"The Back" Shows her painted TOES in "The Pose"

In 1957, actress Vikki Dougan arrived at the Golden Globes in a gown so daringly backless it redefined red carpet rebellion. Overnight, she became "The Back"—a nickname that transformed her anatomy into Hollywood's most talked-about brand. LIFE photographer Ralph Crane documented her strolling through Los Angeles as heads turned and traffic stopped with mechanical precision, creating what was essentially the analog era's "distracted boyfriend" meme.

For decades, Dougan remained a footnote—a starlet with small roles and big setbacks who never quite cracked Hollywood's inner circle. But at 97 (She's still with us!), she's discovered something remarkable: she's gone viral again. Vintage-obsessed Instagram accounts are rediscovering her 1957 LIFE shoot, with posts racking up tens of thousands of likes from users who weren't born when she first made headlines.

"I didn't even think there was anything sexy about showing a back," Dougan recently told The New York Times, genuinely bewildered by her resurgent fame. Her influence, however, runs deeper than social media nostalgia. Those impossibly low-cut gowns and hourglass silhouette directly inspired Jessica Rabbit's iconic design in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." The attention her dresses commanded was so intense that fellow actresses allegedly requested she be excluded from award shows—Hollywood's ultimate backhanded compliment.

From forgotten starlet to timeless sensation, Vikki Dougan proves that true style transcends generations. Sometimes it just takes the internet to catch up to what was always there: a woman who knew exactly how to make an entrance, and an exit that left everyone watching.