Grables pin-up photo was so popular during WWII that approximately 5 million men serving overseas had it. Describing her film career, Grable said "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them." Grable was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of three children of Lillian Rose (ne Hofmann; 1889-1964) and John Conn Grable (1883-1954), a stockbroker. "[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. [14] Despite the studio's effort to introduce Grable to the mainstream movie audience, her performance was overlooked by audiences and critics in favor of Judy Garland. 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. [47][48], After refusing the leading female role in Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), Grable again was suspended from her contract. 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. Betty Grable's legacy and her million-dollar legs still lives on almost 50 years after her death. After her brief stint as an RKO contract player, Grable signed with Paramount Pictures. She was 86 years old. She was entombed at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Darryl F. Zanuck had the film Wabash Avenue (1950) tailored to fit Grable's talents. 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. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. That film was the lead role in the classic comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, AKA the part that shot Marylin Monroe to stardom. Previous to this, she was doing bit parts appearing with Lucille Ball and Paulette Goddard, also Goldwyn Girls, in other Cantor films titled Palmy Days and The Kid From Spain. Before he was a magazine mogul, Hugh Hefner served in WWII and, like practically all of his comrades, fell in love with Grables pin-up photo. View source image Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer once known as the woman with the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. [28] Over the years, rumors have circulated that a rivalry existed between Grable and Faye during filming, but this has been said to be entirely untrueboth actresses denied all accusations of a feud, and each often expressed their admiration for the other. There was just one problem. After the highs of It Girl-dom wore off, Grable was all too aware of her objectification. 'O Blest Communion', Signe Hammer has written: The studio refused, and she went on strike, which led to her being replaced by Marilyn Monroe in the movie adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)[44] and by June Haver in the musical comedy The Girl Next Door (also 1953). Who were the models in Van Halen's finish what you started video? The daughter of a highly ambitious woman, Betty was groomed for stardom from a very young age. Betty had two siblings, Marjorie Lucille Grable and John Karl 'Jackie' Grable. He married Ava Gardner and had an affair with Rita Hayworth. She attended the Hollywood Professional school but Lillian lied about her daughter's age and Betty (real age 13), landed several minor parts as a chorus girl in early musicals (Whoopee! [6] Her bathing suit poster made her the number-one pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. In 1946-1947, the Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid woman in America, receiving $300,000 a year. It's one of the most famous pin-up photos of all time -- Betty Grable, in a tight, one-piece bathing suit, posing with her back to the camera and looking over her shoulder. According to Bettys daughter, her mother was always proud of the fact that her pin-up helped motivate American soldiers to win the war. So, how much is Betty Grable worth at the age of 57 years old? Grable's final film role was in the comedy film, How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) with newcomer Sheree North. The couple divorced in 1965. Pin Up Girl received poor reviews but was a tremendous box-office success. What happened to Betty Grable's kids? Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. [50] She also appeared on Broadway in Hello Dolly in 1967. It was, however, a box-office hit, earning more than $3.7 million. 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. [32] The picture was released as a poster and became the most requested photo for G.I.s stationed overseas. Grable's legs were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. Her mother bleached her hair and gave her a makeover so that her daughter could make it big in Hollywood. But in response, Grablereally hit her stride. The film showcased Grable's photo in several brief glimpses. Pigskin Parade was supposed to be Betty Grables big break, but what it really did was earn the starlet her first rival. Some thought Grable and Monroe wouldn't get along but Grable was quoted as saying (to Monroe): "Go and get yours honey! It is steeped in lurid stories about deceased stars who would die if they rea After time off to give birth to her daughter, Grable returned to Fox to star in Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe (1945), co-starring Dick Haymes and Phil Silvers. Later, the governor introduced her at a luncheon sponsored by 'The Red Stocking,' a local charity group. Look below the item for additional data you may want to include. Grable played the leading roles in these films, which led to her being typecast as an innocent and not-so-bright college student. It was reported that Grable often quarreled with Fairbanks and Preminger and that she nearly walked out on filming, but decided against it on the advice of her agent. One of Grables first adult relationships really couldnt