Young actresses -- starlets -- publicized as future stars, were signed up by the hundreds in the 1950s and 1960s. These low-paid trainees were given minor roles to test out for stardom. A few made it big, such as Natalie Wood and Jane Fonda, some were soon all but forgotten (like Joan O'Brien and Anne Helm), and others hovered delightfully in the mid-range for more than a decade (two such were Ann-Margret and Raquel Welch). This book, presents career summaries of 54 starlets, incorporating material from the starlets themselves, and from coworkers and critics, with 141 photographs. Book jacket.