Lovely and talented new starlets were being discovered and turned into stars throughout the 1940s. Some fresh faces in 1948 who were becoming big stars included Lauren Bacall, who had made her first ever film appearance in the 1944 gangster film "To Have and Have Not." Bacall won over audiences and her co-star, Humphrey Bogart, marrying him the next year. Ava Gardner had made some films but became a star and a sex symbol following the release of "The Killers" in 1946. Jean Simmons hit the scene in 1948, at just 19 years of age, playing Ophelia in the critically acclaimed "Hamlet."
Several men were becoming stars around 1948 as well. Montgomery Clift was a hot young actor and heart throb, making his highly noticed film debut opposite John Wayne in "Red River." Gregory Peck had newly become a star with 1947's "Gentlemen's Agreement" and was being sought after to appear in many films. Burt Lancaster was another fresh face, having made his film debut with Ava Gardner in "The Killers." All three men had their stars on the rise in 1948 and went on to be some of the most famous leading men of the 1950s.
Many of the established movie stars of the day in 1948 had been stars since the 1930s. Katherine Hepburn had been a huge star for more than a decade and by 1948 was two movies into her comedic screen partnership with Spencer Tracy. Rita Hayworth had been making films since the '30s also. She had made "Gilda" in 1946 and was in her prime in '48. Ingrid Bergman had a string of huge hits in the '40s, including "Casablanca" and "Gaslight." In 1948, she appeared in the controversial "Joan of Arc."
The most famous male stars of 1948 were spread across all types and genres. Lawrence Olivier had been famous and beloved critically since 1939's "Wuthering Heights." In 1948, he directed and starred in "Hamlet," which went on to win several Academy Awards that year. Humphrey Bogart was a huge star throughout the '40s, and in 1948 he was fresh off the success of "The Treasure of Sierra Madre." Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda had taken time away from Hollywood to fight in World War II. Stewart returned to film with 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life" while Fonda, in 1948, appeared in "Fort Apache."