Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Music - Musician. 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. This went even more horrifically than you might think. After the release of the 1951 poorly reviewed musical, Meet Me After the Show, Grable took a break from acting; turning down the lead role in The Girl Next Door, a role that would eventually go to rival June Haver. WWII pinup model and actress who attracted fame for her beautiful legs. 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. [1] [4] He began performing as an infant in both vaudeville and film, with an uncredited role in the 1917 film Skinner's Baby. Grable has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6525 Hollywood Boulevard. Unhappy with their starlet, Paramount fired her again. She briefly returned to filming to make a cameo in Do You Love Me (1946), in which she appeared as a fan of her husband Harry James' character. The film was an immediate hit, Grable's biggest success to date, grossing more than $2 million. She cared more for her family than stardom.Betty Grable died at age 56 of lung cancer on July 2, 1973 in Santa Monica, California, five days before Veronica Lake's death. So, are the people in The tour brought Grable to the attention of Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century-Fox, who offered her a long-term contract. She had German, English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. Harry Among them were Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Booth, Mitzi Gaynor, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero, George Raft, Alice Faye, Johnnie Ray, and Dan Dailey. This was followed by small roles in a number of films over the decade. After Lubitsch's death early in production, Otto Preminger took over. Conn and Lillian Grable had a pact - no more children. , 17 , . She starred along with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall as gold-diggers in the 1953 romantic comedy How to Marry a Millionaire. They endured a tumultuous 22-year marriage that was plagued by alcoholism and infidelity. Her mother Lillian was a pushy stage momager who forced her daughter into dance lessons and countless child beauty contests in search of fame. During the shoot, she took several photos in a tight, one-piece bathing suit. Grable grabbed her own personal polish and gave Monroe a pedicure herself. She signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in the late 1930s. Victoria and Jessica were brought up by anyone available. The exhausted starlet took up on Broadway instead in the musical DuBarry Was a Lady. Betty Grable is luminous in the lush Technicolor photography; Carole Landis provides good support as sister Barbara, and Charlotte Greenwood is her usual wisecracking self as Aunt Susie. . Grable came to prominence in the Broadway musical DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), which brought her to the attention of 20th Century-Fox. Yep, that Judy Garland. Although critics acknowledged that the film "momentarily achieved" brilliance, they also felt that the movie's music was like "sticky toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube". She motivated her daughter to sing, dance and act. The book A House Full of Daughters has a plot set in a small These films helped to bring Grable's star back to the public but it seemed as if Betty's career was nearing its end. The couple divorced in 1965. Age: 56 (12/18/1916 - 7/2/1973) Betty Grable's Relationships (8) Harry James. too busy making movies and having affairs to care too much about The film was a moderate box-office success. This was said because Monroe was replacing Grable as 20th Century Fox's leading sex symbol movie-star; with Grable meaning she felt no threat, as she was nearing retirement. Paramount lent her to 20th Century-Fox to co-star in the adolescent comedy Pigskin Parade (1936). 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). They looked after each other. jim martin death couples massage class san diego beaver falls football betty grable daughters now. [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. Housekeepers, nannies and themselves. She was the youngest of three children. 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. In 1941, she was cast in the Technicolor musical Moon Over Miami, again with Don Ameche, her co-star in Down Argentine Way. In 1950, Grable made two widely successful films; Wabash Avenue and My Blue Heaven. From the moment it came out it was iconic, and immediately became the most popular pin-up poster. Her father was a stockbroker. Grable married the famous former child actor, Jackie Coogan in 1937. He signed her to a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox, and Grables next film, Down Argentine Way, was a smash hit. But just before she left, she got the best revenge. Betty Grable was married to Jackie Coogan, a former child actor in 1937 but Betty and Jackie Coogan got divorced in 1939. 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. Report abuse. For all her immense fame, this girl just couldnt seem to catch a casting break. Close to two months after her sudden death at age 40, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Public Information Officer tells . In 1943, Grable starred in two of her most well-known Technicolor musicals, Sweet Rosie O'Grady and the smash-hit Coney Island. They were totally Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (19421951) she reigned in the Quigley Poll's top 10 box office stars (a feat only matched by Doris Day, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, although all were surpassed by Mary Pickford, who was in for 13 times). 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. [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. Yikes. Both films capitalized Grable tremendously, with Coney Island, ranking one of the top five successful films of the year. death. She was born as Elizabeth Ruth Grable to John Conn Grable and Lillian Rose Hofmann. Why Famous: World War II Era Pin-Up Girl. [10] The same year, she made her uncredited film debut as a chorus girl in the Fox Studios all-star revue Happy Days (1929). There was just one problem. Watched this as a child and now my children are enjoying it and singing the songs. contributor's website. The bit parts continued for the next three years. If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. The celebrated "pin-up girl" of World War II, American actress Betty Grable was the daughter of a stockbroker and an aggressive "stage mother." When her older sister Marjorie balked at a show business career, Grable was taken in hand by her mother and trained to sing, dance, tell jokes and play the ukulele and saxophone. [3] 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars . 