Celebrities

See Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minnelli and More as Vintage Thanksgiving Pin-Ups—The Hidden Hollywood Tradition

Who knew so many classic Hollywood actresses posed with turkeys?

By Abbey Bender November 17, 2025

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1. Marilyn Monroe

Everett Collection

In this charming 1950 photo shoot, Marilyn Monroe poses in a pilgrim costume (complete with historically inaccurate fishnet stockings!) with a turkey and a rifle by her side. Monroe celebrated Thanksgiving with her very own handwritten stuffing recipe, which was reprinted in a book gathering her various personal correspondences decades later. The complicated recipe called for some unexpected ingredients, including turkey livers or hearts, hard-boiled eggs, raisins, parmesan and nuts.
2. Judy Garland

Everett Collection

Dressed in a sedate pilgrim outfit, Judy Garland seems a bit uncertain about whether she wants to use the rifle she’s carrying on her turkey friend. As America’s Sweetheart, Garland frequently starred in seasonal photo shoots, and she even once posed for Thanksgiving in the iconic costume she wore as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
3. Liza Minnelli

Everett Collection

Like mother, like daughter! Thanksgiving photo shoots became a family tradition, as Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, posed for one as a rising star in 1963.
4. Ann-Margret

TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection

’60s It Girl Ann-Margret looks like a domestic goddess as she holds a turkey in a promotional portrait from the 1966 remake of the classic Western Stagecoach.
5. Janet Leigh

Everett Collection

Janet Leigh is forever associated with bathrooms, due to her terrifying fate in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, but in this Thanksgiving photo, she spends some time in the kitchen as she prepares a turkey.
6. Debbie Reynolds

Everett Collection

In this 1959 photo, Singin’ in the Rain star Debbie Reynolds pulls off a Thanksgiving balancing act as she sits with a huge platter of turkey atop her knees, while her custom chef hat adds an extra touch of whimsy. After the star’s death, her granddaughter, actress Billie Lourd, revealed that rather than cooking an elaborate Thanksgiving meal, Reynolds would always pick up food from a restaurant and pretend she made it herself.
7. Joan Crawford

General Photographic Agency/Getty

Joan Crawford was known as one of classic Hollywood’s most dramatic divas, and in this shot, she wields her carving knife like a pro while gazing knowingly at the camera. Crawford knew how to host a memorable feast—a newspaper once quoted her as saying her party secret was to “always add a splash of vodka to everything.”
8. Esther Williams

Everett Collection

Esther Williams was a professional swimmer and actress known for showing off her impressive aquatic skills in ’40s and ’50s films, so it’s no surprise that she posed for a quirky Thanksgiving photo while wearing an adorably retro swimsuit!
9. Joan Fontaine

Everett Collection

In this 1938 shot, Rebecca star Joan Fontaine smiles as she prepares a turkey at home. She may not be wearing a pilgrim costume, but her patterned dress is still festive.
10. Stella Stevens

Everett Collection

Stella Stevens was a ’60s bombshell who shared the screen with the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lewis, and she played on her sex appeal by wearing a skimpy pilgrim costume in her Thanksgiving photo shoot.
11. Ann Blyth

Everett Collection

Ann Blyth was known for playing Joan Crawford’s bratty daughter in Mildred Pierce, but in this 1951 Thanksgiving portrait, she looks perfectly wholesome.
12. Ann Francis

Everett Collection

In this surreal 1957 photo, Forbidden Planet star Anne Francis rides a giant turkey.
13. Marlo Thomas

TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

That Girl actress Marlo Thomas looks like the height of ’60s chic as she wears a yellow striped mini dress while standing with a turkey.

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