The brunette, in history, has always been seen as the temptress, the siren; from Lilith of Hebrew mythology to Shakespeare’s ‘dark lady of the sonnets,’ the brunette has been the woman which gives men pause even while we desire her, as though we sense there’s a dangerous cleverness in her that will destroy us. No matter what we do, we can’t help ignoring our caution… and so we fall into her trap. If, in terms of popular motif, the blonde is traditionally ‘angelic’ (and/or bubble-headed) and the redhead ‘fiery’ (and troublesome) the brunette is… something dark and deeply intense. She’s alluring and alarming, all at once.
Comments on the criteria I used: For the most part I wanted a list of beautiful women who had something to offer besides good looks. Whether that’s intelligence, talent or simply poise and class, a great voice, a sense of humor… or a combination of all these. I also wanted a list of women who fit this vague, personal and indefinable visual image I have of the “perfect brunette.” Don’t ask me what that is, I can’t say. I only know that I’ve found it several times in my life… and, ah… memories.
Also, a rule that I tried to stick to: Some women frequently change their hair color. So I decided that this list had to be limited to those who have faithfully (or at least mostly) stuck to their raven-tressed roots.
I also apologize for the lack of Asian and African women. I had some in mind, but none really could make it high enough on the list for me. Tyra Banks would be my #26, we’ll say. I do feel guilty about this. But PC be damned, I gotta be me.
And some other conspicuous absentees I want to mention: Annette Funicello, Bettie Page, Eliza Dushku, Teri Hatcher, Rachel Weisz, Victoria Principal, Anne Curry, Fran Drescher and Stacey London (I don’t know why, but she does something for me) and a dozen others… It pained me to omit them… but the list had to be pared down.
Beautiful, smart, and a good actress. She’s got the classic looks of Old Hollywood, combined with an exotic Euro-cool.
The question might leap to some minds: why Joan Collins but no Elizabeth Taylor? I don’t know. I can only say that it seemed to me somehow that Joan always took herself a tad less seriously than Liz. And it also has always seemed to me that while Liz had the body and the looks, she was lacking all else. Neither woman’s a good actress… but for some reason I had to include Joan. Perhaps only for the reason that she’s always been a dirty girl, and I’m all for that.
A dancer’s body combined with winning charm and Gallic grace. I fell for her when I was a kid and saw her in “Gigi” on TV one day. The Scotch dress, the straw hat… and those eyes and lips.
Back in the day, when she was with 10,000 Maniacs, we all knew there was something alluring and very exotic about Natalie Merchant. The cadence of her voice, the folksy latter-day flower child look about her… and a kind of subtle, challenging beauty.
Okay, another bimbo-ish chick, but WOW. She gets major points for being a whacky dirty girl, and for her otherwordly body. But above it’s that face. Fantastic. Sometimes appears as a redhead, but her real color is darker.
Needing no comment, probably—the ultimate Italian bombshell. Known for her seductive stripteases and glove-tight lingerie in classic films of the late 50s and 60s. Cary Grant fell hard for her during the filming of “Houseboat.” She rejected him. THAT is feminine self-assurance.
The pinnacle of Latin hotties. Out of this world body, out of this world looks, the kind of woman every guy drools over. Or at least I do.
Surely the classiest woman on this list. Lithe, slim, graceful and sleekly beautiful like the ballerina she was.
Hubba hubba, as we say. Back in the 80s there were sex symbols like Madonna and the like… but we college boys always had a thing for Susanna Hoffs, the Bangles hottie who made their videos steamy and redeemed an otherwise crap movie (The Allnighter) by appearing in a bikini and, better still, in one scene posing in front of a mirror in a tiny top and panties. Bless you Susanna. And she’s still gorgeous today as she belts out duets with former alterna-rocker and current fattie Matthew Sweet.
The greatest of all child stars (and the daughter of Russian immigrants) this goddess grew up to be one of the most strikingly beautiful women in Hollywood. A marriage, divorce, then remarriage to the oily-charmy Robert Wagner (he later redeemed his image somewhat by co-starring as “Number 2” in the Austin Powers films) showed she didn’t have the best judgement—and she died tragically, still young, in a drowning accident.
Stunningly exotic Ava fits the bill despite her green eyes (I prefer my brunettes to have brown). Devastatingly witty, Ava was a woman who challenged men and kept them thinking. Even Frank Sinatra.
