26
Barbra Streisand winning Best Actress in 1969 for Funny GirlCredit: Alpha Press
26
British-born entertainer Bob Hope jokingly tries to wrestle an Oscar statuette away from American actor Marlon Brando in 1955Credit: Getty Images
26
Actress Shirley MacLaine and her brother, Warren Beatty, arrive ready to celebrate in 1966Credit: Bettmann
