51 Times Old Hollywood Celebs Were Wildly Shady About Each Other That Make Me Think Publicists Weren't Doing Their Jobs Back Then

Hannah Marder
·12-min read

1.Marlon Brando once said of Oscar-nominated actor Montgomery Clift, "He acts like he's got a Mixmaster up his ass and doesn't want anyone to know it."

A man with neatly styled hair leans on a red cushion, looking thoughtful. He wears a patterned suit jacket and a collared shirt
A man with neatly styled hair leans on a red cushion, looking thoughtful. He wears a patterned suit jacket and a collared shirt
Marlon Brando in a classic suit and tie, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression against a plain background
Marlon Brando in a classic suit and tie, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression against a plain background

Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images, Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images

2.In fact, Brando was apparently quite sassy. According to the book Hollywood Babble On: Stars Gossip About Other Stars, Marlon Brando once said, "Bob Hope would attend the opening of a supermarket."

A man with slicked-back hair and a checkered jacket smiles at the camera
Hulton Archive / Getty Images

3.After James Dean's first big movie role in East of Eden, Brando also famously said, "Mr. Dean appears to be wearing my last year's wardrobe and using my last year's talent."

James Dean leans against a white picket fence wearing a V-neck sweater and trousers
Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

4.Brando wasn't immune to criticism of his own, though. Trevor Howard once called Marlon Brando: "Unprofessional and absolutely ridiculous." The two had worked together on the 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty.

A man in a suit and polka dot tie holding a lighter and smoking a cigarette
Bettmann via Getty Images

5.This is a little later, but Christopher Reeve once told David Letterman that Marlon Brando was "phoning it in" and just "didn't care" later in his career.

A series of images featuring interviews with Christopher Reeve. He discusses Marlon Brando's career, work ethic, and motivations in the film industry
NBC / Via youtube.com

6.Richard Burton apparently said of Brando in his diaries: "Marlon has yet to learn to speak. Christ knows how often I've watched Marlon ruin his performance by under-articulation. He should have been born two generations before and acted in silent films."

Richard Burton looks thoughtfully to the side wearing a white shirt
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

7.In a meeting of legends, Marlon Brando worked with silent film pioneer Charlie Chaplin on the movie A Countess From Hong Kong. Afterward, he called Chaplin "probably the most sadistic man I'd ever met" and "an egotistical tyrant and a penny-pincher." He also referred to him as "a fearsomely cruel man."

Charlie Chaplin, in his iconic Tramp costume, featuring a bowler hat, mustache, and bow tie, poses with a curious expression
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

8.Costars trading insults encapsulate some of my favorite examples. On the set of Meet Danny Wilson, Frank Sinatra reportedly called costar Shelly Winters a "bowlegged b***h of a Brooklyn blonde," while Winters called him a "skinny, no-talent stupid Hoboken b***ard" and even punched him.

A man and a woman in formal attire are conversing in a hallway. The woman has wavy hair and is wearing a strapless dress with a blazer. The man is wearing a tuxedo
Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

9.Robert Mitchum once said of costar Greer Garson, "I gave up being serious about making pictures around the time I made a film with Greer Garson, and she took a hundred and twenty-five takes to say no."

Greer Garson and Robert Mitchum stare into each other's eyes while holding hands, dressed in period attire with lace detail and formal suits
Loew's Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection

10.The biography Some Like It Wilder: The Life and Controversial Films of Billy Wilder states that Humphrey Bogart mocked William Holden as "pretty" and a "lover boy," and in turn, Holden had strong words for Bogart. "I hated the bastard," he said. "He was always stirring things up when he didn’t have to." The two had appeared in Sabrina together.

Humphrey Bogart, in a suit, stands behind William Holden, dressed in paisley pajamas, who lies on a couch in an ornate room with rich furnishings
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

11.Laurence Olivier was famously brutal on his costars. He called Merle Oberon "a silly little amateur," Joan Fontaine "loathsome," and said of Marilyn Monroe, "My hatred for her was one of the strongest emotions I had ever felt." Of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, he said, "I didn't care to be taught acting by those two."

Man in a suit and tie looking into the distance
John Springer Collection / Corbis via Getty Images

12.Olivier also criticized the performances of other actors, including John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, and Peter O'Toole, particularly when it came to Shakespeare. After seeing O'Toole in Halmet, he said he "felt so ashamed for the poor chap."