Nothing special as an actress (some film noir, some TV westerns, etc.) and known primarily as A) a lover of Howard Hughes (who wasn’t? Ava Gardner was too—Howard had good taste) and B) the star of the 50s sci-fi cheese classics “This Island Earth” and “It Came From Beneath the Sea” – Faith makes the list because of those ultra-seductive and sultry eyes and pouty look which makes her nearly a template for my idea of the perfect brunette.
Maker of soft-jazz for the approaching-middle-age crowd, it’s perhaps altogether easy to dismiss Norah as an artist. But one has to admit she’s talented… and, well… just look at her. A beautiful combination of all the best that Anglo-American and Indian looks have to offer.
Lulu of Pandora’s Box, and the title character in Diary of a Lost Girl, Louise was one of the sexiest/classiest/smartest women of silent film. Light years better than the bimbo-esque Clara Bow or the overrated Gish sisters, Louise later became a cult figure recognized for her beauty and skill as an actress.
Scream Queen Barbara starred in the classic Mario Bava film Black Sunday, and then found herself stuck in a career of B-horror flicks filmed mostly in Italy. A pity, because her icy qualities and exotic looks could have made her a far bigger star.
Lara edges out Courtney Cox and Teri Hatcher for this position on the list. Why? Because goddamit, I wrote this list, and Lara, despite her too-slim frame, does something for me that those two don’t. Or… don’t do as much. I can’t say what it is, but I know it’s legit when I look at her.
So freakin’ hotter-than-hell that I don’t care if she’s a crap actress from soap opera world. Or that she’s married to Harry Hamlin. Or that she’s a ditz. At least she’s a great dancer. A really sexy dancer. Makes it on the list for that reason and also for her otherwordly lips.
For some reason she knocks Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rachel Weisz off the list. Again, I don’t know what it is… somehow Elizabeth is sexier, even if Catherine’s a better actress. But Liz also has that body… and those legs… and that freakin’ cute nose.
I know there are other more deserving women, and I know she’s just a brunette bimbo… a lingerie-bikini model… but I can’t help it. Brooke Burke makes my heart race. When I see a picture of her, I fall into a trance and it requires cold water splashed… in places… to get me out of it.
Surely this is an obvious choice. Amongst all the Hollywood elite these days, Angelina is consistently referred to as the most beautiful. Whether you agree or not, you gotta admit she’s got it, whatever it is. Lots of it. And she has those lips…
One of the most beautiful women in 40s Hollywood, star of Laura, one of the greatest (and oddest) crime melodramas ever… Gene Tierney had that legendary overbite that everyone talked about. I’ll leave the reader to determine for himself/herself what that meant.
A fantastic actress (some say the equal of Katherine Hepburn) whose career spanned five decades, she stands out for her role as Nora, wife of Nick Charles in The Thin Man, which established her sharp-as-a-tack witty persona. She turned somewhat matronly in her later roles, but was still easy on the eyes. In the silent era and the early thirties, she was considered a strangely exotic beauty in alluringly erotic roles (check her out as the gypsy temptress in The Squall, for instance) including a one-time run as treacherous offspring to Boris Karloff’s Fu Manchu.
The thinking man’s sex symbol, Tina places on the list for being A) goddamned beautiful, even in glasses (I’m one of those who finds women in glasses to be extremely sexy) and B) for being so goddamned funny. There’s the old saw that says women aren’t funny. Doesn’t apply to Tina. Head writer for Saturday Night Live for years (as well as anchorwoman for Weekend Update) before leaving to create her own (very funny) show, 30 Rock, Tina is one smart and white-hot-witty babe. Sample quote: A Harvard Medical School study has determined that rectal thermometers are still the best way to tell a baby’s temperature. Plus, it really teaches the baby who’s boss.
Okay… Diana is actually more auburn-haired… but I don’t care. (actually her real hair color is dark enough where you can’t tell). She is the original, for me… the template. The star of The Avengers, that classic 60s surreal spy show… as high-kicking Mrs. Peel. In her skin-tight, often leather outfits, she was the sexiest character in Sixties television. Also the first woman I fell for as a boy. Diana Rigg is still one of the most iconic figures of the 60s, and one of the most beautiful, classiest and talented women that have ever graced our world.
My feeling is that Winona is the most beautiful woman on earth (my personal taste is that Nicole Kidman is second—but Nicole, of course, is a redhead). Not really a very good actress, but it hardly matters when a woman looks that intensely beautiful. Clearly kinda whacky (she grew up on a commune after all) with some skeletons in her bourdoir, Winona has weathered various storms to remain a highly popular, if not award-winning actress. Also a gorgeous model, where (in fashion shoots) her beauty shines out.
