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. Betty Grable was born in St. Louis. 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. 'Tochter und mutter' Yikes. James was a serial philanderer who simply could not keep it in his pants, married or not. Betty Grable getting cold cream applied to her legs by LIFE photographer Walter Sanders as he prepares her for a photo session at studio. In 1947, the United States Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid star in America, earning about $300,000 a year - a phenomenal sum even by today's standards. 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. When Grable saw the win, she might have been stung. But the marriage did not last long. Instead of taking a step back and saying Hmm, maybe I shouldnt force my daughter into child labor, Lillian just grew more unhinged and determined. 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. Her first film for the studio, Probation (1932), provided the 14-year-old Grable with her first credited screen role. 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. He was under considerable stress from a lawsuit against his parents over his childhood earnings and the couple divorced in 1939. [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. She had two children. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. Try our quiz and enter to win $500!Click below to check the trivia question Betty Grable had been pushed into performing by her mother and started performing as a chorus girl at the age of just 13 due to her mother lying about her age. Marilyn was allegedly afraid of having children and passing on a potential genetic mental illness. The tour brought Grable to the attention of Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century-Fox, who offered her a long-term contract. Granted, beautiful Betty won most of the pageants, but Lillian didnt stop there. AfterPigskin Parade, she suddenly found herself typecast as a naive college student, starring in a series of humdrum roles and even duller films. Her first movie appearance was as a Goldwyn Girl in the musical comedy Whoopee! Because of her youthful appearance she was soon typecast in movies playing the role of a college student. This was followed by small roles in a number of films over the decade. Victoria and Jessica were brought up by anyone available. It was one of the highest grossing films of that year. Grable died in 1973 at age 56 of lung cancer. Cordelia. [10] The same year, she made her uncredited film debut as a chorus girl in the Fox Studios all-star revue Happy Days (1929). . She often worried about starring opposite well-known leading men. Only 13 years old, Grable lied about her age and landed chorus girl parts in several Hollywood musicals. She opted to play the role of Miss Adelaide, but was passed over in favor of Vivian Blaine, who had played the role on Broadway. See, it was also the first feature film of a young girl named Judy Garland. Stardom came in such comedies as Coney Island (1943) and Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943).The public was enchanted with Betty. While working on How to Marry a Millionaire, Grable was under no illusions that her star was fading, or that Monroe and her ample bosom were about to replace her and her legs in the public consciousness. The film was a moderate box-office success. Coogan was still in the middle of a lawsuit against his parents (child stars, amirite?) [50] She also appeared on Broadway in Hello Dolly in 1967. Desert Vacation Villas 250 W. Vista Chino This is more of a condominium style property that also operates as a vacation rental. So when the film became a box office titan, with critics lauding Grables performance and anointing her as Fayes successor, it looked like Grable had won herself another rival. Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. Less than a decade later, 20th Century Fox would. The couple divorced in 1965. Nicknamed Betty as a child, she was pressured by her mother to become a performer. 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. No, Betty Grable and her husband Harry James were. Grable married the famous former child actor, Jackie Coogan in 1937. Ex-wife of Harry James and John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan Pigskin Parade was supposed to be Betty Grables big break, but what it really did was earn the starlet her first rival. The film was a remake of the 1935 film of the same name. Later, 20th Century-Fox, who had her under contract, insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a million dollars. Write by: . [7] Grable's legs were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. They were totally 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. 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. Grable was irresistible to studios from almost her first role, and when she starred in 1936s Pigskin Parade, it was under an unusual agreement. As a result, the studio prepared a film called Pin Up Girl for her. 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). contributor's website. Go get yours. Grable's last mainstream success for Fox was in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. 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. Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born on December 18, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Lillian Rose (Hofmann) and John Conn Grable, a stockbroker. But there was good reason for this particular set-up. Her mother soon gave her a make-over which included dyeing her hair platinum blonde. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World". She ranked at the top of the poll in 1943, and ranked second in 1947 and 1948. As a child, her materialistic mother put her under intense pressure to become a performer. Without Grable's movies, which generated large profits, the studio struggled to stay afloat. She was in eight celebrity relationships averaging approximately 4.5 years each. [22], In 1932, she signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures, and she was assigned to a succession of acting, singing, and dancing classes at the studio's drama school. [13] Grable's photograph sold millions of copies, eventually surpassing the popularity of Rita Hayworth's famous 1941 photo.[33]. Down Argentine Way. In the 1950s, Grable was still one of the most popular actresses at the box officeafter all, theres a reason the phrase is As American as apple pie and Betty Grable. Emboldened by her success, Grable did the one thing she hadnt been able to do yet: She challenged herself. Actress Born in Missouri #20. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World". Yep, that Judy Garland. 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. 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. She continued to be popular until the mid-1950s, when musicals went into a decline. 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". In fact, Grable and Monroe got along famously; Grable reportedly told Monroe: "Go and get yours, honey! In a 1940 interview, she said that she was "sick and tired" of show business and had decided to retire, but changed her mind - she received an unsolicited offer to go on a personal appearance tour, which she accepted and which led to Darryl F. Zanuck offering her a bigger contract, which she accepted, and which was followed by a part in Buddy DeSylva's Broadway show Du Barry Was a Lady and a part replacing the suddenly ill Alice Faye in Down Argentine Way. This proved to be Grable's only film appearance for the year. What happened to Betty Grable's kids? At the height of her fame, Betty was being paid around $300,000 a year. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. With the Great Depression looming, Lillians frenzy to make her daughter into a star took an even more chilling turn. 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! Betty Grable, byname of Elizabeth Ruth Grable, (December 18, 1916 - July 2, 1973) was an American actress and dancer who was one of the leading box office draws of the 1940s. She made her film debut at the age of 12 as a chorus girl in the film Happy Days. The U.S. Treasury Department in 1946 and 1947 listed her as the highest-salaried American woman; she earned more than $3 million during her career. (1930), New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930), Happy Days (1929) and Let's Go Places (1930)), initially billed as 'Frances Dean'. 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. When the film did not become the hit Paramount had hoped for, the studio released her from her contract and Grable began preparing to leave Hollywood for a simpler life. Rich, famous, beautiful, and talented, Betty Grable and Harry James were a Hollywood superstar couple. Bone-Chilling Moments We'll Never Be Able To Explain. Herepaid her with another cruel trick. Grable and James, naughty couple that they were, were in the middle of a big bedroom romp when all of a sudden, they heard a load THUMP and a series of groans from outside their window. The Farmer Takes a Wife. My mom never told me how her best friend died. When she was young, she got together with a handsome married man named George Raft, a tough guy actor associated with sinister figures like Bugsy Seigel. parents in Hollywood; except for Joan Crawford. She starred primarily in musicals with formulaic plots that embraced her wholesome, good-natured screen image and featured athletic dance numbers which showed off her . Harry James and Betty Grable - I Can't Begin To Tell You - released in 1945. [5], Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. She led the opening number, Cowboys. Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. Call Me Mister, proved to bring only moderate box-office success. Grable, being generally kind-hearted and very in love, somehow let him. The daughter of a highly ambitious woman, Betty was groomed for stardom from a very young age. Betty Grable. She died of lung cancer, on July 2, 1973, in Santa Monica, California, USA. Its your turn now.. The film's success led to Fox increasing her salary and her having a wider choice over the films she made. During production, Grable and Monroe falsely were rumored to be at odds with each other. See our terms of use for more tips. Down in the valley. As an actress, she is best known for her role in How to Marry a Millionaire, which also starred Marilyn Monroe. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Grable. This led to a heartbreaking habit. She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. In 1952, Grable began renegotiating her contract with Fox. town. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Although Fox Studios originally signed on Grable, it didnt take them long to find out that she was much younger than she was pretending to be, and much younger than the law allowed. Coney Island, released in June 1943, was a Technicolor "gay nineties" period musical and co-starred George Montgomery. Betty had two children with her ex-husband Harry James, named Victoria Elizabeth 'Vicki' Bivens, and Jessica Yahner. The two reportedly remained friends until Grable's death. It co-starred Douglas Fairbanks Jr and originally was directed by Ernst Lubitsch. In 1943, she collaborated with photographer Frank Powolny for a regular studio photo session. Pin Up Girl co-starred comedians Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown and was released in April 1944 to overwhelming success at the box-office. Paramount lent her to 20th Century-Fox to co-star in the adolescent comedy Pigskin Parade (1936). In 1951, Grable made an up-to-date remake of her 1941 film, A Yank in the RAF, which was now titled, Call Me Mister, which was the last time Grable ever appeared in a film with Dan Dailey. Among them were Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Booth, Mitzi Gaynor, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero, George Raft, Alice Faye, Johnnie Ray, and Dan Dailey. [21], In 1930, at age 13, Grable (under the pseudonym Frances Dean) signed with producer Samuel Goldwyn; she thereby became one of the original Goldwyn Girls, along with Ann Sothern, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd and Paulette Goddard. In 1943, Grable starred in two of her most well-known Technicolor musicals, Sweet Rosie O'Grady and the smash-hit Coney Island. But just before she left, she got the best revenge. Thats right all you supermodels, Grable did it first. After 1939, the 23-year-old Grable felt so washed up, she tried to retire from films altogether. "If that's not luck I don't know what you'd call it" Grable said. Her last film was How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955).She then concentrated on Broadway and nightclubs. Her mother Lillian was a pushy stage momager who forced her daughter into dance lessons and countless child beauty contests in search of fame. Grable immediately thereafter began filming When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), co-starring Dan Dailey, which became a blockbuster, cementing Grable and Dailey's status as a bankable movie duo. Afterward, Grable wanted the role of Miss Adelaide in the 1956 film Guys and Dolls, but the role went to Vivian Blaine after Grable skipped a meeting with the film's producer, due to the fact that her pet dog was sick. Betty Grable had several nicknames during her career like: "the girl with the million dollar legs," "the quick-silver blonde," "the queen of the Hollywood musical," and "the darling of the forties." Her legs were insured for $1,000,000. She was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery. 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 1951 film Meet Me After the Show was one of the last musicals she appeared in. 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. King Lear's daughters were named Goneril, Regan and When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. In 1950, Grable made two widely successful films; Wabash Avenue and My Blue Heaven. We recommend you include the following information in your citation. Nose art featuring her is painted on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Sentimental Journey. James once tried to make amends when he was far too old and an Her mother bleached her hair and gave her a makeover so that her daughter could make it big in Hollywood. When Grable returned to Paramount, she began a new phase in her career; the studio began casting her in a series of college-aimed movies, usually having her portray a nave student. Grables pin-up photo was so popular during WWII that approximately 5 million men serving overseas had it. Betty finally landed a substantial part in By Your Leave (1934). She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. When the counting part begins, the rope is swung overhead. Yeah, she wasthat big. These films included the moderately popular This Way Please (1937) and College Swing (1938). Were always looking for your input! 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. [24] The play was an instant critical and audience success, and Grable was branded a newfound star. View source record on Between the two of them, they lost over $24 million gambling in Las Vegas, squandering Grables fortune. The No.1 pin-up girl of the World War II era, her photograph in a bathing suit pose went on to achieve iconic status and was included in the project "100 Photographs that Changed the World" by the Life magazine. 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). On July 2, 1973, the American screen legend passed at the tender age of 56, without any chance for a comeback. Now thiswas an even worse moral quandary for the time, and the minute studio executives found out about the storks package, they started pressuring the actors to marry in a hurry. 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