Rita Hayworth may be best known as the red-head Femme Fatale, but for a short period of time Rita could have been called a Blonde Bombshell. Though her transformation into a blonde wasn't her first major make over, it was definitely the one that got the most attention.
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| Rita is a publicity still for The Lady From Shanghai |
Few people remember that Rita was a natural brunette, but that is probably because the studios dyed her hair red before she hit it big in the movies. Rita changed her signature hairstyle for her starring role in the film The Lady From Shanghai. Under the guidance of her former husband Orson Welles, her hair was cropped short and dyed a shade known as topaz blonde. The change was done without Columbia studio head, Harry Cohn's knowledge and it made him furious. The film was a flop at the box office and many say it was because the public couldn't accept one of their biggest stars changing so drastically. Rita never made another film as a blonde.
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| Rita caused quite a stir at the studio as she changed her signature style |
The big transformation was documented in a series of photographs that you can find below.
