FILM STAR NAMES...aka.
Created | Updated Jul 14, 2003
Conscious of their screen images, many film actors and actresses changed, or had changed for them by their film studio, their names to ones more rufty tufty, sexy, less forgettable or simply more manageable. In some cases you may wonder why they bothered at all, but in others you can fully understand their decision...
After all, 'The Vikings' starring Bernie Schwartz and Issur Demsky or 'Yield to the Night' starring Mavis Fluck doesn't have quite the same ring.to it, does it?
So.... otherwise known as...
Tony Curtis......................Bernie Schwartz
Kirk Douglas....................Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Michael Douglas.............Michael Kirk Douglas
Catherine Zeta-Jones......Catherine Jones, (Zeta was borrowed fom her grandmother).
John Wayne....................Marion Michael Morrison (or 'Duke' after his dog)
Cary Grant......................Archibald Alexander Leach
Marilyn Monroe..............Norma Jean Baker
Boris Karloff...................William Henry Pratt
Richard Burton...............Richard Walter Jenkins (after his schoolteacher)
Michael Caine...............Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Martin Sheen.................Ramon Estovez
Gloria Swanson.............Gloria May Josephine Svensson
Diana Dors.....................Mavis Fluck
Bette Davis....................Ruth Elizabeth Davis
Joan Crawford...............Lucille Fay LeSueur
Peter Lorre....................Laszlo Lowenstein
Burt Lancaster...............Burton Stephen Lancaster
Spencer Tracy...............Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
Audrey Hepburn............Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston
Charlton Heston.............John Charlton Carter
Fay Wray.......................Vina Fay Wray
Mae West......................Mary Jane West
Buster Keaton...............Joseph Frank Keaton V1
Stan Laurel..................Arthur Stanley Jefferson
Jayne Mansfield..........Vera Jane Palmer
Gene Hackman.............Eugene Alden Hackman
Lauren Bacall...............Betty Joan ?erske*
Deborah Kerr................Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer
Yul Brynner.................. His real name, but he sometimes claimed to be half Swiss, half Japanese and that his name was 'Taidje Khan'
Ernest Borgnine............Ermes Effron Borgnino
Doris Day.......................Doris Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff
Don Ameche.................Dominic Felix Ameci
Dana Andrews...............Carver Dana Andrews
Julie Andrews................ Julia Elizabeth Wells
Fred Astair......................Frederick Austerlitz
Dirk Borgarde.........Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde
Humphrey Bogart............Humphrey DeForest Borgartt
Charles Bronson..............Charles Buchinsky
Lon Chaney Jr.................Creighton Tull Chaney
Claudette Colbert............Lily Claudette Chauchoin
Gary Cooper...................Frank James Cooper
Marlene Deitrich.............Marie Magdelene Deitrich
Mia Farrow.....................Maria deLourdes Villiers Farrow
Glenn Ford.....................Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford
Jodie Foster....................Alicia Christian Foster
Judy Garland..................Frances Ethel Gumm
Ben Gazzara...................Biagio Anthony Gazzara
Mel Gibson.....................Mel Columcille Gibson
Jeff Chandler..................Ira Grossel
Gloria Grahame..............Gloria Hallward
Alec Guinness.................Alec Guiness de Cuffe
Jean Harlow....................Harlean Carpentier
Rex Harrison...................Reginald Carey Harrison
Rita Hayworth.................Margarita Carmen Cansino
William Holden..............William Franklin Beedle Jr.
Bob Hope.......................Leslie Townes Hope
Bing Crosby....................Harry Lillis Crosby
Dennis Hopper................Dennis Hooper
Lee J Cobb.....................Leo Jacoby
Rock Hudson...................Roy Harold Scherer Jr
.
Michael Keaton..............Michael John Douglas
Klaus Kinski.....................Nikolaus Gunther Nakszynski
Nastassja Kinsk................Nastassja Naksyznyski
Hedy Lamarr...................Hedwig Eva Maria Keisler
Bruce Lee.......................Lee Jun Fan
Vivien Leigh...................Vivian Mary Hartley
Jack Lemmon.................John Uhler Lemmon III
Jerry Lewis.....................Joseph Levitch
Dean Martin..................Dino Paul Crocetti
Sophia Loren................Sofia Villani Scicolone
Myrna Loy.....................Myrna Williams
Bela Lugosi...................Bela Ferenc Dezso Blasko. (Arisztid Olt)
Walter Matthau.............Walter Matasschanskayasky
Ray Milland..................Reginald Alfred Truscott-Jones
Paul Muni....................Friedrich Muni Meyer Weisenfreund
Maureen O'Hara............Maureen Fitzsimmons
Jack Palance.................Vladimir Palanuik
Anthony Quinn..............Anthony Rudolfo Oxaca Quinn
James Garner................James Scott Bumgarner
Edwarg G Robinson.......Emanuel Goldenberg
Cliff Richards..................Harry Webb
Ginger Rogers.................Virginia Katherine McMath
Susan Sarandon.............Susan Abigail Tomalin
Romy Schneider.............Rosemarie Magdelene Albach-Retty
Peter Sellers...................Richard Henry Sellers
Barbara Stanwyck............Ruby Stevens
Meryl Streep....................Mary Louise Streep
Robert Taylor..................Spangler Arlington Brugh
Rudolph Valentino.........Rudolfo Pietro Filberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina
Erich von Stroheim..........Erich Oswald Stroheim
Shelley Winters................Shirley Schrift
Stewart Granger............. James Lablanche Stewart
After all, 'The Vikings' starring Bernie Schwartz and Issur Demsky or 'Yield to the Night' starring Mavis Fluck doesn't have quite the same ring.to it, does it?