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. The lavish musical used the pin-up photograph in many scenes, which boosted the photo's sales. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. With Horrible Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies? For all her good-girl looks and apple pie charms, Grable lived one scrappy existence as a struggling starlet. The 13-year-old became the meal ticket, though she had periods of little success. When she landed the role of Glenda Crawford in Down Argentine Way (1940), the public finally took notice of this shining bright star. As a result, she finds herself "engaged" to just about every guy she dances with. Grable, Betty,--1916-1973--Family All Saints' Episcopal Church (Beverly Hills, Calif.) Daughters--California--Los Angeles Funeral rites and ceremonies--California--Beverly Hills Undertakers and undertaking--California--Beverly Hills Church buildings--California--Beverly Hills Anglican church buildings--California--Beverly Hills She had two children. Despite her success, she suffered from having a fear of crowds and sleepwalking. That wasnt all Grable did for Monroe. Was she really a model Death: March 20, 2016 (68) Eugene, Lane County, Oregon, United States. [7] Grable's legs were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. James once tried to make amends when he was far too old and an The film offered Grable her second teaming with Carole Landis, and it co-starred Victor Mature. Grable, Betty (1916-1973)American film actress who was the first "pin-up girl" of note and the highest-paid woman in the country during the mid-1940s. [26] The role had originally been assigned to Alice Faye, Fox's most popular musical film star, but she had to decline the part due to an unspecified illness. [45], She next starred in How to Marry a Millionaire, a romantic comedy about three models plotting to marry wealthy men, co-starring Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. In fact, many of her movies were thin when it came to their stories, but they were high on energy during their song-and-dance sequences. At the height of her fame, Betty was being paid around $300,000 a year. Which caused bitterness that did not end with her Grable made 40 films throughout her career and was the highest-paid celebrity in Tinseltown between 1943 and 1951. In 1946-1947, the Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid woman in America, receiving $300,000 a year. The film was a major success, as was Grable's next film A Yank in the RAF, a World War II film; that was her first serious leading role in a major Hollywood film. She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. But there is a twist that many people dont know about the photo. town. During a publicity photoshoot for their movie, Grable happened to notice Monroes toenails were in need of a paint. They briefly toured on vaudeville and his success boosted hers, but they divorced in 1940. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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 1965, she divorced band leader Harry James, whom she had wed in 1943. During production, Grable and Monroe falsely were rumored to be at odds with each other. [27], Down Argentine Way was a critical and box-office success at the time of its release, and many critics proclaimed Grable to be the successor to Alice Faye. Look below the item for additional data you may want to include. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren. Ouch. This film was meant to reunite Grable with Marilyn Monroe, but Monroe turned it down. This proved to be Grable's only film appearance for the year. Without Grable's movies, which generated large profits, the studio struggled to stay afloat. Coney Island, released in June 1943, was a Technicolor "gay nineties" period musical and co-starred George Montgomery. At the time of its release, the film received positive reviews, with many critics singling out the obvious on-screen chemistry between Grable and Power. That makes it an easy rhyme for beginning jumpers like preschoolers. Between the two of them, they lost over $24 million gambling in Las Vegas, squandering Grables fortune. Gardner was grateful for the protectiveness of MGM and. It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World". Billie abandoned her husband and other daughter, dragging Betty from St. Louis to Hollywood. Also in 1943, Grable's famous pin-up picture was taken and resulted in Grable being cast in Pin Up Girl (1944). Her mother made her attend the Hollywood Professional School and learned dancing from the Ernest Blecher Academy. 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. [14], In 1943, she married trumpeter Harry James. However, Grable's next film, When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), was a smash success; this film again co-starred Dan Dailey. Grable appeared in her first film made away from Fox in over 15 years Three for the Show (1955) for Columbia Pictures, and the movie featured up-and-coming talents Jack Lemmon and Marge and Gower Champion. Grable's star continued to rise when she starred in Song of the Islands (1942), co-starring Victor Mature and Jack Oakie. She once admitted, People talk about my legs as if I were a centipede, ardently wishing that the public would focus more on her acting than her physical assets. Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable on December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother bleached her hair and gave her a makeover so that her daughter could make it big in Hollywood. 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. Generation. Betty Grable was in relationships with John F. Kennedy (1943), George Raft (1942), Victor Mature (1941), Robert Stack (1940 - 1941), Mickey Rooney (1940), Artie Shaw (1939), George Stevens (1935), Alexis Thompson, Peter Lawford and Oleg Cassini. Her mother was a stubborn and materialistic woman determined to make her daughter a star. Down in the valley. "Never forget, you're walking in the shadow of giants," Rooney advised her when he took her to dinner with George Raft and Betty Grable. Betty Grables sly smile turned toward the camera is one of the most iconic images in history. But in response, Grablereally hit her stride. We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message. RE: Calisphere: Request high-resolution copy of item for Betty Grable's youngest daughter at funeral service. 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. [20] This eventually led to her having chorus girl jobs in Let's Go Places (1930) and New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930). Some thought Grable and Monroe wouldn't get along but Grable was quoted as saying (to Monroe): "Go and get yours honey! 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