Asides - Now you see it, now you don't

Beauty marks were highly regarded during the 18th century and creating false ones became common. They were often in fanciful shapes such as hearts and stars. And while many people today, famous and not so famous, have beauty marks (think Cindy Crawford and some woman I saw in the mall a couple of weeks ago), they were a well used device by a number of actresses in the twenties and thirties. They often moved around the face to suit the whim of the wearer or a role being played. Here are a few images of actresses we have already covered, with and sans beauty marks. Two of the leading actresses of the day, Jean Harlow and Clara Bow, aren't featured here because firstly, I haven't covered Jean yet and secondly, they both had so many beauty marks in so many different facial locations, they would require their own separate beauty mark post. Click the images for a larger view.

Greta Nissen unadorned in the center, but well marked for her role in The Lucky Lady (1926) opposite Lionel Barrymore.

I'm pretty sure that Gloria Swanson's beauty mark was natural, but there are as many pictures of her without a mark as with.

I've only seen one image of Joan Crawford with a beauty mark
and it was part of the makeup for Rain.

I guess Anita Page or her publicist thought she should have at least
one picture of her sporting a beauty mark.

Pola Negri had one of those moving beauty marks.

Alice Terry, wears two marks for what I believe was her role as
Aline de Kercadiou in Scaramouche (1923).

So if beauty marks are to your liking, go out and get one today, they were all the rage way back when.

Greta Nissen

Greta Ruzt-Nissen was born in Oslo, Norway, on January 30, 1906. At 19 she appeared in Raoul Walsh's "The Wanderer" (1925), her second Hollywood film. Things were going well for Greta and after several starring vehicles, she was signed at $2500 a week for the lead in Howard Hughes' epic Hell's Angels (1930). Unfortunately, Hughes spent so much time reworking the aerial battle scenes that what began as a silent film found itself in the sound era and Greta's heavy Norwegian accent was not deemed acceptable. As a result, Hughes scrapped all the footage with Greta and replaced her with Jean Harlow - at $250 a week. The film of course launched Harlow to stardom. However, throughout the 1930's Greta made seventeen more films, including the well reviewed The Circus Queen Murder (1933) opposite Adolphe Menjou, before her last role in Cafe Colette in 1937. She made a total of 31 films. Greta married well and lived quietly until her death in 1988.

A 1925 New York Times review of her first Hollywood outing, "Lost - A Wife", described Greta:
She was graceful in her movements and expressions, with a constantly changing gaze. The actress was attractive rather than beautiful. Her chin and nose were both somewhat pronounced. Greta's personality was delightful and she never showed an awareness to the audience that she was conscious of being on camera. Her skin was fair and she possessed blonde hair. At different times her coiffure had a somewhat "wild" appearance.

Greta Nissen - What do you think - Allure?