have gone worse. But there is a twist that many people dont know about the photo. enamored with themselves. After a string of super hit films like 'Moon over Miami', 'Springtime in the Rockies', and 'Coney Island', she posed for a photograph in her bathing suit showing off her shapely legsthis picture soon achieved iconic status. The story was about a singer who hopes for a better future when she marries an English duke. "If that's not luck I don't know what you'd call it" Grable said. As well see, Grable didnt have the best judgment when it came to her love lifeand when she married the classic comedian and child actor Jackie Coogan in 1937, their relationship was a full-on mess. Ouch. The couple had two daughters. Her mother was a stubborn and materialistic woman determined to make her daughter a star. [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. Garland won over America with her role, so instead of making Betty Grable a bona fide star, the film introduced Judy Garland to the world. King Lear's daughters were named Goneril, Regan and On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Closing the decade, Grable starred in The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949), an oddball movie that unevenly mixed musical numbers with Western clichs. Yikes. Variety wrote that the film "makes no pretenses of ultra-realism", but also called it "very pleasing and pleasant". 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. The girls were left nothing when it came to the end. In the 1970s, only a handful of years after her career really went on the decline, doctors diagnosed Grable with lung cancer. The lavish musical used the pin-up photograph in many scenes, which boosted the photo's sales. She was a heavy smoker for most of her life, and the disease had advanced frighteningly. Lillian's dream was to be a dancer. Birthdate: May 20, 1947. She requested a higher salary and the option to make only those films she wanted to do. When her contract at Paramount expired, Grable decided to quit acting, being fed up with appearing in college films. Her next film, That Lady in Ermine, (1948), co-starred Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; and would become only a moderate success. The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) was her first film back at Fox. Before taking her famed pin-up photo, Betty Grable was working on cheering up the servicemen in another manner. 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. On July 2, 1973, at age 56, she died of lung cancer. She had no talent but was determined to produce a star. Print length. Her first film for the studio, Probation (1932), provided the 14-year-old Grable with her first credited screen role. As the starlet once quipped, I became a star for two reasons, and Im standing on them.. Zanuck tried, on multiple occasions, to cast her in films that challenged her acting abilities, but Grable was reluctant; she felt insecure about her talent and this made her unwilling to accept roles she felt required too much of her. Lillian and Bettys lies eventually caught up to them in the worst way possible. Body shape: Hourglass: Dress size (US): 8: Breasts-Waist-Hips: 36-23-35 inches (91-58-89 cm) In 1929, when Betty was just 12 years old, they packed up from St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Hollywood to try and hit it big. Pan American Jubilee (Remastered) - Single. Actress Born in Missouri #20. Between the two of them, they lost over $24 million gambling in Las Vegas, squandering Grables fortune. In 1943, she was the number-one box office draw in the world and, in 1947, she was the highest-paid entertainer in the United States. During World War II, GI locker doors and warship . Why was the decision Roe v. Wade important for feminists? In fact, Grable and Monroe got along famously; Grable reportedly told Monroe: "Go and get yours, honey! Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable (December 18, 1916 July 2, 1973) was an American actress, dancer and singer. I've had mine!" The film was a success but Grable's next film The Dolly Sisters, co-starring rival June Haver, was Fox's second biggest success of the year; with the first being Leave Her to Heaven. Ex-wife of Harry James and John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan Her mother soon gave her a make-over which included dyeing her hair platinum blonde. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. The 13-year-old became the meal ticket, though she had periods of little success. After Grable left Fox, the studio moved Monroe into her old dressing room, which still had her name on the door. She struggled to make it in movies for years. 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. But just before she left, she got the best revenge. It co-starred Douglas Fairbanks Jr and originally was directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Grable's performance was reviewed favorably by most critics, and the film enjoyed reasonable financial success. She often worried about starring opposite well-known leading men. Also in 1943, Grable's famous pin-up picture was taken and resulted in Grable being cast in Pin Up Girl (1944). 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. Naughty Facts About Bettie Page, The Original Pin-Up, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, These People Shared The Worst Moments Of Their LivesAnd Theyre Utterly Brutal, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, These Mega Embarrassing Moments Still Made Us Burst Out Laughing, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters.