Long before Björk's swan dress caused a stir, Jayne Mansfield works her own kind of swan moment.

One of Hollywood's original blonde bombshells lets loose on the beach.

Elizabeth Taylor and her third husband Mike Todd cut a rather dashing Cannes couple.

It's French cinema icon Jeanne Moreau, working her very own version of beach yoga.

If you are going to hold an audience spellbound with your serenade why not do it on a table, eh Jeanne?

The golden girl of cinema works her pout, beach-style.

This lady sure knows how to strike a pose.

There's no doubt Brigitte is a smasher in a swimsuit.

She scrubs up beautifully in a frock as well.

A young Kirk Douglas joins Brigitte and friends on the sands of Cannes.

Italian beauty Sophia Loren is a mainstay of old-school Cannes.

She knows a thing or two about turning heads on the red carpet.

It's fair to say Sophia embodies the fun-loving, glamorous spirit of Cannes in every way.

No wonder the It Started In Naples star was darling of the film world.

Another Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, is surrounded by a crew of adoring sailors (naturally).

Hitchcock star Kim Novak dances in her room at the Carlton Hotel.

Kim's joined by Cary Grant to form a very good-looking duo indeed.

Two of cinema's major talents unite, as Grace Kelly (before her days as the Princess of Monaco) stops to chat to Singin' In The Rain lead Gene Kelly.

Gene Kelly is happy kicking back in his hotel room too, in a rare moment off from strutting his tap stuff.

Aha, Zsa Zsa Gabor. She's doing what we'd do in similar circumstances and making a beeline for the sun.

The father of French philosophy isn't above schmoozing with the great names of Hollywood - although it looked like he prefers having a quiet fag on the sidelines.

French film actress Michele Morgan is showing off her high kicks in style à la plage.

She's having a wonderful time with French poet Jean Cocteau.

French film beauty Martine Carol adopts a classic Cannes shot - she's a movie star to the hilt.

Martine is pictured here with fellow film star Gina Lollobrigida and Orson Welles at the closing ceremony for Cannes in 1958.

French director and actor/singer Charles Vanel and Maurice Chevalier get the party started in style with some rather glamorous cohorts.

French film star Francoise Fabian and naval officer Jacques Cousteau look like they're having a truly terrible time on a boat-themed shoot.

Austrian-born actress Romy Schneider plays the elegance card with aplomb with this red carpet show-stopper.

A brilliantly captioned "starlets on the beach" photo, starring a trio of anonymous yet highly glamorous ladies.

Another unknown "starlet on the beach" works her stuff in front of a posse of photographers.