Peek-a-boo allure - Veronica Lake

Veronica Lake (1922-1973) once observed of herself, "I wasn't a sex symbol, I was a sex zombie."

The coolest of cool blondes, peering out mischievously from behind that signature hairstyle, was one of Hollywood's hottest properties through the 1940s.

Setting aside her sorry decline from the 1950s onwards, Veronica Lake was a genuine film star with starring roles in some of the forties classics: Sullivan's Travels (1941), I Married a Witch (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946).  Incidentally, I Married a Witch eventually morphed into Bewitched (TV comedy series and further movie).
During the war, Veronica was asked to alter her hairstyle - apparently too many American women working in munitions factories were putting their lives at risk by getting their VL-mimicking locks caught in the machinery.

Kim Bassinger's role in L.A. Confidential (1997) sees her playing a prostitute much in demand because she has the Veronica Lake look. And clearly Jessica Rabbit had VL genes in her cartoon image.

Beauty, grace and comic timing - Kay Kendall (1926-1959)

Kay Kendall was beautiful, curvaceous, smart and funny. An actress whose ability far outstripped the opportunities she was given, her only major hit was the 1953 British comedy Genevieve.

Her lasting fame seems to have relied upon two facts - one that she married Oscar-winning actor Rex Harrison and two that she died of leukaemia in her early thirties.

We remember her here for being gifted, stylish and beautiful.