Man, unknown name, sits on a chair and puts on a sock, preparing to dress
McCabe/Express / Getty Images

13.This one blows my mind a bit timing-wise because Lauren Bacall is an Old Hollywood star, and Tom Cruise is decidedly not, but Bacall lived long enough to get in some harsh words about Cruise. "When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise," she said. "His whole behavior is so shocking. It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness." She was referring to Cruise's couch-jumping and very public relationship with Katie Holmes.

Lauren Bacall in a classic Hollywood portrait, wearing a satin robe and looking slightly off-camera with vintage curled hair
Lauren Bacall in a classic Hollywood portrait, wearing a satin robe and looking slightly off-camera with vintage curled hair
Tom Cruise smiles at a red carpet event, wearing a dark blazer over a collared shirt
Tom Cruise smiles at a red carpet event, wearing a dark blazer over a collared shirt

John Kobal Foundation / Getty Images, Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

14.Katharine Hepburn also lived quite a while — long enough to be interviewed by Barbara Walters. In an interview, Walters appeared to goad Katharine Hepburn for always wearing pants, and Katharine replied that she did have a single skirt and would wear it to Walters' funeral.

Three-panel image from a TV show with characters in conversation. Text in first panel: "Do you ever wear a skirt, by the way?" Second panel: "I have one." Third panel: "You have one?" "I'll wear it to your funeral!"
ABC / Via youtube.com

15.Katharine Hepburn was famously outspoken as she got older. After Sharon Stone starred in Basic Instinct, Hepburn said, "It's a new low for actresses when you have to wonder what's between her ears instead of her legs."

Sharon Stone in a sleeveless, high-neck dress, seated while holding a cigarette, with a focused expression
Sharon Stone in a sleeveless, high-neck dress, seated while holding a cigarette, with a focused expression
Katharine Hepburn looks upwards with a thoughtful expression. She is wearing a collared blouse and a black jacket
Katharine Hepburn looks upwards with a thoughtful expression. She is wearing a collared blouse and a black jacket

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16.Hepburn was not immune to criticism herself. Writer Dorothy Parker said of the four-time Best Actress Oscar-winner, "She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B."

Dorothy Parker wearing a fur coat and a large bow hat, holding a clutch while looking surprised
Underwood Archives / Getty Images

17.Earlier on, Hepburn had said of child star Shirley Temple, "Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all, Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four."

Shirley Temple, a young girl with curly hair, smiles while standing at a vintage microphone marked "FBC." She is wearing a dress with a lacy collar
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

18.Louise Brookes was worse — she called Shirley Temple "A swaggering, tough little slut."

Louise Brooks with a sleek bob haircut and flapper style makeup, looking over her shoulder
Donaldson Collection / Getty Images

19.And comedian Totie Fields said of Temple, “Shirley Temple had charisma as a child. But it cleared up as an adult.”

A woman with curly hair styled in an updo, wearing earrings and a white dress with a flower accessory, smiles at the camera
A woman with curly hair styled in an updo, wearing earrings and a white dress with a flower accessory, smiles at the camera
Shirley Temple smiles while posing outside an urban building, wearing a coat with a brooch, gloves, and a pearl necklace
Shirley Temple smiles while posing outside an urban building, wearing a coat with a brooch, gloves, and a pearl necklace

Martin Mills / Getty Images, Victor Blackman/Express / Getty Images

20.This isn't *quite* Old Hollywood, but it's so casually cruel I have to include it. James Caan once called Bette Midler "very stupid." He continued, "She's not a bad person, but stupid in terms of gray matter. I mean, I like her, but I like my dog, too." The two co-starred in For the Boys.

James Caan, wearing a three-piece suit with a patterned tie, is standing indoors, smoking a cigarette and looking off to the side
James Caan, wearing a three-piece suit with a patterned tie, is standing indoors, smoking a cigarette and looking off to the side
Bette Midler smiling with arms crossed, wearing a long-sleeved top
Bette Midler smiling with arms crossed, wearing a long-sleeved top

Frank Edwards/Fotos International / Getty Images, Milne/Express/Hulton Archive / Getty Images

21.Ava Gardner appeared to call Clark Gable dumb, once saying, "Clark is the sort of guy that if you say, 'Hiya Clark, how are you?' he's stuck for an answer."

Ava Gardner is wearing a strapless, lace-trimmed dress and a sparkling bracelet, posing with her arm raised and a confident expression
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

22.John Wayne also once called Gable an "idiot," saying, "You know why he's an actor? It's the only thing he's smart enough to do."

