Hubba-Hubba

By Jeff Little

From Lilly Langtree to Lillian Gish to Rudolph Valentino to countless unidentified models on racy postcards, history is filled with sex symbols. But who made the public ooh, ahh and say "Hubba-Hubba" (amongst other things) in the 1950's?

Often identified with America's sexual awakening, the 50's were filled with personalities whose fame stemmed not only from various talents but also from physical appeal. Fueled by a boom in mediums such as television, the images of stars from the world of entertainment permeated the public view in a way they never had before.

Turning earlier popularity into 1950's sex symbol status was a common practice. Marketing of sex appeal had become even easier as the morals of a generation loosened throughout the decade.

Sparking near-scandal in 1934's It Happened One Night by appearing bare-chested (and allegedly causing T-shirt sales to drop nationwide) Clark Gable had aged well and proved he still had it at the dawn of the 50's. His rugged good looks still gave women of the era goosebumps.

Even though Mr. Gable's on-screen disrobing days were mostly behind him by 1950, there were many others willing to fill the void. And fill it they did as skin aplenty was shown on stage, screen and in the imagination of millions.

Marilyn Monroe appeared nude in a new magazine called Playboy in 1953 and set an entirely new tone for the presentation of celebrities' human form. Totally unclad bodies did not immediately become commonplace, but many heartthrobs of the day started to show more of their assets than ever before.

By the mid 1950's, stars like Mamie Van Doren (High School Confidential) and Jayne Mansfield (The Girl Can't Help It) had opted to ignore the current craze of 3-D movies in favor of double-D attractions. And while such homegrown starlets inflamed the hormones of American males, imports such as Brigitte Bardot (And God Created Woman) set men totally ablaze with even less inhibitions concerning the baring of flesh on screen.

As in all other eras, variety concerning sex appeal abounded in the 50's. While the risque' nature of nude and near-nude performances catered to a certain taste, a less obvious appeal came from other sources.

1950's music smoldered with a just-under-the-surface sexuality delivered by gifted performers that most adults hated and most teenagers adored. Legends like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard had kids dreaming of them while parents were having nightmares.

Fortunately for parents, a refuge from raucous rock 'n' roll could be found in seemingly innocent public figures that were every bit as popular as the more obvious sex symbols of the times. On the parental acceptance list were such favorites as Annette Funicello (The Mickey Mouse Club), pop star Ricky Nelson (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) and anyone else considered to be a "nice young person".

Surprisingly, with the more permissive attitudes of today, the legacy of the "uptight" 50's is still apparent. Marilyn Monroe is still a favorite pin-up. Mariska Hargitay (Jayne Mansfield's daughter) can be seen weekly on television's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. And an alumnus of a modern day incarnation of The Mickey Mouse Club is now a popular singer known as Britney Spears.

Hubba-Hubba!

 

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