Her mother Lillian was a pushy stage momager who forced her daughter into dance lessons and countless child beauty contests in search of fame. The two hit it off, marrying a year later. She played the title role in the musical film, Sweet Rosie OGrady in 1943. Housekeepers, nannies and themselves. It was one of the highest grossing films of that year. A few months following her death, Grable was memorialized in song by Neil Sedaka on a track from his 1974 LP Laughter in the Rain. Grable has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6525 Hollywood Boulevard. The title Million Dollar Legs, is a name from which her nickname is taken. These films included, Pigskin Parade (1936), This Way Please (1937), College Swing (1938), and Man About Town (1939). Although Grable rode her legs to stardom,she paid a grotesque price for her fame. Grable was irresistible to studios from almost her first role, and when she starred in 1936s Pigskin Parade, it was under an unusual agreement. On July 2, 1973, the American screen legend passed at the tender age of 56, without any chance for a comeback. Though Grable received no billing, she led the opening number, "Cowboys." Most people who knew her during her time at the top were impressed by her morality, convinced she was 'more show than go' in most of her romances. [29], In 1941, Fox attempted to broaden Grable's acting and audience range by casting her in two films with more serious intent than those in which she had starred previously. As a publicity stunt, Grables studio went and actually insured her stems for a literal million dollars at the height of her fame. The screenplay was based upon two plays by Zoe Akins and Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. One day, James and Grable found out that she was pregnant. After a year off from filming, Grable reluctantly reconciled with Fox and agreed to star in a musical remake of The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953). Huh, I guess its as good as an inspiration as any. Walter Sanders The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock Original caption: "Betty poses the legs for a still shot on a studio beach set. Born in South St. Louis, Missouri, Betty was the younger of two daughters born to Leon Grable, an accountant who later became a stockbroker, and Lillian Hoffman Grable , a frustrated actress who channeled her own desire for a show-business career into her younger daughter. The Definitive Betty Grable Collection. 1943 was a massive year for Betty Grable: She was the most valuable Hollywood star, ending the year as the top earner at the box office. In 1949, Grable's film The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend was released but proved to be a critical and box-office flop, which caused Grable's film career to begin to falter. After the war, her star continued to rise. It may be hard to believe considering the stature of Grables talent and fame, but she was incredibly insecure about her abilities. In 1939, she appeared opposite her then-husband Jackie Coogan in Million Dollar Legs,[14] a B-movie comedy that gave Grable her famous nickname. Which caused bitterness that did not end with her Grable died July 2, 1973, of lung cancer at age 56 in Santa Monica, California. Betty was too young; the minimum working age was 15. When they were together, they starred in the comedic picture Million Dollars Legs. In another classic act of studios taking advantage of gossip, Fox cast both Faye and Grable inTin Pan Alley before the dust had even settled on the nascent feud. Mass Market Paperback. Housekeepers, nannies and themselves. The institution can answer questions about this item, assit you with obtaining a hi-res copy, and gather additional information you may have about it. But this led to one utterly harrowing story. They married in 1943 becoming the most popular power couple since Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. 'Passionate attachments' -- subject(s): Fathers and Betty Grable had "million-dollar legs" and million-dollar taste as evinced by her beautiful, classic Hollywood home in Bel-Air. December 18 Actress #11. Marilyn Monroe never forgot Grables kindnessand one day, she got the chance to repay her in a touching tribute. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. John passed away at barely two years of age the same year Betty was born. Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. The exhausted starlet took up on Broadway instead in the musical DuBarry Was a Lady. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Realizing her time was done, Grable stepped away from the limelight in 1955and went straight to her demise. . That wasnt all Grable did for Monroe. death. It has been estimated that five million pin-ups were circulated featuring Betty, and she came out of the war the highest-paid movie star in America. After Grable left Fox, the studio moved Monroe into her old dressing room, which still had her name on the door. Theres no accounting for taste, and theres definitely no accounting for Betty Grable and Harry Jamess taste in baby names. Thisdid not go how she planned. In 1943, she collaborated with photographer Frank Powolny for a regular studio photo session. After small parts in countless low-budgeted B-Hollywood-movies through the 1930s, Grable finally gained national attention for her stage role in the Cole Porter Broadway hit Du Barry Was a Lady (1939). Her former home has been listed at $12.25 million. All body measurements and statistics of Betty Grable, including bra size, cup size, shoe size, height, hips, and weight. Walter Sanders The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock Betty Grable getting cold cream applied to her legs by LIFE photographer Walter Sanders as he prepares her for a photo session at studio. One particular pose showed Grable's back to the camera as she playfully smiled looking over her right shoulder, with the pose chosen because she was several months pregnant