John Wayne is wearing a cowboy hat and suspenders, holding a rifle while looking into the distance
John Wayne is wearing a cowboy hat and suspenders, holding a rifle while looking into the distance
Clark Gable is wearing a white shirt and patterned neckerchief, looking slightly to the side with his arms resting on a surface
Clark Gable is wearing a white shirt and patterned neckerchief, looking slightly to the side with his arms resting on a surface

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images, Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

23.Wayne also called Montgomery Clift "an arrogant little bastard"...

A man in a suit and tie leans casually against a wooden wall, smiling confidently
Archive Photos / Getty Images

24....And Gene Hackman "one of the worst actors in Hollywood."

A man in a suit and tie stands in front of a modern building, looking slightly to his left with a smile
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

25.Tallulah Bankhead famously did not get along with Bette Davis. She once said of Davis, "There's nothing I wouldn't say to her face…both of them." She also said of Davis, "And after all the nice things I've said about that hag, Bette Davis. When I get a hold of her, I'll tear out every hair of her mustache!"

A woman with wavy hair rests her head on her hand, wearing a collared shirt and cardigan. I don't know who she is
A woman with wavy hair rests her head on her hand, wearing a collared shirt and cardigan. I don't know who she is
Bette Davis in a vintage black and white portrait, gazing thoughtfully with her chin resting on her hands. She has short, wavy hair and is wearing a light-colored top
Bette Davis in a vintage black and white portrait, gazing thoughtfully with her chin resting on her hands. She has short, wavy hair and is wearing a light-colored top

Archive Photos / Getty Images, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

26.Bette Davis was similarly cutting in many of her public remarks on other stars. After starring with Errol Flynn in The Sisters and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex in the 1930s, she said of Flynn, "He was just beautiful. He himself openly said, ‘I don't know really anything about acting,' and I admire his honesty because he's absolutely right."

Bette Davis and Errol Flynn in formal 1940s attire; Davis wears a vintage dress with a floral hairpiece, Flynn in a suit with a bow tie
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

27.Davis once said of Jayne Mansfield, "Dramatic art in her opinion is knowing how to fill a sweater."

Jayne Mansfield posing on a chaise lounge, wearing a strapless, sequin-covered dress and diamond jewelry in an elegant, vintage Hollywood style
Hulton Archive / Getty Images

28.But Davis' most famous feud is with What Happened to Baby Jane? costar Joan Crawford. After Crawford died, Davis, who she had famously feuded with, reportedly said, "You should never say bad things about the dead, only good. Joan Crawford is dead…good!"

Joan Crawford with a confident expression, wearing a striped blouse
Joan Crawford with a confident expression, wearing a striped blouse
Bette Davis poses with her hand resting on her head, wearing an elegant off-shoulder dress adorned with a brooch, and earrings
Bette Davis poses with her hand resting on her head, wearing an elegant off-shoulder dress adorned with a brooch, and earrings

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

29.Another of Bette Davis' famous insults of Joan Crawford? "Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies."

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are seated in director’s chairs with their names on the backrests, turned slightly towards the camera, smiling on a film set
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection

30.Davis also said, "Joan Crawford — I wouldn't sit on her toilet!" and "I wouldn't piss on Joan Crawford if she were on fire." Oh, and she said that Crawford had "slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie."

Bette Davis looking off-camera while wearing a floral dress and pearl necklace
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

31.Joan Crawford had her fair share of barbs for Davis, too. She once said that Davis "was always partial to covering up her face in motion pictures. She called it 'art.' Others might call it camouflage — a cover-up for the absence of any real beauty."

Joan Crawford resting her chin on her arms, gazing to the side with a thoughtful expression. Her short hair is styled in waves, and she wears a large ring on one hand
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

32.Crawford also said of Davis, "Bette will play anything, so long as she thinks someone is watching. I'm a little more selective than that." On another occasion, she insulted Davis' acting. "I don't hate Bette Davis even though the press wants me to. I resent her — I don't see how she built a career out of a set of mannerisms instead of real acting ability. Take away the pop eyes, the cigarette, and those funny clipped words and what have you got? She's phony, but I guess the public likes that."

Joan Crawford, wearing a patterned dress and headscarf, points while standing next to Bette Davis, who is in a satin dress adorned with a brooch
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

33.On another occasion, Crawford said, "I'm the quiet one, and Bette's explosive. I have discipline, she doesn't," and "She has a cult, and what the hell is a cult except a gang of rebels without a cause. I have fans. There's a big difference."

