''Fame in the 20th Century'' is a 1993

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary television series and book by

Clive James Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.fame and how it expanded to international mass media proportions throughout the 20th century. The series first aired starting in January 1993, with 8 episodes divided in roughly 8 decades, from the 1900s to the 1980s. Each episode highlighted world-famous people during that part of the century. James delivered interesting and amusing comments about the portrayed celebrities and the various ways they became famous. In the United States, the series were broadcast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and in Australia on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

, though some footage was occasionally cut if the rights to it were too expensive. The series has never been repeated on television since, which James attributes to the fact that "every inch of footage in the gigantic compilation belonged to some agency legally equipped to charge the Earth." He further points out that the book contains "the text almost exactly as I read it out on screen... but I took care even at the time to write it as if it might have to survive on its own."

Concept

James and his team developed the series as a study on the concept fame, and more specifically "world fame". They focused on over 250 people who are "undeniably world famous". Certain artists, musicians or sports figures became well known even for people who don't know much about their field.

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

is for instance world-famous, even for non-

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

fans or experts.

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...

became the most famous

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player, even in the US: one of the few countries in the world where the sport isn't popular. People who know nothing about art have heard of the name

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

and know his style. People who are not interested in tennis have heard of

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ...

, due to his bad behavior on the tennis court. More people know

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

than

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

. Clive James focused on fame in the 20th century, because the arrival of mass media, film and television changed forever the ways people became famous. In previous centuries people could only become famous by doing something that was remembered ages later.

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

and

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

conquered countries,

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

developed a religion, ... In the 20th century people could become world-famous in less than no time and without doing anything, thanks to the arrival of mass media. Movie stars like

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

, for instance, became global stars due to the nearly universal reach of film. James cites Chaplin as the first truly world-famous 20th century celebrity. The invention of the film close-up made people on film screens appear larger than life and thus increased the emotional involvement of the audience. This often led to

mass hysteria Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...

and confusion between an actor's stage persona and the roles he played on the screen (as in the case of

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

). Certain politicians in the century have used the media to promote their own image to the public, for instance

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

, who looked like a movie star, and

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

who was a former movie star. People could become world-famous in a matter of a few days.

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

became notorious after his radio play ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...

'' caused mass hysteria in the United States.

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...

, who was already known in literary circles, became a household name to the broader public due to the

fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...

spoken out against him in 1989. Clive James sees the US as the place where this new type of mass media fame was born. According to him international fame is only possible if the celebrity becomes famous in the USA. Cricketer

Jack Hobbs Sir John Berry Hobbs (16 December 1882 – 21 December 1963) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Known as "The Master", he is widely regarded ...

was world-famous throughout the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

in the interbellum, but unknown in countries where cricket was not popular, like the USA.

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

however became internationally famous even though baseball was played hardly anywhere else outside the US. Other celebrities have been around for so long that the reason they originally became famous has been almost forgotten.

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

has been cited by James as an example of someone who originally achieved fame as an actress, but later became more famous for her weddings and lifestyle. As James observed, the fame of some celebrities fades away after a few years. Silent movie stars like

Florence Lawrence Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood; January 2, 1886 – December 28, 1938) was a Canadian-American stage performer and film actress. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", and was long thought to be the first film act ...

and

William S. Hart William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integ ...

, for instance, have nowadays sunk into obscurity. Other celebrities have become more famous over time. James cites

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British Army officer, archaeologist, diplomat and writer known for his role during the Arab Revolt and Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the First W ...

as an example. The British military officer became famous during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but only became truly world-famous with the general public thanks to the 1962 movie '' Lawrence of Arabia.'' Celebrities like

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

on the other hand, have never remained out of

publicity In marketing, publicity is the public visibility or awareness for any product, service, person or organization. It may also refer to the movement of information from its source to the general public, often (but not always) via the media. The sub ...

and are nowadays famous for simply being who they are. Some people became famous due to their association with other celebrities. Examples are

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

(the wife of

Beatle The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the most influential band in Western popular ...

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

), Lady Diana (who married

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

in 1981) and

Wallis Simpson Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Spencer and then Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986) was an American socialite and the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII). Their intentio ...

