1. Julie Gibson – 105

Small town gal Julie Gibson got her start in vaudeville before winning a national radio contest that landed her a spot in Eddie Duchins Orchestra. However, Gibson is perhaps most well recognized for her work opposite three of the biggest names in 1940s Hollywood, Moe, Larry and Curly. Perhaps they ring a bell?

Acting alongside The Three Stooges in Three Smart Saps and Sock-a-Bye Baby, Gibson landed her first featured role shortly thereafter. After being busy all throughout the ’40s and ’50s, Gibson retired from Hollywood in 1984, and has since been living a quiet life. Julie Gibson celebrated her 105th(!) birthday in September 2018.

2. Vera Lynn – 102

Often known as the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” Vera Lynn joined the ENSA (a sort of UK version of the USO) and performed for the troops fighting in World War II. Lynn is most commonly linked to her hits “We’ll Meet Again,” “The White Cliffs of Dover,” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.”

Lynn’s hits have been featured in films from the early 1940s until today. In honor of her centennial birthday Lynn released a compilation of her hits which rose to number three on the charts. “Vera Lynn 100” made Lynn the first centenarian performer to have an album on the charts — she’s as beloved now as she’s always been.

3. Dusty Anderson – 100

Getting her start as a model and pin-up girl in the early 1940s, Dusty Anderson became a cover girl in film too, debuting as one of the cover girls from the Rita Hayworth-starred Cover Girl, released by Paramount Pictures in 1944. It would only take a year for Anderson to start snagging named roles.

Most memorably, Andreson was featured in a few mystery films, such as The Crime Doctor’s Warning, and The Phantom Thief. After marrying director Jean Negulesco Anderson decided to retire from acting after only a decade in the industry. The couple settled in Paris, where Anderson has been living ever since.

4. Earl Cameron – 101

Upon his casting in a starring role in 1951’s Pool of London, Earl Cameron became one of the first black actors to break the “colour bar” in the United Kingdom. Pool of London and of course Cameron, broke barriers by confronting racial prejudice head-on, and is largely credited with being the first British film to feature an interracial relationship.

Cameron’s career has gone on to span decades, with the acclaimed actor making appearances in popular shows such as Doctor Who, EastEnders and most recently appearing in the massively successful Christopher Nolan film Inception. As he turned 100 in 2017 Cameron stated “I’m not convinced I’ve retired yet.”

5. Diana Serra Cary (aka Baby Peggy) – 100

Former child star Diana Serra Cary, or more commonly known as Baby Peggy, holds a special badge of honor — she is the last living film star of the Silent Era of Hollywood. In only a three year period, starting in 1921, Baby Peggy featured in more than 151 short films.

Baby Peggy’s career peaked in 1924, when she was dubbed by the media as “The Million Dollar Baby” for her $1.5 million annual salary (that’s approximately $22 million in today’s money!). Baby Peggy’s childhood fame faded fairly quickly, but the former star reinvented herself under the name Diana Serra Cary as a silent film historian.

6. Olivia de Havilland – 103

When thinking of famous on-screen couplings from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn always comes to mind. The two starred together in classic adventure films like Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood, with de Havilland stealing away some much deserved attention.

De Havilland then famously starred alongside Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the endlessly beloved Gone With The Wind, playing Leigh’s romantic foil, Melanie Hamilton. De Havilland continued working in Hollywood well into the ’80s, and in that time won countless awards, was given an honorary doctorate, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

7. Suzy Delair – 101

With that impossible to replicate (although many women have tried) French girl je ne sais quoi, Suzy Delair seemed destined for stardom. Discovered by French film director Henri-Georges Clouzot, Delair impressed him with her charm and sweet singing voice. It was then that Clouzot would change the course of Delair’s life.

Clouzot directed Delair in her two most memorable film roles, as Mila Malou in 1941’s The Last One of the Six and again in 1942’s The Murderer Lives at Number 21, and as Jenny Lamour in Quai de Orfevres (1947). Delair kept up acting and performing well into the late ’80s, before retiring in her 70s.

8. Kirk Douglas – 102

Not to be confused with his son, actor Michael Douglas, Kirk Douglas went from rags to riches, overcoming his impoverished childhood to become one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age in Hollywood. Using his popularity, Douglas helped break the Hollywood blacklist by collaborating with Dalton Trumbo.

His career in Hollywood had longevity, taking on his last acting role in 2008 at the age of 92! Douglas has won the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and comes in at number 17 on the American Film Institute’s list of greatest male screen legends.

9. Jean Erdman – 103

As a young student at Sarah Lawrence College, Jean Erdman would meet the two most influential people of her life, famed literature professor (and eventual life partner) Joseph Campbell, and avant-garde choreographer and dance legend, Martha Graham. It was through their support and tutelage that Erdman became an important dancer and choreographer in her own right.