So.... otherwise known as...
Tony Curtis......................Bernie Schwartz
Kirk Douglas....................Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Michael Douglas.............Michael Kirk Douglas
Catherine Zeta-Jones......Catherine Jones, (Zeta was borrowed fom her grandmother).
John Wayne....................Marion Michael Morrison (or 'Duke' after his dog)
Cary Grant......................Archibald Alexander Leach
Marilyn Monroe..............Norma Jean Baker
Boris Karloff...................William Henry Pratt
Richard Burton...............Richard Walter Jenkins (after his schoolteacher)
Michael Caine...............Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Martin Sheen.................Ramon Estovez
Gloria Swanson.............Gloria May Josephine Svensson
Diana Dors.....................Mavis Fluck
Bette Davis....................Ruth Elizabeth Davis
Joan Crawford...............Lucille Fay LeSueur
Peter Lorre....................Laszlo Lowenstein
Burt Lancaster...............Burton Stephen Lancaster
Spencer Tracy...............Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
Audrey Hepburn............Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston
Charlton Heston.............John Charlton Carter
Fay Wray.......................Vina Fay Wray
Mae West......................Mary Jane West
Buster Keaton...............Joseph Frank Keaton V1
Stan Laurel..................Arthur Stanley Jefferson
Jayne Mansfield..........Vera Jane Palmer
Gene Hackman.............Eugene Alden Hackman
Lauren Bacall...............Betty Joan ?erske*
Deborah Kerr................Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer
Yul Brynner.................. His real name, but he sometimes claimed to be half Swiss, half Japanese and that his name was 'Taidje Khan'
Ernest Borgnine............Ermes Effron Borgnino
Doris Day.......................Doris Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff
Don Ameche.................Dominic Felix Ameci
Dana Andrews...............Carver Dana Andrews
Julie Andrews................ Julia Elizabeth Wells
Fred Astair......................Frederick Austerlitz
Dirk Borgarde.........Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde
Humphrey Bogart............Humphrey DeForest Borgartt
Charles Bronson..............Charles Buchinsky
Lon Chaney Jr.................Creighton Tull Chaney
Claudette Colbert............Lily Claudette Chauchoin
Gary Cooper...................Frank James Cooper
Marlene Deitrich.............Marie Magdelene Deitrich
Mia Farrow.....................Maria deLourdes Villiers Farrow
Glenn Ford.....................Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford
Jodie Foster....................Alicia Christian Foster
Judy Garland..................Frances Ethel Gumm
Ben Gazzara...................Biagio Anthony Gazzara
Mel Gibson.....................Mel Columcille Gibson
Jeff Chandler..................Ira Grossel
Gloria Grahame..............Gloria Hallward
Alec Guinness.................Alec Guiness de Cuffe
Jean Harlow....................Harlean Carpentier
Rex Harrison...................Reginald Carey Harrison
Rita Hayworth.................Margarita Carmen Cansino
William Holden..............William Franklin Beedle Jr.
Bob Hope.......................Leslie Townes Hope
Bing Crosby....................Harry Lillis Crosby
Dennis Hopper................Dennis Hooper
Lee J Cobb.....................Leo Jacoby
Rock Hudson...................Roy Harold Scherer Jr
.
Michael Keaton..............Michael John Douglas
Klaus Kinski.....................Nikolaus Gunther Nakszynski
Nastassja Kinsk................Nastassja Naksyznyski
Hedy Lamarr...................Hedwig Eva Maria Keisler
Bruce Lee.......................Lee Jun Fan
Vivien Leigh...................Vivian Mary Hartley
Jack Lemmon.................John Uhler Lemmon III
Jerry Lewis.....................Joseph Levitch
Dean Martin..................Dino Paul Crocetti
Sophia Loren................Sofia Villani Scicolone
Myrna Loy.....................Myrna Williams
Bela Lugosi...................Bela Ferenc Dezso Blasko. (Arisztid Olt)
Walter Matthau.............Walter Matasschanskayasky
Ray Milland..................Reginald Alfred Truscott-Jones
Paul Muni....................Friedrich Muni Meyer Weisenfreund
Maureen O'Hara............Maureen Fitzsimmons
Jack Palance.................Vladimir Palanuik
Anthony Quinn..............Anthony Rudolfo Oxaca Quinn
James Garner................James Scott Bumgarner
Edwarg G Robinson.......Emanuel Goldenberg
Cliff Richards..................Harry Webb
Ginger Rogers.................Virginia Katherine McMath
Susan Sarandon.............Susan Abigail Tomalin
Romy Schneider.............Rosemarie Magdelene Albach-Retty
Peter Sellers...................Richard Henry Sellers
Barbara Stanwyck............Ruby Stevens
Meryl Streep....................Mary Louise Streep
Robert Taylor..................Spangler Arlington Brugh
Rudolph Valentino.........Rudolfo Pietro Filberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina
Erich von Stroheim..........Erich Oswald Stroheim
Shelley Winters................Shirley Schrift
Stewart Granger............. James Lablanche Stewart
