Elaine Stewart (actress)
A glamorous actress and model who transitioned from the cover of 'Life' magazine to starring in Hollywood noir and musical films of the 1950s.
1930–2011 (age 81)·American actress and model·Birthday: May 31·The Silent Generation
Biography
Elaine Stewart's story is a classic Hollywood discovery tale. Working as an elevator operator at a New York hotel, her striking looks caught the eye of a talent scout, launching a modeling career that landed her on the cover of 'Life' magazine. MGM quickly signed her, and she was groomed in the studio system, initially in bit parts. Her breakthrough came with a seductive role in the gritty noir 'The Bad and the Beautiful', which showcased more than just her beauty—it revealed a capable screen presence. Stewart navigated the 1950s film landscape with versatility, appearing in dramas like 'The Adventures of Hajji Baba', comedies such as 'The Tattered Dress', and even a Jerry Lewis vehicle. While she never became a top-tier star, she carved out a memorable niche, often playing the elegant, sometimes scheming woman, before stepping away from acting in the 1960s.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Elaine was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Elaine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Elaine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2011Died at 81
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Featured on the cover of Life magazine in 1952, a major career launchpad at the time.
- Starred opposite Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner in the acclaimed Hollywood drama 'The Bad and the Beautiful' (1952).
- Played the female lead in the historical adventure film 'The Adventures of Hajji Baba' (1954).
- Co-hosted the early NBC television game show 'The Price Is Right' from 1956 to 1957.
Did You Know?
Before being discovered, she worked as an elevator operator at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.
She was a 'Billboard Girl' on the popular 1950s music program 'Your Hit Parade'.
Stewart retired from acting in the mid-1960s to focus on family life, marrying former Merrill Lynch chairman George M. Leness.
She made a guest appearance on the television series 'Batman' in 1966, playing a villain named 'Moth'.
“From the elevator to the cover of Life, Hollywood was a whirlwind of flashbulbs and scripts.”