Erdman worked alongside some of the most notable figures in modern and avant-garde art, like John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Erdman kept performing well into the 1980s, and has stage retrospectives of her work. Since retiring from performing, Erdman has been living in idyllic Hawaii.

10. Betty White – 97

Beloved television and movie star Betty White is busier than most actors a third of her age. Celebrated as one of the premiere pioneers of television, White is credited with being the first woman to not only act but also produce a television show. Already by 1955, White was given the honorary title of Mayor of Hollywood for her work.

Most famous for her roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as the sweet yet naive Rose on Golden Girls, White is always unforgettable whenever she’s on screen. Showing no signs of slowing down, 97 year old White just voiced a character in Toy Story 4.

11. Harriet Frank Jr. – 102

As World War II came to a close, recent UCLA graduate Harriet Frank Jr. entered the young writers’ training program at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was there that she’d meet her future husband and writing partner, Irving Ravetch. The two would go on to collaborate on some of the biggest pictures of Golden Age Hollywood.

Together with Ravetch, Frank wrote the film adaptation of “The Sound and The Fury” by William Faulkner, and “A Case of Need” by Michael Crichton. After taking some six years off, Frank and Ravetch were lured back into scriptwriting for Norma Rae which went on to win multiple Academy Awards.

12. Marsha Hunt – 101

In her more than 70 year career, Marsha Hunt has faced more dips and round-abouts than most, but she’s come out the other side as a Hollywood legend of the highest order. After starring in a string of successful and celebrated films such as Born To The West, Pride and Prejudice and The Happy Time, Hunt was then blacklisted during McCarthyism.

Hunt got involved in the fight against the House Un-American Activities Committee while her career slowed down quite considerably. Still, the starlet bounced back, scoring a part in Johnny Got His Gun in 1971. Since then Hunt continued to make appearances in TV and film up until 2008.

13. Norman Lloyd – 104

Having been in the entertainment industry for more than 90 years, there isn’t any facet of Hollywood Norman Lloyd hasn’t tried his hand at. As an actor Lloyd appeared in two Alfred Hitchcock films, Saboteur and Spellbound. Then, he would go on to direct and produce the long-running anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents throughout the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Lloyd kept up acting, directing and producing, taking part in films such as Dead Poets Society, The Age of Innocence and the series St. Elsewhere. And he has continued to do so, with his last acting role in the 2015 Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck.

14. Caren Marsh Doll – 100

Dancer Caren Marsh Doll landed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1937 for her skills specifically as a tap dancer. After appearing in a few small roles, like an uncredited part in Gone With the Wind, Doll was tasked with taking on the role of Judy Garland’s dance stand-in for The Wizard of Oz.

Doll was even given her own pair of Dorothy’s famous ruby red slippers! Since her performance in The Wizard of Oz was so seamless, Doll was brought in as Garland’s stand-in for Ziegfeld Girl in 1941. Doll released an autobiography in 2007, where she reveals all about her time on The Wizard of Oz.

15. Dick Van Dyke – 93

Getting his start on radio and Broadway, Dick Van Dyke really gained recognition for his role as Rob Petrie on the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, airing from 1961-1966. It was during that time that Van Dyke gained some serious popularity in films like Bye Bye Birdie, and of course, playing Cockney chimney sweep Bert in Mary Poppins.

To the delight of fans everywhere of the original Mary Poppins, a 93 year old Dick Van Dyke surprised everyone with a brief but unbelievable cameo role in the sequel movie Mary Poppins Returns. In the film Van Dyke stood on a desk and did a dance – age be damned!

16. Tony Bennett – 93

Sweet singing crooner Tony Bennett has no intention of slowing down any time soon. Reaching a real career peak in the 1950s singing jazz standards and original songs, Bennett is constantly reinventing himself and his career. Bringing big band music and jazzy ballads to a younger audience, Bennett is as relevant as ever.

As a living legend, Bennett has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, spanning decades and decades. Bennett has done duets with Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Billy Joel, and of course, close friend Frank Sinatra. Today, younger audiences may know Bennett for his Cheek to Cheek tour with pop sensation Lady Gaga.

17. Cicely Tyson – 93

Model and actress Cicely Tyson got her start in a few small roles on television, before grabbing everyone’s attention playing Rebecca Morgan in the 1972 movie Sounder. From there Tyson moved from success to success, receiving more acclaim for the title role in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

Tyson’s career has carried on well into the 21st century. The actress has had roles in films such as The Help and was written an exciting character arc on the Shonda Rhimes drama How To Get Away With Murder, a role she is still currently in, and for the foreseeable future.

