It seems that nearly every actress who has ever achieved success in Hollywood has had to endure more than her share of tragedy, either physical or emotional. Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow, their tempestuous lives and careers ended far too soon, have become legends, with Monroe second only to James Dean as a tragic icon.

There were many other actresses whose lives would implode as their careers 'took off'. Their legacy would be a handful of dazzling performances, and a bittersweet memory of what "might have been". Here are three of the best-known...

Frances Farmer

Thanks, in large part, to Jessica Lange's Oscar-winning performance in 'Frances', the inhuman torture Frances Farmer (1913-1970) would endure has etched itself into our consciousness. Exquisitely beautiful, brilliant, and outspoken, Farmer was far ahead of her time...Her descent into alcoholism, followed by trumped-up charges of mental illness, ultimately resulting in a lobotomy, still both sadden and outrage...

Her filmography is, sadly, a short one; here are a few of her best performances...

'Rhythm On The Range/Rhythm On The River - Double Feature': Farmer is Bing Crosby's leading lady in "Range", an easy-going, good-natured Western romp, with Roy Rogers a visible backround singer; Farmer deftly plays off Bing's advances, with a smile and twinkle in her eye...

'Come and Get It': Directed by man who 'discovered' her, Howard Hawks, Farmer plays both mother and daughter in Edna Ferber tale. Loved by both Edward Arnold and son Joel McCrea, she has her hands full...

'Toast of New York': Teamed again with Arnold in story of millionaire hustler Jim Fiske, Farmer proves she's no singer, but works well with Arnold and co-star Cary Grant...

'South of Pago Pago': After a failed attempt to leave Hollywood and return to stage (and affair with Clifford Odets), Farmer was 'punished' by being assigned this 'South Seas' potboiler, with Jon Hall and Victor McLaglen...she still gives credible performance...

'Son of Fury': Her last good film, Farmer is the sophisticated British love of Tyrone Power...until he meets dazzling native girl Gene Tierney in the South Seas; both actresses are extraordinarily beautiful, as is Power, himself, actually...

Then Farmer's descent into Hell began...

Farmer would make one one more film, in 1958, following it up as the hostess of her own TV show, for 6 years...

Veronica Lake

Tiny (4'11"), peek-a-boo coiffed Veronica Lake (1919-1973) was a supremely self-confident young woman who decided early on she 'was' a movie star, and would parlay her distinctive 'look' and legendary ego into a Hollywood success story...until Hollywood tired of her antics. By the end of the 40s, she would be 'washed-up', reduced to minor stage work in the 50s, and then forgotten, until she wrote her acerbic autobiography, in 1971...stirring up a hornet's nest of angry rebuttals and denials in the film community.

'Sullivan's Travels - Criterion Collection': Lake's breakthrough, in Preston Sturges' comic masterpiece...Cast for her kittenish persona and the height difference to co-star Joel McCrea (at 6'3"), she was sweet, innocently sexy...and such a royal pain that normally easy-going McCrea would refuse to work with her again for six years...

'This Gun for Hire': Tiny Lake was PERFECT for 5'6" Alan Ladd, and noir tale has become cult classic...Ladd, as stoic hit man who falls for Lake, would become major star, and she would prove she was no 'flash-in-the-pan'...

'Glass Key / Movie': Quickly rushed into production to capitalize on Ladd/Lake chemistry, this politics/crime drama, based on Dashiell Hammett story, was even better...with brilliant performance by Brian Donlevy, as 'boss'...

'I Married a Witch': Stylish comedy/fantasy; Salem witch Lake swears vengeance on descendents of Puritans who burned her...only to fall for politician/descendent Fredric March; very funny near-classic, but March would describe Lake as "most unprofessional" actress he ever worked with...

'My Favorite Blonde / Star Spangled Rhythm Double Feature': In all-star extravaganza, Lake performs "Sweater, Sarong & Peekaboo Bang" with Paulette Goddard and Dorothy Lamour...

'So Proudly We Hail / Movie': Homage to military nurses in Japanese-occupied Pacific offered Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Lake (in her most dramatic role); end result onscreen was entertaining (watch for Colbert's romance with future 'Superman', George Reeves), but series of neverending catfights (mostly between Lake and Goddard), off-camera...

'Blue Dahlia / Movie': After four years, another Ladd/Lake noir teaming, in nifty Raymond Chandler tale; sadly, while Ladd's career was still growing, Lake's had begun to slide...

'Ramrod / Movie': Lake finally reteamed with McCrea in this 1947 noir western, directed by her then-husband, André De Toth; betrayals, sadism, women with agendas...not your typical oater...

'Flesh Feast (4pc)': Lake only made three films after 1949...This horror flick, her last appearance onscreen, is both sad and so unbearably bad it's funny...

Betty Hutton

Beneath the manic energy, the constantly bewildered expression, and the 'full volume' singing voice, Betty Hutton (1921- ) was a fine actress. Usually called on during the war years to 'energize' a production (Bob Hope called her "America's Secret Weapon"), the good-natured Hutton loved performing, and her co-stars...until, replacing Judy Garland in 'Annie Get Your Gun', she was treated so cruelly by cast and crew (who wanted Judy) that she never enjoyed making movies, again...

'My Favorite Blonde / Star Spangled Rhythm Double Feature': Cast with Eddie Bracken in 'wrap-around' story in all-star "Rhythm", the pair performed so well together that Preston Sturges would reteam them, two years later...

'Miracle of Morgan's Creek': Sturges' comedy CLASSIC, as Hutton gets married and pregnant while drunk, never remembering WHO she married; boyfriend Bracken decides to marry her, himself, to prevent a scandal...but the plan quickly explodes...Great cast in 'naughty' triumph...

'Bc: Here Comes the Waves / TV Show': Not one, but TWO Betty's, with one in love with enlisted singer Bing Crosby, in rousing service musical; great tunes, occasionally politically incorrect; laid-back Crosby and maniacal Hutton have little on-screen chemistry...

'Stork Club': Light but entertaining musical-comedy set in legendary nightclub; Hutton belts out some tunes, provides comedy, and has a ball...

'The Perils of Pauline': Hutton is terrific as silent star Pearl White, in this Hollywood biopic of 'cliffhanger' star; terrific supporting cast includes John Lund, Billy De Wolfe, and William Demarest...

'Annie Get Your Gun': Hollywood version of Irving Berlin/Ethel Merman stage hit, intended as Judy Garland vehicle; when booze and pills forced MGM to fire her, Hutton stepped in, and performed brilliantly...

'Let's Dance': Lightweight but terrific teaming with Fred Astaire, as ex-USO partners who reunite; dazzling dancing...

'The Greatest Show on Earth': SPECTACULAR DeMille homage to Big Top won 'Best Picture' Oscar; Hutton never better, as aerialist (doing many of her own stunts) in love with Charlton Heston, while pursued by Cornel Wilde...