Hollywood's Golden Age Diets

Mae West

• Extravagant dietary habits matching her on-screen persona.
• Followed a high-fat, high-protein diet: steak, eggs, heavy cream.
• Believed in the power of raw honey and oysters for youthfulness.
• On-set demands: steaks cooked in butter, not oil.
• Known for starting mornings with champagne.
• Avoided chicken, believing it caused women to lose curves.

Marlene Dietrich

• Disciplined and extreme diet for maintaining androgynous physique.
• Diet included broth, boiled potatoes, raw vegetables.
• Drank hot water with lemon.
• Eccentric demands: caviar as a snack, sardines for skin health.
• Removed inedible parts of food meticulously.

Judy Garland

• Subjected to controlled eating habits by MGM to maintain a petite frame.
• Near-starvation diet: chicken broth, black coffee, cigarettes.
• Given amphetamines by studio heads.
• Later in life: erratic eating habits, comfort food binges.
• Relationship with food marred by Hollywood pressures.

Jean Harlow

• Unconventional approach; bizarre food combinations.
• Favorite: rare steak, salad with Roquefort dressing, ice cream.
• Drank room-temperature champagne.
• On-set: bowls of cold fried chicken.
• Health issues: kidney problems, sudden death at 26.

James Dean

• Careless diet: coffee, cigarettes, occasional candy bar.
• Greasy diner food, love for junk food.
• Unpredictable eating: bingeing on spaghetti or chili.
• Set demands: picky about peanuts, raw onions for digestion.

Greta Garbo

• Extreme health trends: fasting, raw food diets.
• Loved raw garlic, yogurt mixed with brewer's yeast and wheat germ.
• Preferred small portions of European delicacies.
• Avoided Hollywood parties, preferred eating alone.

Clara Bow

• Enjoyed junk food: hamburgers, hot dogs, milkshakes.
• Legendary sweet tooth.
• Obsession with chili; avoided chicken before events.
• Preferred eccentric sandwiches: peanut butter and bacon.

Marilyn Monroe

• Simple, unconventional diet.
• Breakfast: two raw eggs in warm milk.
• Dinner: broiled steak, liver, or lamb chops with raw carrots.
• Sweet tooth: hot fudge sundaes.
• Minimal on-set demands, loved champagne and ice cream.

Katharine Hepburn

• No-nonsense diet: steak, vegetables, tea.
• Reportedly drank 20 cups of tea a day.
• Enjoyed burnt food and homemade ice cream.
• Packed meals herself, no patience for elaborate food.

Carole Lombard

• Junk food lover: hamburgers, fast-food.
• Loved absurd food combinations: popcorn in milk, Coca-Cola with milk.
• On-set meals had to be 'fun'.

Elizabeth Taylor

• Indulgent diet, loved hearty comfort foods.
• Famous for peanut butter, bacon, and onion sandwiches.
• Published chili recipe.
• Enjoyed caviar with potato chips.

Lana Turner

• Pressured to maintain slim figure; grapefruit and black coffee diet.
• Protein-heavy breakfast, loved junk food as a guilty pleasure.
• On-set particular about food: fine china, simple meals.

Hedy Lamarr

• Mood-driven diet; soup for nearly every meal.
• Loved fast food, preferred Austrian dishes.
• Avoided eating in front of others casually.

Joan Crawford

• Obsessed with salads; believed raw vegetables were key to youth.
• Loved rare steak, ice-cold vodka martinis.
• Demanded proper glassware and ice-cold water on set.

Ethel Barrymore

• Preferred classic, hearty meals.
• Obsessed with soup for vocal health.
• Loved buttered popcorn.
• Strict tea ritual, avoided garlic and onions.

Each star's diet reflects their unique personality, lifestyle choices, and the pressures of Hollywood's golden age.