Joan Crawford smiling, wearing a sparkling, textured top; her hair styled in soft curls
John Kobal Foundation / Getty Images

34.Crawford's digs weren't just reserved for Davis. At the Photoplay Awards dinner, Joan Crawford told reporter Bob Thomas that Marilyn Monroe's cleavage "was the most shocking display of bad taste I have ever seen. Look, there's nothing wrong with my tits, but I don't go around throwing them in people's faces."

Marilyn Monroe laughing, wearing a glamorous dress with jeweled straps and a bracelet. She has styled, short curly hair
Hulton Archive / Getty Images

35.She wasn't the only one to have something negative to say about Marilyn. Otto Preminger said of Marilyn Monroe, "Directing her was like directing Lassie."

A man in a suit, possibly from a past era, sits at a desk writing with a pen under a lamp
Archive Photos / Getty Images

36.And Tony Curtis said that kissing Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot was "like kissing Hitler," though he later elaborated, "Someone said to me, 'Hey, what's it like kissing Marilyn?' I said, 'It's like kissing Hitler. What are you doing asking me such a stupid question?' That's where it came from."

Woman in sequin dress and man in dark suit share passionate kiss lying on a lavish sofa with a background of trophies and decorative items
United Artists/Courtesy Everett Collection

37.Orson Welles once said he hated Woody Allen "physically," saying, "I can hardly bear to talk to him. He has the Chaplin disease. That particular combination of arrogance and timidity sets my teeth on edge." When director Henry Jaglom, with whom Welles was speaking, suggested Allen was shy, Welles replied, "He is arrogant. Like all people with timid personalities, his arrogance is ­unlimited. Anybody who speaks quietly and shrivels up in company is unbelievably arrogant. He acts shy, but he's not. He's scared. He hates himself, and he loves himself, a very tense situation. It's people like me who have to carry on and pretend to be modest. To me, it's the most embarrassing thing in the world — a man who presents himself at his worst to get laughs, in order to free himself from his hang-ups. Everything he does on the screen is therapeutic."

Orson Welles, in a suit with a pipe in his mouth, rests his arms on a surface and looks forward
Orson Welles, in a suit with a pipe in his mouth, rests his arms on a surface and looks forward
An older man with glasses, wearing a beige sweater and headphones around his neck, stands outdoors beside a vehicle
An older man with glasses, wearing a beige sweater and headphones around his neck, stands outdoors beside a vehicle

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images, James Devaney/GC Images via Getty Images

38.In the same conversation, Welles also said, "I never could stand looking at Bette Davis, so I don’t want to see her act, you see."

Bette Davis poses in an off-the-shoulder gown with a brooch, styled with elegant waves in her hair and bold makeup
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

39.Welles said of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, "I don’t like Wolfgang. He’s a little shit. I think he’s a terrible little man."

Wolfgang Puck holding an Oscars-themed chocolate creation, wearing a white chef's coat. A man in a tuxedo stands in the background
Bob Riha Jr / Getty Images

40.He also called Norma Shearer "one of the most minimally talented ladies ever to appear on the ­silver screen, and who looked like ­nothing, with one eye crossed over the other."

A close-up portrait of a woman with wavy, short hair, resting her chin on her hand, wearing a ring and light-colored clothing
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

41.Remember Tallulah Bankhead from earlier in this post? Well, after Somerset Maugham declined to cast her in his play, Bankhead reportedly said, "Mr Maugham, I have two words left to say to you, and the second one is 'off.'"

A man dressed in a suit, shirt, and patterned tie stands outdoors in front of lush greenery
A man dressed in a suit, shirt, and patterned tie stands outdoors in front of lush greenery
A black-and-white image of a woman in a satin dress with a deep neckline, holding a cigarette
A black-and-white image of a woman in a satin dress with a deep neckline, holding a cigarette

Carl Van Vechten Collection / Getty Images, Eugene Robert Richee/John Kobal Foundation / Getty Images

42.Natalie Wood apparently told her sister Lana that Elvis "can sing, but he can't do much else." The two had briefly dated in the '50s.

Elvis Presley in a studio portrait, wearing a casual button-up shirt and gazing to the side against a plain background
Elvis Presley in a studio portrait, wearing a casual button-up shirt and gazing to the side against a plain background

Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images, Archive Photos / Getty Images

43.Frank Sinatra once referred to journalist Dorothy Kilgallen as "the chinless wonder" — and compared her to a chipmunk. He also once sent her a headstone.

