The Golden Age of Hollywood was a crucial time for American cinema. Filmmaking flourished under legendary directors, and numerous screen icons, including several of the big screen's most iconic and timeless actresses, rose to prominence. Names like Hepburn and Monroe have become synonymous with the epoch, becoming cinematic institutions.

As part of their ranking of the best of Hollywood's Golden Age, the American Film Institute listed the greatest female screen legends. These female performers contributed significantly to classical Hollywood, starring in multiple pictures now considered iconic and shaping cinema through their indelible performances that keep inspiring generations of fans today.

15 Mae West (1893-1980)

"I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it."

Notorious blonde provocateur Mae West was among the most controversial figures of the 1930s and 40s. Rising to prominence on the vaudeville stage, West gained international fame as a singer, dancer, actress, comedian, and playwright. She soon became a leading figure in entertainment, with everyone from Cole Porter to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lauding her talent and appeal.

West was among cinema's first provocateurs, exploiting her sexuality and image to build a career on scandal and talent alike. Following her breakthrough in 1934 with what are arguably her two most well-known films, She Done Him Wrong and I'm No Angel opposite Cary Grant, West built a wildly successful career. Her acting journey continued beyond the Golden Age and into the 1970s with the infamous films Myra Breckinridge and Sextette.

14 Ginger Rogers (1911-1995)

"My mother told me I was dancing before I was born."

The comic book strip Frank and Ernest popularized a well-known Hollywood factoid: "Ginger Rogers did everything (Fred Astaire) did, backwards and in high heels." Rogers earned critical and commercial success through her partnership with Astaire, with the two starring in nine films, including multiple hits like Swing Time and Top Hat.

Rogers won the Best Actress Oscar for the classic Hollywood melodrama Kitty Foyle, establishing herself as a prestigious actress outside her partnership with Astaire. She would cement herself as a massive box office draw throughout the 1940s, although her career waned in the late 1950s. Rogers turned to the stage, starring in and even directing some shows, turning to television and writing an autobiography in 1991.

13 Grace Kelly (1929-1982)

"I came to success very quickly. Perhaps too quickly to value its importance."

Grace Kelly had a somewhat short but remarkable career that turned her into a timeless big-screen icon. She made her film debut with 1951's Fourteen Hours before achieving international stardom in 1952. Her performance in 1954's The Country Girl won her the Best Actress Oscar, a decision that remains divisive today.

Kelly then starred in three of Alfred Hitchcock's most iconic films, becoming the living embodiment of what is now known as the "Hitchcock Blonde" and cementing herself as a timeless cinematic icon. In 1956, ay twenty-six of age, she retired from acting after marrying Prince Rainier III and becoming Princess of Monaco in what many considered a real-life fairy tale. Kelly held the title until her tragic passing in 1982.

12 Claudette Colbert (1903-1996)

"I have been in the Claudette Colbert business longer than anybody."