21. RITA HAYWORTH
Gilda (1946)

She plays a lady with a shady past gone down to Argentina — bad news in the best way. She exudes sex, of course, but also sadistic sarcasm, slimy sweetness, and murderous contempt. She sings ''Put the Blame on Mame'' and makes it a prancing celebration of the femme fatale. She is unapologetic, and because Hayworth swings her demeanor from the unbearably tense to the devil-may-care, we love her for it.