Bonus Vanessa Anne Hudgens
I include her on the list as a nod to the youngsters, and because when I first saw her I was floored. She reminded me strongly of a college girlfriend that I was hugely enamored with. And despite her revolting association with the hated Disney corporation, she had the good taste to do some nude photography—apparently for a boyfriend. Why? Because beautiful brunettes know they got it, and unlike bimbo California blondes who’ll strip for food, a striking brunette will play the coquette and then surprise you by giving her all for a man’s pleasure. They’re the greatest. God bless the brunette.
译文:
25位最美丽的黑发女明星
有史以来，黑发的女子总被看作是塞任般迷人的化身。从夜精灵的神话到莎士比亚的“十四行诗里的黑夫人”，黑发的女子能控制男人，即便他对她有多么的渴求。尽管我们也知道她们聪明得多么危险，足以摧毁我们，但无论做什么，我们都无法抗拒迷恋。。。所以，陷入了她们的陷阱。一般大家都认为，传统意义上的金发女子犹如天使一般（虽然愚笨），红发女子热情似火（也容易带来麻烦），那么黑发的女子。。。有些捉摸不透却深藏情感。她充满诱惑，在瞬息之间。
同时，我尝试遵守的规则是：一些女人经常更换发色。所以我决定所排出的列表仅限那些始终（至少大多时候）忠实于自己原本的黑色头发。
我也要对名单中没有亚非女性感到抱歉。在我心中，确实有些亚非的女子，但没有一个对我来说真的足够排上名次。提拉·班克斯（Tyra Banks）本该是我榜上的第26名，我想说的是我真的感到有负罪感。但我该死的电脑出了问题，只能写出现在的榜单了。
另外还有些出色的人，虽然不在榜上，我也要提一提：安妮特·富尼切洛（Annette Funicello），贝蒂·佩吉（Bettie Page），艾丽莎·杜什库（Eliza Dushku），泰瑞·海切尔（Teri Hatcher），瑞切尔·薇兹 （ Rachel Weisz），维多利亚·普林西帕尔（Victoria Principal），安妮·科里（Anne Curry）弗兰·德雷彻尔（Fran Drescher ）和史黛西·伦敦（Stacey London ）（我也不知道为什么是她，但她对我确实有非同一般的意义）等等。。。要我做出删选是件痛苦的事。。。但名单必须被截短。
25
娜塔莉·波特曼（Natalie Portman)
美丽，聪慧，演技精湛。她的相貌融合了经典的旧时期好莱坞风格和异域的欧式帅气俊朗。
24
琼·考琳丝（Joan Collins)
可能有些人会有疑问：为什么是琼·考琳丝而不是伊丽莎白·泰勒？我也不知道。我能解释的就是可能琼比伊丽莎白看上去更成熟。而且我觉得伊丽莎白除了身材和长相，其他地方并不突出，她没有很好的演技。。。但出于某些原因我选择了琼。也许唯一的理由就是她总是有些坏坏的，而我很喜欢这点。
23
莱斯利·卡伦（Leslie Caron）
她有舞者的身材，无与伦比的魅力和高卢人的优雅。我从小就很喜欢她，曾在电影《金粉世界》（Gigi）中见过她。那迷人的苏格兰裙，草帽。。。那双媚眼和红唇。
22
纳塔利·麦钱特（Natalie Merchant）
当她还和一万个骗子（一歌手）在一起时，我们都知道纳塔利·麦钱特（Natalie Merchant）充满异域魅力。她那抑扬顿挫的声线，她那纯朴童真的容颜和一种微妙而勾人的美。
