As these colorized photos show, the WAMPAS Baby Stars were not babies, but young girls and women on the cusp of stardom. Let’s look at the WAMPAS Baby Stars program and some of its famous alumni. 

Based on their looks and screen tests, the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers selected 13 girls per year to be Baby Stars. This program started in 1922 and continued until 1933. There was an attempt to restart the campaign in 1935, but due to the economic woes of the Great Depression, it was discarded. Publicists from various Hollywood movie studios, who were members of the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) selected newcomers who were already under contract with a major studio. They were heavily promoted as the future stars of the silver screen and were honored at a lavish ball called the WAMPAS Frolic. 

Of course, there were hundreds of young, pretty girls trying to make it big in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s. They couldn’t all be Baby Stars. In fact, WAMPAS only picked 13 starlets per year to be Baby Stars. How did they narrow the candidates down to the lucky 13? First, there was a checklist. To be a Baby Star, a girl had to be young … under the age of 25. Next, she had to already be signed with a major Hollywood studio. She also had to have at least three film credits on her resume. Lastly, she could not already be a star. The publicists voted on each nominee. 

Being selected to be a WAMPAS Baby Star was quite an honor. For some, it was the push they needed to help them reach stardom. For others, it was the highlight of their lives. The WAMPAS Frolic was much like a debutante ball. The Baby Stars were introduced to the world, and they began a year-long media blitz. They relished being called a Baby Star. To be clear, though, the use of the name “baby” to apply to these young women was, as WAMPAS claimed, not a sexist nickname. It was merely a way of distinguishing between full-fledged stars and “almost stars.” Although the majority of the WAMPAS Baby Stars never made it big, there were others who did. Who were some of the WAMPAS Baby Stars? Let’s find out. 

Clara Bow was a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1924. By this time, the former beauty contest winner had already appeared in a few films and was well on her way to stardom. Her role in the 1927 film, It, was a defining moment in her career and helped coin the phrase “the It girl.” She was one of only a few silent film stars to make the successful transition to “talkies”. In all, Bow appeared in 46 silent movies and 11 talkies. She was the biggest box office draw in the late 1920s. 

The pretty blonde star of the 1933 hit, King Kong, Fay Wray was a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1926. She appeared in her first movie when she was just 16 years old and, in 1925, had a major role in The Coast Patrol. When filming began on King Kong, the producers wanted Jean Harlow to play the role of Ann Darrow, the beautiful captive of the giant monster, but she was unavailable. The part went to Wray and became the role for which she is best remembered. 

Joan Crawford performed on Vaudeville and Broadway before becoming a movie actress. She was a member of the 1926 WAMPAS Baby Stars, along with Fay Wray. She had already earned praise for her role in Sally, Irene, and Mary in 1925. She really shot to stardom with her role in Our Dancing Daughters in 1928. At the time, her popularity rivaled that of Clara Bow. 

An accomplished dancer, singer, and actress in the Vaudeville circuit, Ginger Rogers transitioned to film roles and moved to Hollywood with her mother. She appeared in a few films before she was selected as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1932. Her big break came in 42nd Street and Gold Diggers, both in 1933. That was the same year that she partnered with fellow dancer Fred Astaire. Together, they starred in nine movie musicals of the 1930s. 

Janet Gaynor garnered attention for her 1926 role in The Johnstown Flood. This film led her to a five-year contract with Fox and the honor of being one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1926. Within a year, she was one of the top leading ladies of Hollywood. In 1929, she was honored as the first recipient of an Academy Award for Best Actress.