(whose affair with King

Edward VIII of the United Kingdom Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

caused his abdication). Another phenomenon examined in the series is the change of someone's fame during time and thanks to mass media coverage.

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

, first famous as an aviation pioneer, became, to his horror, even more famous when his son was kidnapped and murdered.

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

's fame as a general in World War II helped him win the presidential election a decade later.

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age ...

used the media in his hunt against communism, but in the end the media worked against him.

's fame grew to legendary proportions after his death, when he sold more albums than during his lifetime. When Clive James was asked by

Charlie Rose Charles Peete Rose Jr. (born January 5, 1942) is an American journalist and talk show host. From 1991 to 2017, he was the host and executive producer of the talk show ''Charlie Rose (talk show), Charlie Rose'' on PBS and Bloomberg L.P., Bloombe ...

in 1993 to name the three most famous people of the century, he cited

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, and

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

. He also mentioned

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

, saying, "but the fact is the young Neo-Nazis in Germany now don't really know much about Hitler. So that kind of fame not necessarily lasts."

Famous moments

The television series made use of seldom seen archive material and world-famous photographs, film and audio material where celebrities did or said famous things. Sometimes the footage was not famous, but was used as a typical example of what the public associates with the celebrity or to show them during a more casual moment, instead of as an icon. Examples are: ;1900–1929 * A recording of

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

's famous performance of " Vesti La Giubba" (1903), the first bestselling record. * The Wright Brothers filmed during their second flight with their airplane, because when they made their historic first flight there were no motion picture cameras around to record it. *

Louis Blériot Louis Charles Joseph Blériot ( , also , ; 1 July 1872 – 1 August 1936) was a French aviator, inventor, and engineer. He developed the first practical headlamp for cars and established a profitable business manufacturing them, using much of t ...

, after his famous flight over the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

in 1909. *

Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...

accepting one of her two

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

s, becoming the first woman to win this prestigious award (twice). *

Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

escaping while being tied to a chair in the presence of a sleeping guard and being pulled up in the air upside down, while he tries to get out of a straitjacket. *

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877, or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Bor ...

dancing in a forest. * The famous poster ''

Lord Kitchener Wants You Lord Kitchener Wants You is a 1914 advertisement by Alfred Leete which was developed into a recruitment poster. It depicted Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, above the words "WANTS YOU". Kitchener, wearing the cap of a ...

'' showing

Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (; 24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. Kitchener came to prominence for his imperial campaigns, his involvement in the Second Boer War, a ...

demanding "the British Army wants you". * The funeral of legendary pilot

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of th ...

, aka The Red Baron. *

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

giving a speech. *

crossing a road in ''

The Tramp The Tramp (''Charlot'' in several languages), also known as the Little Tramp, was English actor Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character and an icon in world cinema during the era of silent film. ''The Tramp (film), The Tramp'' i ...

'' (1915), the movie which first established his character

. *

in '' The Sheik'' (1921). *

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

in various

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

roles in ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

'' (1922), '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924) and ''

The Black Pirate ''The Black Pirate'' is a 1926 American silent action adventure film shot entirely in two-color Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. Directed by Albert Parker, it stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, ...

'' (1926). *

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

in the rock boulder scene in ''

Seven Chances ''Seven Chances'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, based on the play of the same name by Roi Cooper Megrue, produced in 1916 by David Belasco. Additional cast members include T. Roy Barnes, Snitz ...

'' (1925) and in '' Steamboat Bill, Jr.'' (1928), where a building facade collapses all around him, though he survives by standing in the path of an open attic window. *

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

and John Gilbert sharing the first horizontal kiss in '' Flesh and the Devil'' (1925). * Japanese emperor

Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

during his visit to London in 1921, when he was still crown prince. *

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

giving one of his bombastic speeches. *

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

speaking in the first movie with sound ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American part-talkie musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music and lip-synchronous ...

'' (1927). *

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

performing her famous banana skirt dance. *

The Long Count Fight The Long Count Fight, or the Battle of the Long Count, was a professional boxing 10-round rematch between world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney and former champion Jack Dempsey, which Tunney won in a unanimous decision. It took place on Septemb ...

between

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...

and

Gene Tunney James Joseph Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1915 to 1928. He held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1923 ...