21
罗斯·麦高恩（Rose McGowan）
好吧，有一个美丽的小女人，但足以让人赞叹惊讶。她有一切怪诞邋遢女生的特质，和无法用语言形容的身材，但却有一张美妙的面容。有时候她以一头红发示人，但她实际的发色应该更黑。
20
索菲亚·罗兰（Sophia Loren）
也许无须言语评论--她是终极意大利尤物。她的出名源自上世纪50到60年代经典电影中诱人的脱衣舞秀和紧致手套搭配贴身内衣。卡里·格兰特（Cary Grant）在电影《水上人家》（Houseboat）中迷恋上了她，但遭到她拒绝。这是女性自信的象征。
19
莎玛·海雅克（Salma Hayek）
她是拉丁美女之最。她的世界级身材和相貌使每个男人垂涎欲滴。至少我是这样的。
18
奥黛丽·赫本（Audrey Hepburn）
她无疑是榜单上最经典的人物。纤细，苗条，优雅，美丽，正如芭蕾舞女一般。
17
苏珊娜·霍夫斯（Susanna Hoffs）
我们感叹道，在80年代性感的代言人是麦当娜或是。。。但对我们这群大学男生来说，苏珊娜·霍夫斯才是心中的女神，她的MV中烟雾朦胧，但又在与众不同的电影《月光舞会》（ Allnighter）中显露一身的比基尼，有一个场景还是她站在镜子前，穿着迷你短裤。上帝保佑你苏珊娜。如今，她依旧光彩照人，和现已发福的原摇滚歌手马太·斯威特（Matthew Sweet）还有合作。
16
纳塔利·伍德（Natalie Wood）
最成功的童星（俄罗斯移民的后裔），这位女神成为好莱坞最惊艳的美女之一。与油腔滑调的罗伯特·瓦格纳（Robert Wagner）（后来他在《王牌大贱碟》（Austin Powers)电影中联合主演的“第二号”挽回些形象）的分分合合只能说明她择偶不佳--而她的死是一个悲剧，年纪轻轻，死于溺水事故。
15
艾娃·加德纳（Ava Gardner）
极度异域的美女艾娃理所应当占据榜单尽管她有着一双绿眸（我希望我选出的美女是棕色的眼睛)。她诙谐幽默，挑战男性难倒了他们，即使是法兰克·辛纳屈（Frank Sinatra）也不出意外。
14
菲斯·多默格（Faith Domergue）
作为一名演员，她并没有什么特别之处（出演过一些电影和西部电视剧等），她是霍华德·休（Howard Hughes）的情人（不是吗？艾娃·加德纳也是--霍华德品味真好）。同时她也是50年代经典科幻电影《孤独的地球》（This Island Earth）和《海底来物》（It Came From Beneath the Sea）中的明星--实话实说，她那诱人甚至放荡的眼神和可爱的容貌几乎成为我理想中完美深发女星的模板。
13
诺拉·琼斯（Norah Jones）
她为中年人创造了轻爵士，可能很容易就忽视了她是一个艺术家的事实。但不得不承认的是她天赋异禀。。。只要看着她的模样。她是盎格鲁血统美国人和印度人的完美结合。
12
路易斯·布鲁克斯（Louise Brooks）
出演过《潘多拉的魔盒》（Lulu of Pandora’s Box）和《堕落少女的日记》（Diary of a Lost Girl），路易斯·布鲁克斯是默片中最性感/最经典/最聪慧的女星。胜过放荡不羁的克拉拉·鲍（Clara Bow）和自视甚高的Gish姐妹，路易斯凭借她的美丽和演技后来成为一种文化的标志。
11
巴巴拉·斯蒂尔（Barbara Steele）
尖叫皇后芭芭拉出演了马里奥·贝瓦（ Mario Bava ）的经典电影《黑色星期天》（Black Sunday），此后在意大利成就了恐怖片的事业。真是一个遗憾，因为她的冰霜美人气质和异域的外表可以使她取得更大的成就。
10
罗拉·弗琳·鲍儿（Lara Flynn Boyle）
罗拉在此名次上挤掉了科特尼·考克斯和泰瑞·海切尔。为什么呢？因为是我写的榜单，尽管罗拉身材过于纤瘦，但对我来说她有其他两人没有的地方，或者说是。。。无法媲美的地方。我也不能说不上来，但当我看着她是我就知道是她了。
9
丽萨·瑞娜（Lisa Rinna）
很奇怪，我居然不在意她是一个蹩脚的演员，只会演肥皂剧。或者我也不在意她嫁给了哈瑞·哈林（Harry Hamlin），不在意她是个轻率的人。但至少她是优秀的舞者，一个真正性感的舞者。这一理由足以使她占据此位，同时还有她那无与伦比的双唇。