Frank Sinatra stands, holding a vintage microphone, dressed in a suit with a bowtie, pocket square, and boutonniere, performing under low light
Frank Sinatra stands, holding a vintage microphone, dressed in a suit with a bowtie, pocket square, and boutonniere, performing under low light
Woman holding papers and smiling while sitting at a desk with a CBS microphone
Woman holding papers and smiling while sitting at a desk with a CBS microphone

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images, Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

44.Screenwriter SJ Perelman said of Groucho Marx, "The man was a major comedian, which is to say that he had the compassion of an icicle, the effrontery of a carnival shill, and the generosity of a pawn broker."

A man in a suit and tie with glasses, posing for a formal portrait. His hair is styled neatly, and he has a serious expression. Names are not provided
A man in a suit and tie with glasses, posing for a formal portrait. His hair is styled neatly, and he has a serious expression. Names are not provided
Groucho Marx, wearing glasses, a fake mustache, and a dark suit, poses with a cigar in his mouth
Groucho Marx, wearing glasses, a fake mustache, and a dark suit, poses with a cigar in his mouth

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images, John Kobal Foundation / Getty Images

45.John Gielgud said of Swedish actor Ingrid Bergman, "Dear Ingrid — speaks five languages and can't act in any of them."

An older man is wearing a white suit jacket and black tie, with his hands clasped in front of him on a table with various colored cards
An older man is wearing a white suit jacket and black tie, with his hands clasped in front of him on a table with various colored cards
Ingrid Bergman, wearing a classic blouse with a bow, poses elegantly with hands resting on an armrest, captured in a timeless black and white portrait
Ingrid Bergman, wearing a classic blouse with a bow, poses elegantly with hands resting on an armrest, captured in a timeless black and white portrait

Tim Roney / Getty Images, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

46.Fanny Brice said of Esther Williams, who famously went from being a swimming star to a film star often shot in the water: "Wet, she's a star. Dry, she ain't!"

A smiling woman with short, curly hair in a classic portrait poses. The person's identity is unknown
A smiling woman with short, curly hair in a classic portrait poses. The person's identity is unknown
A woman is smiling by a pool, wearing a vintage-style swimsuit with floral patterns and a knotted top
A woman is smiling by a pool, wearing a vintage-style swimsuit with floral patterns and a knotted top

John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images, Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

47.Dyan Cannon said of director Otto Preminger, "I don't think he could direct his nephew to the bathroom." Preminger had directed her in Such Good Friends.

Loni Anderson poses on the red carpet in an elegant, strapless gown with a distinctive necklace. A gold statue is visible in the background
Loni Anderson poses on the red carpet in an elegant, strapless gown with a distinctive necklace. A gold statue is visible in the background
A black-and-white portrait of Jason Robards Sr. wearing a white shirt and a checkered tie, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression
A black-and-white portrait of Jason Robards Sr. wearing a white shirt and a checkered tie, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression

Images Press/IMAGES / Getty Images, John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

48.Elliott Gould once called comedian Jerry Lewis a "sour, ceremonial, piously chauvinistic egomaniac."

Man with curly hair, aviator glasses, and a suit jacket smiles at the camera
Man with curly hair, aviator glasses, and a suit jacket smiles at the camera
Jerry Lewis smiling while sitting, wearing a dark suit and tie with a light-colored pocket square. He is against a plain background with a hint of foliage
Jerry Lewis smiling while sitting, wearing a dark suit and tie with a light-colored pocket square. He is against a plain background with a hint of foliage

PL Gould/Images / Getty Images, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

49.Writer Graham Greene once called early sex symbol Mae West "an overfed python."

Mae West poses in a glamorous old Hollywood portrait wearing a satin dress with curled hair, a bracelet on her wrist, and a confident expression
Mae West poses in a glamorous old Hollywood portrait wearing a satin dress with curled hair, a bracelet on her wrist, and a confident expression
A man sits on a sofa in front of a bookshelf filled with books and bottles, wearing a suit and tie, holding a small object
A man sits on a sofa in front of a bookshelf filled with books and bottles, wearing a suit and tie, holding a small object

Keystone / Getty Images, Kurt Hutton / Getty Images

50.And W.C. Fields called West "a plumber's idea of Cleopatra."

A man in formal attire with a suit and bow tie stares off to the side with a neutral expression
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

51.Finally, this one is more playful. While presenting an award at the 51st Oscars in 1979, Shirley MacLaine publicly called out her brother, Warren Beatty, who famously had a ton of relationships as a young star: "Warren, Warren, Warren, just imagine what you could accomplish if you tried celibacy."

Three images from an award ceremony show Liza Minnelli in a black dress and Dudley Moore in a tuxedo presenting and sitting in the audience

What's your favorite celeb jab or insult? Let us know in the comments!

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