Realizing her time was done, Grable stepped away from the limelight in 1955and went straight to her demise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Grable#Filmography. Betty Grable - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times The film showcased Grable's photo in several brief glimpses. parents in Hollywood; except for Joan Crawford. That wasnt all Grable did for Monroe. Betty had two siblings, Marjorie Lucille Grable and John Karl 'Jackie' Grable. In 1932 (real age 15), she signed with RKO Radio Pictures and began to use the moniker 'Betty Grable'. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Betty Grable (1916-1973) was arguably the biggest box-office star of the 1940s, appearing in numerous big-budget films alongside Hollywood's most dashing leading men. "[9], Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born on December 18, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri,[10] the youngest of three children of Lillian Rose (ne Hofmann; 18891964) and John Conn Grable (18831954), a stockbroker. All Rights Reserved. The film has her as a hostess for a USO canteen who also provides entertainment for the troops during their time there. Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. Betty Grable's pinup snap made LIFE magazine's "100 Photos that Changed the World." (Getty Images) Grable set a record of 12 consecutive years in the top 10 of box office stars. Grables pose in her iconic pin-up photo is now a classic, and she looks over one shoulder, back to camera, in a revealing white bathing suit. [14], In 1943, she married trumpeter Harry James. Heck no. They looked after each other. We recommend you include the following information in your citation. Grable next starred in Walter Lang's Mother Wore Tights, released in September 1947, co-starring Dan Dailey. She also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [38], Grable had been placed in the "Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll" every year, beginning in 1942. Print length. The results were scandalous. 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. Death: March 20, 2016 (68) Eugene, Lane County, Oregon, United States. 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. What happened to Betty Grable's kids? One of her big roles was in College Swing (1938). The movie was about a Broadway actress who is so successful that her husband considers her more of an asset than a wife. I feel so sorry for Hollywood children. [6] Her bathing suit poster made her the number-one pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. One way to cheer up the servicemen was through pin-up photographs of famous actresses, which they made into posters and shipped overseas. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Darryl F. Zanuck had the film Wabash Avenue (1950) tailored to fit Grable's talents. Freeze Frame: The single photo that made Betty Grable the number-one pin-up girl during WWII. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. [4] Two of her bigger film successes were the musical Mother Wore Tights (1947) and the comedy How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), one of her later films. As a result, she finds herself "engaged" to just about every guy she dances with. Though the film earned more than $3 million at the box office, it struggled to make a profit because of its high production costs. Above, Harry, Jessica, Vicki and Betty Grable . Her funeral was held two days later and was attended by ex-husbands Jackie Coogan and Harry James as well as Hollywood stars Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Booth, Mitzi Gaynor, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero, George Raft, Alice Faye, Johnnie Ray and Dan Dailey. It was one of the highest grossing films of that year. He and Betty Grable had two daughters: Victoria Elizabeth James (born 3 March 1944), and Jessica James (born 20 May 1947). Recounts the life of one of the greatest movie stars of the 1940s, revealing the dreams and heartbreaks of Betty Grable's career and personal life, from the little girl ruthlessly torn from her family to her years as a cancer patient. Betty Grable, byname of Ruth Elizabeth Grable, (born December 18, 1916, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.died July 2, 1973, Santa Monica, Calif.), American film actress and dancer who was one of the leading box office draws of the 1940s. 25 Feb/23. What happened to Betty Grable's daughters? - Answers Betty Grable was the pinup queen and inarguably the biggest star of the 1940's, according to box-office records. Hosiery specialists and retailers often cited her gams as having the perfect proportions for stockings, and Grable was under no illusions about what brought in the big bucks. Despite their lack of quality, Grable's movies were immensely popular and Fox regularly channeled the profits it received from Grable's movies into their more prestigious movies. In fact, Grable and Monroe got along famously; Grable reportedly told Monroe: "Go and get yours, honey! Granted, beautiful Betty won most of the pageants, but Lillian didnt stop there. The title Million Dollar Legs, is a name from which her nickname is taken. The screenplay was based upon two plays by Zoe Akins and Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. Betty White has three step-children, two step daughters and a step son. Pin Up Girl is a 1944 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy motion picture starring Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye, and Joe E. Brown.. She, therefore, enrolled to participate in beauty contests winning most of them. However, she is best noted for her 1947 film Mother Wore Tights. 