Hollywood stars snapped on various cruise ships in Southampton

It was in the day before tourist attacks were a concern and when anybody could find out who was travelling on each of the ships.

Fans would turn out at the passenger terminal as would Daily Echo photographers.

Often they would be invited onboard to get snaps of the big-name celebrities arriving or departing to far-off lands.

Here is a small selection of the many taken over the years, each of the subjects among the biggest names of their time.

Mickey Rooney - 1948

Mickey Rooney was an American actor whose career spanned more than 85 years.

Rooney was born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York.

He began his acting career at the age of 6, but quickly became a star.

He appeared in dozens of films, including Boys Town (1938), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and Andy Hardy (1940-1958).

Rooney was also a successful singer and dancer. He released several albums and toured the world with his dance act.

Rooney was a talented and versatile actor. He could play a wide range of roles, from comedy to drama.

He originally began in the days of silent movies and went on to star in star in recent movies as recent as Night at the Museum (2006) and The Muppets (2011).

A father of nine, Mickey had eight wives during his lifetime, including Ava Gardner.

Mickey Rooney is regarded as being a true Hollywood legend and is remembered for his significant contribution to the entertainment industry.

He died in 2014 at the age of 93.

Joe Baksi - 1947

Boxer Joe Baksi was pictured with his wife in Southampton.

Joe was born in Pennsylvania, USA on January 14, 1922, and although he didn’t originally plan to become a contender, he saw it as a better way of life – better than working in the coal mines in his home town.

He was a heavyweight who was at one point ranked third in the world. He fought 72 fights of which he won 60, 29 by knockout. He lost just nine of his matches and drew in three.

After his career faded and he had attempted a failed comeback, Baksi became a teamster and then an ironworker.

He died in New York on August 6, 1977, at the age of 55 years old.

Many of the characters in Irvine Welsh’s book Trainspotting use the term Joe Baksi as rhyming slang for taxi.

Baksi was pictured in Southampton in February 1947

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Paulette Goddard and Burgess Meredith - 1948

American Actress Paulette Goddard with her third of four husbands, Burgess Meredith.

Paulette was a stage performer as well as a movie actress and was married to Chalie Chaplin before Burgess.

Burgess was also an actor of film, theatre and television.

He starred as The Penguin in the 1960s television series Batman with Adam West.

Burgess has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6904 Hollywood Boulevard. 

The couple sailed into Southampton on Queen Elizabeth on January 15, 1948.

Zena Marshall - 1951

Zena Marshall was a British actress of film and television.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, to a French mother and an English father, she began her acting career on stage, her film debut coming in 1945 with a small role in Caesar and Cleopatra.

She went on to appear in a number of films, including The Lost People (1949), Deadly Nightshade (1953), and Dr. No (1962). She also made numerous television appearances, including roles in Danger Man (1960), Dixon of Dock Green (1962), and The Avengers (1963).

Her last film performance was in The Terrornauts in 1967.

Marshall was best known for being one of the very first Bond girls in her role as Miss Taro in Dr. No.

She was also one of the first actresses to be featured in a British television commercial on early ITV. It was for shampoo.

Marshall died in London in 2009 at the age of 83 and was survived by her husband, Ivan Foxwell, and her two children.

She was pictured in Southampton on December 29, 1951.

James Stewart - 1950

James Stewart, American film and stage actor, was born James Maitland Stewart on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Stewart enrolled at Princeton University where he studied architecture. He also joined the Princeton Triangle Club, a student theatrical group.

In 1932, he graduated with a degree in architecture but moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.

He made his Broadway debut in 1934 in the play The Philadelphia Story. He also appeared in several other Broadway plays, including The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice.

In 1935, Stewart made his film debut in the movie Rose-Marie and went on to star in a number of films in the 1930s, including Viva Villa (1935), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and The Philadelphia Story (1940).

In 1941, he joined the United States Army Air Forces and served as a pilot during the Second World War. He flew 20 missions over Europe and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre.

After the war, Stewart returned to Hollywood and continued his acting career where he starred in a number of classic films throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Vertigo (1958), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).

Stewart retired from acting in 1991 and died on July 2, 1997, at the age of 89.

He was survived by his wife, Gloria Hatrick McLean, and their four children.

Stewart was pictured here with his wife and two of their children on August 26, 1950.

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Gracie Fields - 1951

Gracie Fields, born January 9, 1898, found fame as a singer, actress, and comedian.

She became one of the most popular entertainers in the world during the 1930s and 1940s.

Fields was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, and began her career in music halls and variety shows.

In 1923, she married Archie Pitt, a theatrical agent, and the couple had one son, Peter.

Fields's career took off in the 1930s when he starred in a number of successful films, including Sally in Our Alley (1931), Sing As We Go (1934), and We're Going to Monte Carlo (1938).

She also made a number of recordings, including My Blue Heaven and Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye.

Fields was a popular figure during the Second World War during which she entertained troops overseas and raised money for war charities.

She was awarded the CBE in 1941 and the DBE in 1979.

Fields retired from show business in the early 1960 and died in Capri, Italy, in 1979.

Gracie was pictured in Southampton in January 1951.

Burt Lancaster - 1951

Burt Lancaster was born in New York City in 1913.

Lancaster began his career as a circus acrobat before moving into acting. his film debut being the 1946 film The Killers.

He went on to star in a number of classic films, including From Here to Eternity, Trapeze, Sweet Smell of Success, The Birdman of Alcatraz, and Atlantic City.

He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for Best Actor for his role in the 1961 film Elmer Gantry. He also won two Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA Award.

He was also a strong advocate for social justice and was active in a number of political causes.

A huge Hollywood legend, his films are enjoyed to this day.

Burt Lancaster died in 1994

He was pictured in Southampton on June 14, 1951.