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Ever since old Hollywood legend Jane Birkin suddenly passed away at the age of 76 on July 16, 2023, our minds have been wandering back to the legends of the “Golden Age” of cinema. While Hollywood has somewhat changed over the decades, there’s one thing that hasn’t: people want to know anything and everything about their favorite stars.
While we adore a tantalizing, raw memoir, there’s something truly special about a biography. Biographies are more unbiased in their storytelling and show you multiple glimpses of the legendary stars in unique ways. Whether it be from unpublished correspondence to vulnerable interviews with those who knew the subject of the biography most, Fans get even more out of one’s story.
In honor of the old-time Hollywood stars, we’re making a list of all the must-read biographies about Hollywood legends. With old Hollywood legends, you can always expect a few things from their life stories: scandal, intrigue, epic love stories full of romance and betrayal, and of course, the personal fights most don’t know about.
From Birkin and her iconic love story with Serge Gainsbourg to a vulnerable, never-before-seen glimpse of Oscar-winner Olivia de Havilland, from Marilyn Monroe to Hattie McDaniel, we got some amazing reads to add to your TBR lists.
While many of these stars are gone, they’ll probably never be forgotten. check out our top picks of the best biography about legendary old Hollywood stars below:
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“Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon” by Charles Casillo
Image Credit: St. Martin's Press. The newer biography about the legendary actress entitled Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon not only shows fans a glimpse into her life, but it gives so many details diehard fans didn’t know like details about her last day on Earth and her real relationship with the Kennedy family
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“Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn” by Donald Spoto
Image Credit: Crown. Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn makes you fall in love with the acting legend all over again. In this beloved biography, fans get a closer, more intimate glimpse into her romance with her two husbands, her friendships with different celebrities, and how much charity work she really did throughout her lifetime, to name a few.
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“Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland” by Gerald Clarke
Image Credit: Delta. The ever-so-riveting Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland takes fans through the early years and straight into the heartbreaks of her life: the powerful men who left her to drown, addiction, and more.
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“Kate Remembered” by A. Scott Berg
Image Credit: Putnam Adult. While most remember Katharine Hepburn as the legendary, four-time Academy Award winner, A. Scott Berg takes fans in a more intimate glimpse of the star. In Kate Remembered, Berg shows fans stories about their beautiful friendship, and all the intimate details many people didn’t know before like weekend visits from Michal Jackson, her love for swimming, and more.
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“Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood” by Jill Watts
Image Credit: Amistad. A Hollywood icon so many need to know more about is Hattie McDaniel, and what better way than to read Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood by Jill Watts? This detailed biography shows the racism in Hollywood, and how McDaniel became a trailblazer in the entertainment industry despite it. It’s a truly inspiring read.
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“She Always Knew How: Mae West: A Personal Biography” by Charlotte Chandler
Image Credit: Applause. She Always Knew How: Mae West: A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler has both interviews with West herself before she passed, but also interviews with those who knew her best as both the legend and the trailblazing woman.
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“Je T’aime: The legendary love story of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg” by Véronique Mortaigne
Image Credit: Icon Books. While Jane Birkin’s beloved memoir Munkey Diaries gives you a rare glimpse into her life, Je T’aime: The legendary love story of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg tells the iconic love story between her and Serge Gainsbourg that was all about passion, sex, rebellion, and how it all came to a shocking end.
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“Vivien Leigh: A Biography” by Anne Edwards
Image Credit: Taylor Trade Publishing. Vivien Leigh: A Biography sheds light on the iconic Gone With the Wind star’s “aristocratic upbringing,” along with her loves, her rise to fame, and how she handled it all.
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“Screwball: The Life of Carole Lombard” by Larry Swindell
Image Credit: Echo Point Books & Media. Screwball: The Life of Carole Lombard shows both the professional life and persona of the “uninhibited” star that captivated audiences across the country, and the personal life consisting of love, betrayal, affairs, and more. Trust us, this is a biography you need on your Golden Age-inspired shelves.
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“Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant” by Victoria Amador
Image Credit: University Press of Kentucky. Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant shows the legend like you’ve never seen her before. Many know her for her delicate, feminine roles, but few know her as the fiery, passionate, and independent woman who wouldn’t stop to get what she wanted. With decades of personal correspondence and interviews, this biography shows de Havilland for the true force of nature she was.
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“Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations” by Peter Evans
Image Credit: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition The biography entitled Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations shows fans a side of Ava Gardner like never before with this tell-all stories, correspondence, and interviews that shed a whole new light on the legend’s personality and life.
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“Garbo” by Robert Gottlieb
Image Credit: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Garbo is a different type of biography because it not only shows fans a deeper glimpse into Greta Garbo’s private life throughout her 84 years on Earth, but also the fans that worshipped her. It’s as comprehensive as it gets, and it’s a real page-turner.
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“Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon” by Kate Andersen Brower
Image Credit: Harper. Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon is the first-ever authorized biography, and it shows fans everything. Not only are there unpublished letters, musings, and photos, but it shows fans new details about her marriages, addiction, and her activism.
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“Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography” by Donald Bogle
Image Credit: Amistad. As Hollywood’s first Black movie star, Dorothy Dandridge’s life and rise to fame is as epic as you’d expect. Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography takes us through her entire life: from her childhood to starting her career as a performer in Cleveland, to superstardom and the tragic end to it all.
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“Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford” by Donald Spoto
Image Credit: William Morrow. Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford by Donald Spoto takes a more vulnerable glimpse into the fiery star, and shows fans a softer side of her that many never thought they’d ever see.
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“High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly” by Donald Spoto
Image Credit: Crown. Grace Kelly requested the authorized biography about her wouldn’t see the light of day until her death, and Donald Spoto kept that promise. But now, fans can see so much more of Grace Kelly in High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly. We get an intimate glimpse into every stage of her life, with detailed accounts and conversations: from childhood to Oscar-winning star, to Princess.
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“Natalie Wood: A Life” by Gavin Lambert
Image Credit: Knopf. This factual, interview-based book on the life of Natalie Wood entitled Natalie Wood: A Life is the perfect homage (and the perfect read) for those who want to know the factual accounts of the star taken too soon.
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