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. [59], In the Our Miss Brooks episode "Lulu, the Pin-Up Boat", Mitchell mistakes the pin-up photo of Grable that Conklin confiscated from Walter and put into his desk drawer with Connie and Conklin's discussion about Conklin's boat Lulu. Grable's legs were famously insured by her studio for $1,000,000 with Lloyds of London. This went even more horrifically than you might think. One day, James and Grable found out that she was pregnant. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Betty finally landed a substantial part in By Your Leave (1934). Betty Grable really tried her best to make it work after moving to Nevada. The film was moderately successful and quickly was followed by Meet Me After the Show (1951), co-starring Macdonald Carey, Rory Calhoun, and Eddie Albert. Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer once known as the woman with the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. Hollywood defined by their popularity? Grable retired from screen acting in 1955 after she withdrew from her Fox contract, but she continued to perform on the stage and on television. Betty would go on to be signed by RKO Pictures, but wouldnt find much success with the studio after being given her contract.In 1937, Betty married former child star, Jackie Coogan. Reams have been written about Miss Betty Grable the star. Grable's star continued to rise when she starred in Song of the Islands (1942), co-starring Victor Mature and Jack Oakie. enamored with themselves. Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable (December 18, 1916 July 2, 1973) was an American actress, dancer and singer. In 1943, she married trumpeter Harry James. 'Tochter und mutter' did not even attend Betty Grables funeral. Only, fame didnt come without drama. Her mother made her attend the Hollywood Professional School and learned dancing from the Ernest Blecher Academy. Stardom came in such comedies as Coney Island (1943) and Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943).The public was enchanted with Betty. Though James eventually divorced his first wife to make an honest woman out of Grable, dont go thinking this came from the goodness of his heart. Actress Born in Missouri #20. The second movie, I Wake Up Screaming, released in November, had Grable receiving top billing as Jill Lynn, the sister of a young model who is murdered. Yet again, rumors swirled about the set environment during the shoot, with many whispering that the two sparring starlets detested each other. All and all, Grable and Harry James stayed married for 22 miserable years, with each coming New Year marking out a new low of betting, squandering, drinking, and philandering. She was preceded in death by her husband Jack, who passed away on September 8, 2011. Undaunted by this, Betty Grable was presented at the casting offices of Samuel Goldwyn Productions and was on her way with a contract; at the age of 13, she was playing a chorus girl in a Hollywood film. Many Hollywood stars came to the funeral as well. In fact, grossly enough, he was known for his endurance and his indiscriminate taste. And that wasnt all. Although she received no on-screen credit for her performance, she led the film's opening musical number, titled "Cowboys". Grable was particularly noted for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood and studio publicity widely dispersed photos featuring them. [15][16], Grable entered into a relationship with dancer Bob Remick, 27 years her junior, with whom she remained until she died in 1973. Hosiery specialists of the era often noted the ideal proportions of her legs and thighs (18.5in (47cm)), calf (12in (30cm)), and ankle (7.5in (19cm)). Grable's last musical film appearance was in Three for the Show (1955) with up-and-coming comedian Jack Lemmon. Betty was just 13 but her mother arranged for her false identification papers so that she could perform. Lorry Jones ( Betty Grable) is a secretary by day and a favorite pin-up/hostess at her local USO canteen by night, where she signs photos, sings, and dances with the servicemen. Later, the governor introduced her at a luncheon sponsored by 'The Red Stocking,' a local charity group. Neil Sedaka - Betty Grable Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Betty Grable - Wikipedia Just kidding, I dont wonder at all. Rich, famous, beautiful, and talented, Betty Grable and Harry James were a Hollywood superstar couple. Did she mean-girl the bombshell and let her get photographed with chipped nails? Many of the film's later scenes had to be rewritten to hide Grable's pregnancy. She was so insecure, she consistently turned down important movies that would stretch her acting skills, and was particularly wary about starring in movies opposite the most famous male actors. 