No delicate ingenues, these. In the middle of the twentieth century, the Mary Pickfords of the movie world were replaced by a different sort of woman - drop-dead gorgeous, witty, not afraid to speak their minds, they could slay you with a look - and if that didn't work, look out for the pistol in the garter. These ground-breaking actresses helped change the course of movie history, charting a path for generations to come. These profiles of sixteen leading ladies - from Lucille Ball, to Mercedes McCambridge, to Mary Windsor - include overviews of their lives and careers, and excerpts from interviews. Five photos supplement each profile. Jane Russell (one of the actresses profiled) provides a foreword.