(1927). *

landing in Paris and being greeted by a massive crowd after flying non-stop over the Atlantic Ocean (1927). *

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

in one of his earliest film cameos, in the film ''

Blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...

''. *

performing "

Dinah In the Book of Genesis, Dinah (; ) was the seventh child and only named daughter of Leah and Jacob. The episode of her rape by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince, and the subsequent revenge of her brothers Simeon and Levi, commonly ...

" during a 1933 performance in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, where he clowns it up while singing. *

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

performing "

Mood Indigo "Mood Indigo" is a jazz song with music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard and lyrics by Irving Mills. Composition Although Irving Mills—Jack Mills's brother and publishing partner—took credit for the lyrics, Mitchell Parish claimed in a ...

". *

Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller ( ; born Johann Peter Weißmüller, ; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was a Hungarian-born German American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive-swimming records o ...

swinging from a vine, shouting his Tarzan yell and delivering his famous speech as Tarzan to Jane. * A recording of

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

's ''

The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring'' () is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky ...

'', the musical piece which inspired a riot during its 1913 premier. * A recording of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

's "

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band by George Gershwin. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects and premiered in a concer ...

". ;1930–1949 *

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

singing while sitting on a crate in ''

Der Blaue Engel ''The Blue Angel'' () is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Robert Liebmann, with uncredited ...

'' (1930) and performing in a male

tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and North American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal ...

in ''

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

'' (1930). *

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

singing and dancing in ''

The Love Parade ''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonal ...

'' (1929). * An audio recording of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

and

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

performing the "How was the Taj Mahal?" scene from Coward's play ''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...

'' (1930). *

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

pushing a grapefruit in the face of his lover in ''

The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman, and starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods ...

'' (1931). *

asking to be "left alone" in '' Grand Hotel'' (1932). *

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

asking

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

"to come up and see me some time" in ''

She Done Him Wrong ''She Done Him Wrong'' is a 1933 pre-Code American crime/comedy film starring Mae West and Cary Grant, directed by Lowell Sherman. The plot includes melodramatic and musical elements, with a supporting cast featuring Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, ...

'' (1933). *

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

during his visit to London in 1931. *

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

describing

and

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

rather jokingly and amiably in various film reels. *

' s final speech in

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

's '' Triumph des Willens'' (1934), where he is announced by

Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician, Nuremberg trials, convicted war criminal and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer ( ...

. Private colour film footage of Hitler and

Eva Braun Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich in 1929 (aged 17) when she was an assistant and model ...

in their holiday location in

Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps. South of the town, the Be ...

was also shown. *

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

dancing together in ''

Top Hat A top hat (also called a high hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or ...

'' (1935) to the song "

Cheek to Cheek "Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for Fred Astaire, the star of his new musical, ''Top Hat'', co-starring Ginger Rogers.

". *

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

removing his shirt and revealing himself to be bare chested in ''

It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite ( Claudette Colbert) tr ...

'' (1934). *

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

using a box of snuff on side of a bridge in '' Bonnie Scotland'' (1935). *

The Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chic ...

' parody on the MGM lion logo at the beginning of their film '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) and a scene where

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

insults

Margaret Dumont Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 – March 6, 1965) was an American stage and film actress. She is best remembered as the comic foil to the Marx Brothers in seven of their films; Groucho Marx called her "practically ...

at the table, from the same movie. *

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

conducting a performance of the American national anthem, while making his famous wild movements. *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

performing " Pennies from Heaven". *

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

singing '' Animal Crackers in My Soup'' in '' Curly Top'' (1935). *

Amy Johnson Amy Johnson (born 1 July 1903 – disappeared 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set many long-distance records dur ...

, interviewed after her famous flight over the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in 1930. *

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

during one of his heroic roles in '' Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' (1936). *

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

giving his "I'll be there..." speech in ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...