20th Century Fox had reached out to her specifically for the part, loaning her out from her new studio, Paramount. The shining starlet of Hollywood's Golden Age secured her place as one of America's top pinup . Elizabeth Ruth (Betty) Grable - New Netherland Institute From 1937 to 1939, she was married to child star Jackie Coogan; his career success helped hers by landing her a major role in the film, "Down . The law at that time required the girls to be over 15 to dance in the chorus. Join Facts Verse as Betty Grables daughter shares new details on pin-up career.Betty Grable's Daughter Shares New Details on Pin-Up Career There was just one problem. The Gay Divorcee. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Her mother groomed her for a career in show business from an early age. [49], Grable thereafter found a new career starring in her own act in Las Vegas hotels and with her then husband, musician Harry James. Betty Mae Hansen Grable (1927-2014) - Find a Grave Memorial Grable, Betty (1916-1973) | Encyclopedia.com Her final movie appearance was in the 1955 comedy How to Be Very, Very Popular which was produced and directed by Nunnally Johnson. Following Down Argentine Way's major success, Grable was cast opposite Alice Faye in, Tin Pan Alley. The release of the film was surrounded by a massive publicity campaign, but despite the promotion, the film failed to fulfill its hype, and many critics complained of the lack of chemistry between Grable and North. Betty Grable: The Reluctant Movie Queen - Google Books Betty Grable was a Sagittarius and was born in the G.I. When they were together, they starred in the comedic picture Million Dollars Legs. Although Grable rode her legs to stardom,she paid a grotesque price for her fame. Lorry signs photos for the boys. Grable appeared in several smash-hit musical films in the 1940s like, Down Argentine Way (1940), Moon Over Miami (1941), Springtime in the Rockies (1942), Coney Island (1943), Pin Up Girl (1944), and The Dolly Sisters (1945). That film was the lead role in the classic comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, AKA the part that shot Marylin Monroe to stardom. She was a heavy smoker for most of her life, and the disease had advanced frighteningly. 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). School for Romance. It was, however, a box-office hit, earning more than $3.7 million. The beauty of her legs was so famous that her studio got her legs insured for $1,000,000, giving her the nickname, The girl with the million dollar legs. She got so incensed at their refusal, she eventually got her contract out, walked into studio head Darryl Zanucks office, and tore the papers up into shreds right in his face. After the highs of It Girl-dom wore off, Grable was all too aware of her objectification. But that didn't mean her life was perfector even well-adjusted. She was the youngest of three children born to Lillian Rose (ne Hofmann; 1889-1964) and John Charles Grable (1883-1954), a stockbroker. 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. Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy noted on National Public Radio's Morning Edition on April 23, 2007, in an interview with Terry Gross that Grable was his inspiration for founding the Playboy empire. In MEMORY of BETTY GRABLE on her - Madhotcollectibles.com | Facebook She was, apparently, never schooled beyond the seventh grade. Less than a decade later, 20th Century Fox would. [14] Their marriage, which lasted for 22 years, was beset by alcoholism and infidelity, and they divorced in 1965. Grable came back to the spotlight with the 1947 film,The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, but the film was overshawdowed by her succeeding project Mother Wore Tights, with one of her most frequent co-stars Dan Dailey. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. The announcement . 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. They had two children together. Most Popular #45061. For her first role, as a chorus girl in the film Happy Days (1929), Grable was only 12 years old (legally underage for acting), but, because the chorus line performed in blackface, it was difficult to tell how old she was. The two hit it off, marrying a year later. Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. She had no talent but was determined to produce a star. [5], Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. Betty Grable - Biography - IMDb The play was an instant success for the first time in Grables life, and she used it to get back at the studios that had wronged her.