with her first child. The film was a commercial super hit and earned more than $5 million at the box office. Harry 25 Feb/23. She agreed to make How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) for Fox on the assurance Marilyn Monroe would be her co-star. Grable might have been a successful child performer around her local area, but eventually all this stress caused multiple issues for the little girl. Were always looking for your input! Arrives by Wed, Mar 15 Buy Betty Grable - Betty Grable & Co-Stars: The 20th Century Fox Years Volume 2: 1945-1948 - CD at Walmart.com [25] Soon thereafter, she was invited to go on a personal appearance tour, which she readily accepted. So, how much is Betty Grable worth at the age of 57 years old? Grable and Coogan divorced later that same year (October 1939). Moon Over Miami. First Name Betty #9. But when Lillian found herself pregnant again she was not going to give up her baby- no matter what Conn said. parents in Hollywood; except for Joan Crawford. The Gay Divorcee. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World". contributor's website. Half sister of Jerin Timothyray James and Jeffrey James. Also in 1943, Grable's famous pin-up picture was taken and resulted in Grable being cast in Pin Up Girl (1944). During a publicity photoshoot for their movie, Grable happened to notice Monroes toenails were in need of a paint. By now, you, your parents, your grandparents, and most of the world for that matter have seen Betty Grables pin-up photo, even if you dont remember it. 20th Century Fox had reached out to her specifically for the part, loaning her out from her new studio, Paramount. They were totally He and Betty Grable were engaged in 1935 and married on November 20, 1937, and they divorced on October 11, 1939. Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer once known as the woman with the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World". When her contract at Paramount expired, Grable decided to quit acting, being fed up with appearing in college films. She is survived by her brother, Bill Hansen, seven children (Bonnie, Betty, Jackie, Billie, Gary, Lary and Lori), 20 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren, two. Or their humanness to their James was a serial philanderer who simply could not keep it in his pants, married or not. She suffered from lung cancer and died of the disease in 1973. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/betty-grable-3794.php, American Female Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. The daughter of a highly ambitious woman, Betty was groomed for stardom from a very young age. She was born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri to John Conn Grable (18831954) and Lillian Rose Hofmann (18891964). Among his eight wives were Evelyn Keyes, who played Mrs. Jolson in The Jolson Story, and Kathleen Winsor, the best-selling naughty. Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. Unhappy with their starlet, Paramount fired her again. As the Lily sisters, both Grable and Faye received favorable reviews for their performances. Her mother enrolled her from an early age in dance and music classes and in 1929 moved with her to Hollywood, California. She had to resort to drastic measures. In 1950, Grable had regained her status as the most-popular female at the box office; she ranked fourth overall, behind John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. She, therefore, enrolled to participate in beauty contests winning most of them. American actress, pin-up girl (19161973), "Actress Betty Grable Dies Of Lung Cancer", "American Home Front in World War II: Betty Grable", "Hollywood legend Betty Grable's former home for sale", "Pin-Up: The Tragedy of Betty Grable [book review]", "Betty Grable's Famous Pin-up by Frank Powolny", "The Thirteen Best OUR MISS BROOKS Episodes of Season One", "Betty Grable Was Famous For Her Legs. Zanuck, who had been impressed by Grable's performance in DuBarry Was a Lady, was, at the time, in the midst of casting the female lead in the musical film Down Argentine Way (1940). Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? "[46] How to Marry a Millionaire was a box-office triumph when released, grossing an estimated $8 million. Grable grabbed her own personal polish and gave Monroe a pedicure herself. Some say Grable and Faye had a rivalry, but this has been denied by both actresses. For one thing, when Grable and James first met, James was married, and their dalliance was mega illicit for the strict morals of the time. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. In 1947, she starred in the highly popular film, Mother Wore Tights in which she was cast opposite Dan Dailey. Her mother was a stubborn and materialistic woman determined to make her daughter a star. She was the youngest of three children. Thanks for your time! Born 100 years ago Dec. 18, 1916, Grable was a massive star of the 1940s . The film was a remake of the 1935 film of the same name. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In the James household, every holiday is a special day for the children. During World War II, GI locker doors and warship . Cordelia. Betty Grable was interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California. She motivated her daughter to sing, dance and act. The first, A Yank in the R.A.F., released in September, co-starred heartthrob Tyrone Power, and cast her as Carol Brown, who works in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during the day, but is employed as a nightclub singer in the evening. The Farmer Takes a Wife, was highly publicized, but, was unfortunately, critically panned and proved to be a box-office failure. Stardom came in such comedies as Coney Island (1943) and Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943). They briefly toured on vaudeville and his success boosted hers, but they divorced in 1940.
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