'' (1940). *

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

in his breakthrough role as a cowboy in ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

'' (1939). *

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

in ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'' (1938). *

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

during her famous "I was reading a book the other day" scene in '' Dinner at Eight'' (1933). *

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who made history at the Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics, 1936 Olympic Games by becoming the first person to win four gold meda ...

winning four gold medals at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

in Berlin. *

Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...

defeating

Max Schmeling Maximilian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling (, ; 28 September 1905 – 2 February 2005) was a German boxing, boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in 1936 and 1938 were worldwide cul ...

in 1936 and becoming world champion heavyweight boxing as a result. *

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

announcing his abdication, because he wasn't allowed to marry "the woman I love":

. *

' notorious radio play ''

'' (1938) and him starring in ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' (1941). *

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

declaring "peace in our time" and waving a peace agreement he signed with

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

(1938) *

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

's final speech in ''

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' is a 1939 American political comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold. The film is about a naive, newly appointed United ...

'' (1939) and a typical scene where he acts clumsy in '' You Can't Take It with You'' (1938). *

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

singing "

You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue '' The Honeymoon Express'' (1913), and used in the ...

" in ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical traditi ...

'' (1938) and "

Over The Rainbow "Over the Rainbow", also known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", is a ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'', in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role ...

" in ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'' (1939). *

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

giving a feisty speech at the phone in '' The Women (1939)''. *

in her final famous film ''

Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, b ...

'' (1939). *

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

in their famous

screwball comedy Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary charact ...

Bringing Up Baby ''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a numb ...

'' (1938). *

and

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

's final scene in ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'' where Gable says, "

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" is a line from the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind'' starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. The line is spoken by Rhett Butler (Gable), as his last words to Scarlett O'Hara (Leigh), in response to her tear ...

" (1939). * One of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

' s

fireside chat The fireside chats were a series of evening radio addresses given by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, between 1933 and 1944. Roosevelt spoke with familiarity to millions of Americans about recovery from the Great D ...

s. *

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

performing ''

In the Mood "In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by Americans, American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was re ...

''. *

imitating

in ''

The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound f ...

'' (1940). *

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

shooting her partner while descending some stairs in '' The Letter'' (1940) *

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

declaring his " I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat", "

Never was so much owed by so many to so few "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" was a wartime speech delivered to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom by British prime minister Winston Churchill on 20 August 1940. The name stems from the specific line in the speech, "Neve ...

" and " we will fight them on the beaches" (1940) speeches. *

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

delivering his radio speech about the liberation of France on Radio London on 18 June 1940, which gave him the nickname "the man of 18 June". And in 1944 when he marches through the Champs Elysées, after Paris has been liberated from the Nazis. *

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

as the

Pin-Up Girl A pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures and photographs have wide appeal within the popular culture of a society. Pin-up models are usually glamour, actresses, or fashion models whose pictures are intended for informal and aesth ...

. *

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

and

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...

in the "We'll always have Paris" scene in ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'' (1942). *

in his famous "Where's the rest of me?" scene in ''

Kings Row ''Kings Row'' is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. The picture was directed by Sam Woo ...

'' (1942). *

Lord Louis Mountbatten Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (born Prince Louis of Battenberg; 25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979), commonly known as Lord Mountbatten, was a British statesman, Royal Navy off ...

in the British war propaganda movie ''

In Which We Serve ''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean, who made his debut as a director. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information. The screenplay ...

'' (1942). *

Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 1917 – 18 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is Honorific nicknames in popular music, honorifically known ...

singing "

We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, resonating with ...

". *

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

singing " Put the Blame on Mame" in '' Gilda''. *

singing "As Long There's Music" in the film '' Step Lively'' (1944). *

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...

and

talking about drinking in ''

Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritte ...

'' (1942). * General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

announcing "I shall return!" after he and his troops were forced to retreat from the Philippines in 1942 by a Japanese invasion, a promise he fulfilled in 1945, when he let cameras record him and his troops walking ashore again, after reconquering

Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...