8
伊丽莎白·赫利（Elizabeth Hurley）
出于一些理由，她在此击败了凯瑟琳·泽塔琼斯（Catherine Zeta-Jones）和瑞切尔·薇姿（Rachel Weisz）。同样地，我也不知道是为什么。。。从某种程度上看伊丽莎白很性感，但凯瑟琳的演技更好。但伊丽莎白就是有那样的魔鬼身材。。。长腿。。。和可爱的小鼻子。
7
布鲁克·博克（Brooke Burke）
我知道还有其他更值得嘉奖的美女，我也知道她只是个黑发的笨女郎。。。一个比基尼内衣模特。。。但我就是情不自禁选择了她。布鲁克·博克让我的心变得狂野。当我看见她的图片，我会恍惚失神，我需要一些冷水。。。在一些地方。。。帮我恢复理智。
6
安吉丽娜·朱莉（Angelina Jolie）
这个选择很显而易见。如今好莱坞精英中，安吉丽娜一直被认为是最美丽的。无论你同意与否，你只好同意她确实做到了。她有诸多美貌之处，而且她还有性感的嘴唇。。。
5
吉恩·蒂尔尼（Gene Tierney）
她是40年代好莱坞最美丽的女人，劳拉之星，也是有史以来最伟大（最另类）的犯罪情景剧的明星。。。吉恩·蒂尔尼的传奇人人津津乐道。我会留给读者空间来决定这到底意味着什么。
4
玛娜·洛伊（Myrna Loy）
她是一名梦幻般的女演员(有人说她与凯瑟琳赫本齐名)，她的演艺生涯仅短短五年时光，她因在电影《瘦人》（The Thin Man）中出演尼克·查尔斯（Nick Charles）的妻子诺拉而显露头角，从此塑造了她如针尖般锐利的诙谐形象。在此后的一些角色里，她的形象逐渐温和，但依然夺人眼球。在默片时期，30岁的她被认为是奇异的充满异域情调的美女饰演着迷人的角色（你可以从她在电影里，比如《巨浪》（The Squall）中出演的吉普塞女郎获得答案），而她的角色还包括曾在鲍里斯·卡洛夫（Boris Karloff）的电影《傅满洲》（Fu Manchu）中那个叛逆的女子。
3
蒂娜·菲（Tina Fey）
所有知性男子的梦中情人，蒂娜在这个名次的理由是第一，她实在是美即使戴着眼镜（我也是那种觉得戴眼镜的女人很性感的男人）。第二，她是如此的有趣。有句老话说女人都是无趣的，这对蒂娜来说不适用。她是《星期六夜话》（Saturday Night Live）节目多年以来的首席女作家（同时也是《周末更新》（Weekend Update）的女主播。在出演她的《我为喜剧狂》（30 rock）（绝对搞笑）之前，蒂娜就是个聪明热心肠又诙谐的宝贝。举例说明：哈佛医学院的研究显示，肛门温度计仍是得知宝宝体温的最佳方法。另外，它也能告诉宝贝到底谁是老大。
2
黛安娜·里格（Diana Rigg）
好吧。。。黛安娜实际上的发色更偏向赤褐色。。。不过我不介意。（事实上她真正的发色比你想象的更黑）。她是我心中最初的。。。模板。她在电影《复仇者》（The Avengers）中出演身手高超的皮尔夫人，该电影是60年代经典离奇的间谍片。。。她经常穿着紧身皮外套，是60年代电视中最性感的角色。她也是我儿时第一个爱上的女星。黛安娜里格仍是60年代的标志性人物，也是世界上最美丽，经典和有天赋的女性。
1
薇诺娜·赖德（Winona Ryder）
我个人认为薇诺娜是世界上最美丽的女人（我的个人品位是尼可·基德曼是第二美丽的女人－－但毫无疑问尼可是红发的人）。她并不是一个演技很出色的女演员，但这并不影响她是一个如此美丽的女人。她很另类（毕竟成长于工社），薇诺娜饱受风雨却仍有很高的人气，尽管她没得过什么奖。同时，她也是一个魅力十足的模特，（在时尚秀中）大放光彩。
另：
凡妮莎·安妮·哈金斯（Vanessa Anne Hudgens）
我将她归入榜单以此向年轻人示意，也是因为我第一次看到她时就很吃惊。她让我想起了大学里我深深爱过的女友。尽管她是属于令人讨厌的迪士尼公司，但她拍过很有品位的裸体写真--很明显是为了男友。为什么呢？因为美丽的黑发尤物都知道她们想要什么，不像愚蠢的加洲金发女郎会为了食物脱衣服。一个聪明的黑发尤物很会卖弄风情，取悦你让你一开心便付出所有。她们真的是最棒的。上帝保佑黑发尤物。