Written By: Ben Cosgrove
Access. It’s a big word in the media these days, when celebrity culture is the engine driving so much online content and so much offline conversation. Who has access to Celeb A? How did that magazine get access to Celeb B? Where on earth did that gossip site get those tawdry (and hypnotic) photographs of Celeb C?
In its prime, LIFE magazine almost alone among all of the popular culture publications of its day enjoyed the sort of access to A-list stars (and, admittedly, to lesser lights) that today’s tabloids and paparazzi can only dream about.
Here, a fond look back at some of the 20th century’s biggest, brightest entertainers, in the friendly confines of their own homes.
Marilyn Monroe 1953
Alfred Elsenstaedt Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Steve McQueen 1963
John Dominis Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Steve McQueen 1963
John Dominis Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Jayne Mansfield 1960
Allan Grant Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Jackson 5 1970
John Olson Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Vivien Leigh 1940
Peter Stackpole Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Paul Newman and Anthony Perkins, 1958
Leonard McCombe Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Joanne Woodward Watches Paul Newman Primp
Gordon Parks Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Sophia Loren 1964
Alfred Eisenstaedt Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Bette Davis, Beverly Hills, 1939
Alfred Eisenstaedt Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Maureen O’Hara Spends a Quiet Evening at Home
Peter Stackpole Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Liberace Has a Grand Time at His Backyard Pool
Loomis Dean Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Claudette Colbert Dresses for the Evening
Alfred Eisenstaedt Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Ricky Nelson, at Home
Hank Walker Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Greer Garson Listens to Records
Peter Stackpole Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, 1942
Bob Landry Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Carole Lombard Lounges
Alfred Eisenstaedt Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