. *

hung upside down in public after being murdered by partisans (1945). *

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

singing " Deep River" in '' The Proud Valley'' (1940). ;1950–1969 *

getting married in '' Father of the Bride (1950)''. * The ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'' episode " Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (1952), where

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

tries to sell Vitameatavegamin, and " Lucy Goes to the Hospital" (1953) in which her character has to give birth and is brought to the hospital. The latter episode was the most watched television broadcast in the United States at that time. * The famous 1951 photograph by Arthur Sasse of

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

sticking out his tongue. *

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish Americans, Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, ...

performing with his famous chandelier standing on top of his piano. * The

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

(1953). *

Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the Timeline of M ...

and

Tenzing Norgay Tenzing Norgay (; ''tendzin norgyé''; May 1914 – 9 May 1986), born Namgyal Wangdi, and also referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer. On 29 May 1953, he and Edmund Hillary were the first confirmed to ...

photographed on top of

Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...

. *

Roger Bannister Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister (23 March 1929 – 3 March 2018) was an English neurologist and middle-distance athlete who ran the first sub- 4-minute mile. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and ...

running under the four-minute mile in 1954. *

interrogating people whether they have ever been a member of Communist parties and the famous ''

See It Now ''See It Now'' is an American newsmagazine and documentary series broadcast by CBS from 1951 to 1958. It was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly, with Murrow as the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, ''See It Now'' won four Em ...

'' TV report with journalist

Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American Broadcast journalism, broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broa ...

which exposed the unconstitutional tactics of

McCarthyism McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a Fear mongering, campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage i ...

. *

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

giving his 1952 Checkers speech. * Gene Kelly singing "Singin' in the Rain (song), Singin' in the Rain" in the Singin' in the Rain, movie of the same name (1952). * Richard Burton in ''The Robe (film), The Robe'' (1953), the first film in Cinemascope. *

in his Oscar-winning role in ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953) and singing "The Lady Is a Tramp" in ''Pal Joey (film), Pal Joey'' (1957). * Sophia Loren dancing in ''The Pride and the Passion'' (1957). *

standing on a subway grate which makes her dress blown above her knees in ''The Seven Year Itch'' (1955) and walking with a suitcase near the station in ''Some Like It Hot'' (1959). * Doris Day singing "Secret Love (Doris Day song), Secret Love" in ''Calamity Jane (1953 film), Calamity Jane'' (1953). * Marlon Brando "cleaning the table" and yelling for Stella in ''A Streetcar Named Desire (1951 film), A Streetcar Named Desire'' (1951). * James Dean in a television commercial for road safety and driving a fast car in ''Rebel Without A Cause'' (1955). * Bill Haley (musician), Bill Haley performing "Rock Around the Clock". *

singing and swinging his hips during his highly watched and controversial first appearance in ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' (1956). *

dancing with prisoners in ''Jailhouse Rock (film), Jailhouse Rock'' (1957). * Brigitte Bardot dancing in ''And God Created Woman (1956 film), And God Created Woman'' (1956), the film which made her a star. * Grace Kelly talking about diamonds in ''To Catch A Thief'' (1955). * Grace Kelly's marriage with Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. * Alec Guinness in ''The Bridge Over The River Kwai'' (1957). * Hugh Hefner during one of his ''Playboy'' parties at his Playboy Mansion. *

painting on the camera in Henri-Georges Clouzot's documentary ''The Mystery of Picasso'' (1956). * Nikita Khrushchev debating with

during the Kitchen Debate (1959). * Nikita Khrushchev during his shoe-banging incident at the United Nations convention (1960). * The famous television debate between

and

during the 1960 United States presidential election, which was the first presidential debate to be broadcast on U.S. television. * The famous photograph ''Guerrillero Heroico'' (1960) by Alberto Korda of Che Guevara. * Yuri Gagarin during his space flight which made him the first human in outer space. *

singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to

in 1962. * The famous photograph by Lewis Morley of call girl Christine Keeler seated in the nude on a chair. * Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963). * The assassination of

in the famous Zapruder film (1963). * Jack Ruby assassinating Lee Harvey Oswald (1963). *

performing "She Loves You" and arriving in the United States at the airport in 1964. * Bob Dylan performing "The Times They Are a-Changin' (song), The Times They Are a-Changin'". * Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau, asking for a room in ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' (1976). *

and Richard Burton in ''Cleopatra (1963 film), Cleopatra'' (1963). * Sean Connery during the Gun barrel sequence which starts every James Bond movie and seducing a Bond Girl in ''Goldfinger (film), Goldfinger'' (1964). * Rudolf Nureyev giving one of his ballet performances. * Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone's ''For a Few Dollars More'' (1966). *

