It is about time we acknowledge beauties can have brains, and to let them speak for themselves.

Glitter, glamour and gowns paired with a perfect face and perfect hair. Time and time again, they gave the performance of a lifetime. But all that glitters isn’t gold.

Confined to her place in the spotlights on a chaise longue, an actress speaks the minds of those who came before her. No matter how great their talent, female stars of Hollywood’s golden era were so often belittled and told what to do or say by men, but what did they think when the cameras stopped rolling and they were alone with their thoughts?

Quotes from the women themselves assembled into a monologue propose an answer to that question.

Monologue, 2021, English, 14p

Author/Editor Rachel Gruijters
Cited actresses Mary Astor, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Dorothy Dandridge, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Lena Horne, Myrna Loy, Ginger Rogers, Gene Tierney
Thanks to Liene Aerts, Jan Arreman, Hilde D’haeyere, Emma Farrimond, Charlotte Hendriks, Jessica Kelly, Sine Özbilge