18. Eva Marie Saint – 94

Starting out on an NBC Page Program in the early 1940s, actress Eva Marie Saint has had one of the longest and most celebrated acting careers in Hollywood. Her impressive tenure in Hollywood has spanned more than 70 years, and includes roles in the acclaimed Elia Kazan film On the Waterfront for which she won an Oscar.

Saint also starred as the female counterpart to Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in Raintree County, and opposite Paul Newman in Exodus. Most recently, Eva Marie Saint was featured in the 2014 film Winter’s Tale, and appeared at the Academy Awards Ceremony in 2018.

19. BFF’s Carl Reiner – 97 and Mel Brooks – 93

Giving us all friendship goals for decades, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks first realized they’d found their comedy soulmate when they collaborated on The 2,000 Year Old Man skit in 1961. Forming a duo, the two went on to create the endlessly hilarious film The Russians Are Coming, the Russians are Coming.

Now both widowed, the legends spend almost every day together, reminiscing, watching old movies, and above all, making each other laugh. In an interview the two said of one another, “If you have one good friend, you’re lucky. And I have one good friend. I call him my best friend.” We’re not crying, you are.

20. Bob Barker – 95

Did you know that Bob Barker wasn’t the original host of The Price is Right? That’s right! So step on down and learn a little more about Bob Barker. Taking the show to new heights of popularity, Bob Barker served as host of what is currently America’s longest running game show The Price is Right for an impressive 35 years, starting in 1972.

Since retiring from The Price is Right in 2007, Barker has made the occasional appearance on the game show, to the surprise and sheer delight of the in-studio audience and everyone watching at home. Enjoying his well-earned retirement, Barker still wants everyone to remember one thing “have your pets spayed or neutered.”

21. Ruthie Tompson – 108

After a series of relocations, from Maine to Massachusetts, and then finally to California, it was once the family settled in Los Angeles that Ruthie Tompson would wind up on the course which would shape her life. See, young Ruthie was serendipitously living on the same block as Robert Disney, uncle of Walt.

Tompson grew up around Walt Disney and his first cartoon studio, so when she was 18, Walt Disney remembered her, and offered her a job as an inker. In her time at The Walt Disney Company Tompson contributed animation work for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and featurettes starring Mickey Mouse.

22. Ida Schuster – 100

Coming from humble beginnings, Scottish actress Ida Schuster has been working consistently in television since the 1960s. With more than 30 acting credits to her name, Schuster is most remembered for her roles in the Scottish medical drama Dr. Finley’s Casebook and long-running crime show Taggart.

Barring the brief time Ida Schuster stepped away from her role in the television show Steamie after the death of her husband, the actress has kept herself busy with work. Schuster was still appearing in Taggart as late as 2005, when she was 87 years old, while her last role was in the 2007 series Dear Green Place.

23. Renée Simonot (Renée-Jeanne Simonot) – 107

Born Jeanne Renée Deneuve, the French actress decided to take the stage name Renée Simonot at the start of her career. Making her debut at the Odeon Theatre in Paris in 1918, Simonot held the post of “leading lady” for the next 28 years. But her career on stage isn’t all Simonot is known for.

Renée Simonot is credited as being one of the first actresses to dub American movies into French. Simonot served as the French voice for Olivia de Havilland in most of her films, as well as Judy Garland and Esther Williams. Now retired, Simonot’s acting legacy lives on in her daughter, actress Catherine Deneuve.

24. Mary Ward – 104

Born in Australia, Mary Ward Breheny, or as she was known professionally — Mary Ward, moved to England to work as an actress on the stage in the 1940s. Having studied acting in both England and Australia, Ward moved back to Australia in the early 1950s, where she would become one of the first female radio announcers for ABC Australia.

After returning to Australia Ward was cast in her most notable roles, as “Mum” Jeanette Brooks in the television series Prisoner, Dee Morrell in the soap opera Sons and Daughters and finally in a brief role on Blue Heelers. Ward formally retired from acting in 2000.

25. Sheila Betty Mercier – 100

British born Sheila Betty Mercier was talent scouted while touring with Donald Wolfitt’s Shakespeare company when she was only twenty years old. But Mercier’s career would be put on hold during WWII, when she joined the Royal Air Force, serving in a fighter command, and eventually rising to adjutant.

Once the war ended, Mercier returned to her true calling, acting. Taking to the stage, Mercier moved from one repertory theater to another, always receiving rave reviews. It was in 1972 that Mercier was cast as the matriarch Annie Sugden on the new British soap Emmerdale Farm, a role she has reprised often, and for the last time in 2009.

Sources: Boredom Therapy, Miss Penny Stocks, Wikipedia