, declaring himself "the greatest" after winning the 1964 world championship boxing. * The Rolling Stones performing "Get Off of My Cloud". *

giving the first arena rock concert in Shea Stadium in 1965. * Billy Graham during one of his sermons held in stadiums. * William Shatner as Captain Kirk in ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek''. * Andy Warhol's paintings of ''Campbell's Soup Cans'' and the ''Marilyn Diptych''. *

performing "All You Need Is Love" in an international live television broadcast (1967). *

visiting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1967–1968). * The footage of Ché Guevara's corpse after he had been assassinated in 1967 by the Bolivian army. * Aristotle Onassis remarrying with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1967. * Dustin Hoffman in ''The Graduate'' (1968). *

performing during his ''Elvis (1968 TV program), Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special''. * The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. * Jane Fonda in ''Barbarella (film), Barbarella'' (1968). * Barbra Streisand in ''Funny Girl (film), Funny Girl'' (1968). * Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon and saying: "It's one small step for men, one giant leap for mankind." (1969). * Paul Newman and Robert Redford jumping off a cliff in ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969). *

and

during their 1969 Bed-In. * Charles Manson being interviewed during the Tate murders trial. ;1970–1990 * A 1970 commercial for Lanvin chocolate starring Salvador Dalí. * A late 1970s commercial for Paul Masson Champagne (wine), champagne with

. * Jane Fonda during her controversial 1972 trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, where she met Vietnamese soldiers and spoke out against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. *

performing "My Way". * Clint Eastwood delivering his Magnum-speech in ''Dirty Harry'' (1971). * Marlon Brando saying "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" in ''The Godfather'' (1972). * Olga Korbut, Mark Spitz and Bobby Fischer at the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1972 Olympic Games. * The Osmonds performing during one of their TV specials. * William Conrad playing Cannon in the TV series ''Cannon (TV series), Cannon''. * Raymond Burr playing Ironside in the TV series ''Ironside (1967 TV series), Ironside''. * Peter Falk playing Columbo in the TV series ''Columbo''. * Telly Savalas playing Kojak in the TV series ''Kojak''. * David Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust (song), Ziggy Stardust. *

in ''Enter the Dragon'' (1973). * The arrest of the Baader-Meinhof gang. *

's declaring "I'm not a crook" in 1973 during the Watergate scandal and his eventual resignation speech in 1974. * Alexander Solzhenitsyn arriving in the United States after being expelled from the Soviet Union in 1974. * Patty Hearst caught on security camera robbing a bank in the presence of the people who kidnapped her. * Jack Nicholson in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975) * Robert De Niro during his famous "Taxi Driver#"You talkin' to me?", You talkin' to me?" speech in ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). * ABBA in their music video for "Money, Money, Money". * Sylvester Stallone jogging to the melody of "Gonna Fly Now" in ''Rocky'' (1976). * Idi Amin joking around on camera to distract attention away from his actual dictatorship. * Gerald Ford caught on camera during several of his famous falls and other accidents. * Woody Allen in ''Annie Hall'' (1977). * The Sex Pistols performing "God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song), God Save the Queen". * Ayatollah Khomeini returning to Iran in 1979, after the regime of the Shah had been toppled. *

shouting and protesting against the referee during his tennis match against Björn Borg (1980). * Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep in ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' (1979). * Pope John Paul II habitually kissing the tarmac after his arrival by plane. * Larry Hagman being shot in his role as J. R. Ewing in ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' in 1980. * Lech Walesa leading the Solidarity movement. * The wedding of

and Diana, Princess of Wales, Diana in 1981. *

being shot by John Hinckley Jr. (1981). * Margaret Thatcher telling people to "rejoice" after a victorious battle during the Falklands War. *

in his famous music video ''Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video), Thriller'' and singing "Billie Jean" at the ''Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' special in 1983, where he performed his first moonwalk (dance), moonwalk dance. *

