Hollywood stardom is one of the most competitive career paths a person can choose, so it's no surprise that it can lead to a few bruised egos and other battle wounds when celebs don't see eye to eye — sometimes causing literal physical harm.
Whether they lost a coveted role, simply couldn't get along with a frustrating co-star, or had more tragic reasons behind their chaos, celebrities have filled tabloids with tales of jealousy and animosity since even before we discovered how to make moving pictures. Some stars were able to keep their tiffs under wraps for the most part, but the truth tends to find a way to rise to the surface for everyone eventually.
I had heard of a few of the conflicts below before, but others are pairs that I had always assumed were the best of friends. It just goes to show how talented they are when they manage to convince us otherwise.
Take a look and let us know if we missed any famous feuds from back in the day.
And don't forget to SHARE with your friends!
[H/T: Listverse]
1. Laurence Olivier And Marilyn Monroe
Olivier was pretty grouchy when it came to most of his co-stars, but the blonde bombshell was particularly picked on by the actor while they filmed The Prince and the Showgirl together.
Monroe was battling insecurity and would generally keep to herself on set to hide from his cruel remarks about her practice of method acting. He called her an inferior performer and refused to acknowledge her rising star status.
2. Joan Crawford And Bette Davis
They constantly fought for the same roles throughout their careers, but it was when Crawford married the actor Davis was in love with, Franchot Tone, that the grudge really set in.
It carried all the way to their co-starring roles in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, with each actress accusing the other of physical abuse — Crawford claimed to suffer a head injury after being kicked by Davis, while Davis said she nearly broke her back trying to carry Crawford in one scene due to her wearing a weighted belt.
3. Orson Welles And William Randolph Hearst
The newspaper publishing magnate was none too pleased to see himself parodied in Welles' Citizen Kane, and particularly loathed the portrayal of his wife as a drunken mess.
Hearst went so far as to ban any mention of the movie from his publications and tried to buy and burn every copy of the film before it was released. He even resorted to blackmailing others into boycotting it.
4. Sophia Loren And Jayne Mansfield
This notorious photo tells the whole story on its own — Loren, who was having a party thrown in her honor as an introduction to the Hollywood social circles, couldn't contain her fear that the buxom beauty's breasts might topple out of her dress.
She was also aware of Mansfield's tendency to manufacture "accidents" to gain attention and felt she was taking attention away from her.
5. Debbie Reynolds And Gene Kelly
Reynolds was only 17 years old when she starred as the romantic lead in Kelly's musical, but he didn't let her age soften his rough approach to teaching her the whimsical routines in the flick.
The pair rehearsed for hours on end without breaks, with Kelly yelling at the young actress. In the end, he also dubbed the sound of his own tap dancing over her steps.
6. Olivia de Havilland And Joan Fontaine
Though they were sisters, the actresses were pitted against each other from childhood. They competed for coveted roles their entire lives and frequently fought. Fontaine claimed her older sis once tried to fracture her collarbone to keep her from a role.
On her end, Fontaine married de Havilland's first boyfriend and was the first of them to win an Oscar, further fueling the jealous feud.
7. Dean Martin And Jerry Lewis
The funnymen had the occasional tiffs throughout their comedy partnership, but when a cover of Look magazine completely cropped Martin out of a picture, the crooner decided to part ways for good after admonishing Lewis for being money-hungry rather than wanting to create art.
They didn't speak to each other until Lewis arrived to console Dean at the funeral for his son, who died in a plane crash in 1987.
8. Bud Abbott And Lou Costello
Another comedy duo whose animosity toward each other often leaked out to the public. Costello accused Abbott of being an alcoholic and Abbott threatened to beat up his portly sidekick.
However, they continued to perform until 1957, but never spoke to each other outside of what was absolutely necessary for a scene.
9. Vivian Vance And William Frawley
The bickering between Fred and Ethel on I Love Lucy was probably so convincing due to the fictional couple's actual hostility on set from the very first day. Vance was unhappy about being cast with someone so much older than her (by 22 years) playing her husband.
Frawley was offended when he found out and frequently called her vulgar names on set.
10. Marlon Brando And Frank Sinatra
Sinatra was already jealous of Brando for being cast in On the Waterfront the year before the pair co-starred in Guys and Dolls. He was further upset when Brando was given the lead role in the film.
The singer referred to Brando as "Mumbles," and Brando famously got back at Sinatra by forcing him to eat slice after slice of cheesecake by purposely flubbing lines in a scene, knowing Sinatra despised the dessert.
11. Fred Astaire And Ginger Rogers
Though they always appeared cheery on screen, they both admitted that their chemistry ended as soon as the camera stopped rolling. "We worked together," Astaire said of their relationship. "That's all."
In one particular scuffle while filming Top Hat, Astaire became so frustrated by the feathers flying off Rogers' dress that he began making up new words to the tune "Cheek to Cheek," singing: "Feathers, I hate feathers, and I hate them so that I can hardly speak, and I never find the happiness I seek, with those chicken feathers dancing cheek to cheek."
Did we miss any bad blood you remember from back in the day? Let us know below and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
