46 of the Coolest Set Photos in Movie History
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There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes of a movie—and a lot of people who contribute to the process. It’s not just the actors, but also directors, producers, and more who make the movie magic happen. Take an unfiltered look at what the sets of some of the world’s most beloved films looked like between takes.
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1937: Stage Door
Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers chat (and in Hepburn’s case, knits!) on the movie set of Stage Door while waiting for their cue.
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1939: Gone With the Wind
Director Victor Fleming sits in a carriage with lead actress, Vivien Leigh, as she and costar Clark Gable (on horseback) rehearse their lines.
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1947: Dark Passage
Lauren Bacall massages Humphrey Bogart’s head as he lights a cigarette and speaks to the director on the set of Dark Passage. The two stars were married after meeting on the set of To Have and Have Not.
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1950: Sabrina
Audrey Hepburn, dressed in an evening gown, is helped down a ladder by two men on the set of Sabrina.
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1953: Mogambo
Film star Grace Kelly sneaks in a nap in the African sun between takes on the set of Mogambo.
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1953: Julius Caesar
Marlon Brando reviews his script on the set of Julius Caesar, in which he played Marc Anthony.
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1953: How to Marry a Millionaire
Actresses Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Marilyn Monroe touch up their hair and makeup while filming How to Marry a Millionaire.
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1953: Rear Window
Alfred Hitchcock plans out a shot while filming Rear Window with Grace Kelly and James Stewart.
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1955: Giant
Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson make their way through the buffet line during the lunch line on the set of Giant.
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1955: Rebel Without a Cause
James Dean wears his character’s infamous red jacket while reviewing a scene with costar, Natalie Wood, and the director, Nicholas Ray. It was one of Dean’s biggest roles during his short career.
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1955: The Seven Year Itch
Director Billy Wilder orchestrates the infamous air vent photo with actress Marilyn Monroe during a press shoot for their movie, The Seven Year Itch.
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1959: The Horse Soldiers
John Wayne and William Holden show Constance Towers how to shoot a revolver on the set of the classic Western movie.
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1960:Psycho
Janet Leigh listens intently to director Alfred Hitchcock as the two discuss the movie’s famous shower scene in Psycho.
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1960: Winning
Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, sit in beach chairs and read the paper between takes on the set of Winning. What a life.
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1960: The Misfits
The real-life married couple, Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, prepare to shoot a scene in the Nevada desert, where they are filming The Misfits.
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1961: Cleopatra
Elizabeth Taylor sits on the lap of her husband, Eddie Fisher, as they chat with her Cleopatra costar, Richard Burton on set in Rome. Taylor later left Fisher to marry Burton.
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1962: Dr. No
Sean Connery holds up the legs of his Dr. No costar, Ursula Andress, as she does a handstand on set. Hey, whatever it takes to pass the time…
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1963: The Great Escape
Steve McQueen films a scene on a motorcycle on the set of The Great Escape. McQueen did his own motorcycle riding for the movie, with the exception of the stunt where his character jumps over a five-foot fence.
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1963: Dr. Strangelove
British actress Tracy Reed and her costar George C. Scott film a scene in the 1963 movie, Dr. Strangelove, at a studio outside of London, England.
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1963: The Birds
Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, and Jessica Tandy take direction from Alfred Hitchcock on the set of The Birds.
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1965: The Sound of Music
Director Robert Wise chats with actor Christopher Plummer and actress Julie Andrews—who are both in costume—during a lunch break on the set of The Sound of Music.
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1967: The Graduate
Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross film a scene in The Graduate, as director Mike Nichols watches behind the camera.
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1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Director Stanley Kubrick is seen on the futuristic set of his film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick was very hands-on with the set details and the special effects used for the movie.
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1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Paul Newman, Katharine Ross, and Robert Redford take a seat on the set of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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1971: Diamonds Are Forever
Sean Connery kicks back between scenes playing James Bond on the set of Diamonds Are Forever in Palm Springs, California.
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1971: Carnal Knowledge
Costars Art Garfunkel, Jack Nicholson, and Candice Bergen are seen hanging out behind the scenes on the set of Carnal Knowledge.
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1971: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder dons Willy Wonka’s signature velvet plum jacket, bowtie, and top hat as he prepares to shoot a scene with the actors portraying Oompa Loompas.
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1972: The Godfather
Producer Albert S. Ruddy (left) and Marlon Brando (right) discuss a scene being filmed in Little Italy, New York City. The Francis Ford Coppola directed film is regarded by many as one of the best movies of all time.
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1973: Live and Let Die
Roger Moore, who portrayed James Bond in Live and Let Die, is seen on set. It was the eighth James Bond film for the franchise.
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1974: The Godfather: Part II
Soon after the success of The Godfather, a sequel was in the works. Here, director Francis Ford Coppola is seen behind the camera, while Robert De Niro stands in front of the lens.