dressed in wedding whites in the legend-making appearance at 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV awards in 1984, where her performance sent spinning all previous standards of acceptable raunchiness in pop music. * Arnold Schwarzenegger saying "I'll be back" in ''The Terminator'' (1984). * The infamous cliffhanger ending of the ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'' episode ''Moldavian Massacre'' (1985) in which a wedding of the main characters is interrupted by terrorists in a military coup, seemingly killing many cast members, including Joan Collins as Alexis. * Sylvester Stallone shooting around as John Rambo in ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985). * Jane Fonda in one of her 1982 aerobics videos. * Bob Geldof at the Live Aid concert (1985). * Oliver North trying to defend himself in front of the United States Congress at the height of the Iran-Contra affair (1987). *

during his State of the Union address in 1987 after his administration got entangled in the Iran-Contra affair. *

and Mikhail Gorbachev during the 1986 Reykjavík Summit. * Saddam Hussein and Norman Schwarzkopf during the Gulf War. *

singing "Nessun Dorma" at the first Three Tenors concert in 1990.

Celebrities portrayed in the series

Carried over from the 19th century

Clive James included these 9 celebrities, who were internationally famous from the late 19th century into the 20th century: *William Randolph Hearst *Thomas Alva Edison *Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom *Leo Tolstoy *Arthur Conan Doyle *Rudyard Kipling *Sarah Bernhardt *

*Buffalo Bill

1900–1918

For the period from the start of the 1900s to the 1918 end of

, Clive James puts forth these 36 celebrities: *

*Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright *

*Theodore Roosevelt *

*Francis X. Bushman *

*Theda Bara *

*Robert Falcon Scott *Roald Amundsen *Henry James *Jack Johnson (boxer), Jack Johnson *Wilhelm II *Paul von Hindenburg *Ferdinand Foch *George V of the United Kingdom *David Lloyd George, Lloyd George *Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, Lord Kitchener * The Red Baron *

(Lawrence of Arabia) *Mata Hari *Lenin *Henry Ford *

*Mary Pickford *

* John Gilbert *Sigmund Freud *

*Albert Schweitzer

1918–1932

For the period from the 1918 end of

to 1932, just prior to the January 1933 appointment of

as Chancellor of Germany, Clive James lists these 36 celebrities: *Suzanne Lenglen *Anna Pavlova *Nellie Melba *

*Malcolm Campbell *Henry Segrave *

*Donald Bradman *

*Al Capone *

*F. Scott Fitzgerald *

*D. H. Lawrence *James Joyce *Coco Chanel *

*T. S. Eliot *

*Jeanette MacDonald *Nelson Eddy *

*Bruno Hauptmann

1932–1939

For the period from

's rise to power in Germany, to the final days before he starts World War II in September 1939, James lists these 48 famous people: *

*Joseph Goebbels *Hermann Göring *Heinrich Himmler *

*Eleanor Roosevelt *

*Walt Disney *

*Howard Hughes *

*Edward G. Robinson *

*Ernest Hemingway *Francisco Franco *

*George VI of the United Kingdom *Salvador Dalí *

*J. Edgar Hoover *Billie Holiday

1939–1945

For the period covering World War II, James puts forth these 44 famous people: *

*Philippe Pétain *Bob Hope *

*Hideki Tōjō *Isoroku Yamamoto *Erwin Rommel *Bernard Law Montgomery *Louis Mountbatten 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Lord Louis Mountbatten *George Formby Jr. *Gracie Fields *

*Laurence Olivier *

*David Niven *

*Benny Goodman *

*Tommy Dorsey *Artie Shaw *Harry James *Gene Krupa *

*George Patton *Jean-Paul Sartre *Simone de Beauvoir *Jean Cocteau *Chester W. Nimitz *Harry S. Truman *Ava Gardner *Audie Murphy *Guy Gibson *Douglas Bader *Mao Zedong *

*Charlie Parker *Margot Fonteyn

1945–1960

For the period from the end of World War II, to the dawn of the 1960s, James lists these 50 people: *

*Edward Murrow *

*Richard Burton *Gene Kelly *Sophia Loren *Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis *

*Joe DiMaggio *Arthur Miller *Jack Lemmon *Tony Curtis *Brigitte Bardot *Billy Graham *Diana Dors *Guy Gibson *Richard Todd *Kenneth More *Alec Guinness *Grace Kelly *Rainier III *Hugh Hefner *Doris Day *Rock Hudson *Miles Davis *Farouk I *Aga Khan III *Prince Aly Khan *Juan Manuel Fangio *Stirling Moss *Charlton Heston *Aristotle Onassis *Maria Callas *Evita Peron *Marlon Brando *James Dean *Bill Haley (musician), Bill Haley *

*Colonel Tom Parker *

*Nikita Khrushchev *Fidel Castro

1960–1969

For the Sixties, a period of complex inter-related cultural and political trends around the globe, Clive James lists 31 individuals and the collective members in each of two musical groups: *

*Jacqueline Kennedy *

*Sean Connery *Christine Keeler *John Profumo *Sammy Davis Jr. *Peter Sellers *Steve McQueen *Rudolph Nureyev *Yuri Gagarin *Lee Harvey Oswald *Jack Ruby *Lyndon B. Johnson *

*The Rolling Stones *Brian Epstein *Maharishi Mahesh Yogi *

*Bob Dylan *Che Guevara *William Calley *

*Martin Luther King Jr. *Robert F. Kennedy *Jane Fonda *Leonid Brezhnev *William Shatner *Clint Eastwood *Neil Armstrong *Charles Manson *Andy Warhol *

1969–1981

For the period from the end of the Sixties, to the 1981 end of the Iran hostage crisis, James' list includes 34 individuals, the collective members in each of three musical groups and six fictional television characters (with the names of the actors performing them): *Henry Kissinger *Mother Teresa *Al Pacino *Cher *Elton John *Jack Nicholson *Warren Beatty *Robert Redford *Robert De Niro *Paul Newman *Raymond Burr **as Ironside (TV series), Ironside *William Conrad **as Cannon (TV series), Cannon *Peter Falk **as Columbo *James Garner **as Jim Rockford (television character), Jim Rockford *Telly Savalas **as Kojak *The Osmonds *Gerald Ford *Mark Spitz *Bobby Fischer *Olga Korbut *Alexander Solzhenitsyn *Jodie Foster *Björn Borg *Billie Jean King *Chris Evert *

*ABBA *

*David Bowie *Patty Hearst *Idi Amin *Woody Allen *Dustin Hoffman *Steven Spielberg *Barbra Streisand *John Travolta *George Lucas *Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof *The Sex Pistols *Jimmy Carter *Pope John Paul II *Meryl Streep *Larry Hagman **as J. R. Ewing *Ruhollah Khomeini

1981–1992

For the period covering the myriad interlocking events that saw the end of the Cold War, replaced by a rising Islamic terrorism, Islamic militancy, through to the 1992 cut off for the 1993 publication of his book, Clive James lists: *Lech Wałęsa *Margaret Thatcher *Mark David Chapman *John Hinckley Jr. *Sylvester Stallone * Lady Diana *

*Joan Collins *Arnold Schwarzenegger *

*Oprah Winfrey *Eddie Murphy *Bill Cosby *Bob Geldof *Oliver North *Nelson Mandela *Mikhail Gorbachev *Donald Trump *Martina Navratilova *Muammar al-Gaddafi *George H. W. Bush *Tom Cruise *Julia Roberts *Mel Gibson *Harrison Ford *

*Václav Havel *Bruce Willis *Mike Tyson *Saddam Hussein *Norman Schwarzkopf *

References

External links

*{{cite book , url=http://www.clivejames.com/books/fame , title=Fame in the 20th Century , first=Clive , last=James , author-link=Clive James , date=1993 , publisher=Random House , location=New York City , isbn=067942699X , access-date=4 May 2011 , archive-date=4 December 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204074948/http://www.clivejames.com/books/fame , url-status=dead (open access on Clive James' official website) Celebrity 20th century 1993 British television series debuts 1993 British television series endings 1990s British documentary television series 1990s British television miniseries British English-language television shows BBC television documentaries about history during the 20th Century