The Definitive Betty Grable Collection. 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. Betty Grable's youngest daughter at funeral service Calisphere [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. 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. 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. She was the youngest of three children. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. During World War II, GI locker doors and warship . Grable finally obtained a role as a 'Goldwyn Girl' in Whoopee! Here's What She Thought About That", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Betty_Grable&oldid=1131562425, United Service Organizations entertainers, Short description is different from Wikidata, TCMDb name template using non-numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 18:37. Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable on December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri. [36] The film also suffered from indifferent ticket sales and lost money. Provocative Facts About Betty Grable, The Pin-Up Queen - Factinate When she landed the role of Glenda Crawford in Down Argentine Way (1940), the public finally took notice of this shining bright star. daughters 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. Both films capitalized Grable tremendously, with Coney Island, ranking one of the top five successful films of the year. She also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. 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. With her mother's guidance, Betty studied ballet and tap dancing.Betty and her mother set out for California with the hopes of stardom. After the highs of It Girl-dom wore off, Grable was all too aware of her objectification. In 1937, Betty married former child star, Jackie Coogan. However, Grable's next film, When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), was a smash success; this film again co-starred Dan Dailey. Wait, didnt I say this guy was a, and I quote, rabid gambler? Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. Coogan was still in the middle of a lawsuit against his parents (child stars, amirite?) Mother of Victoria Elizabeth James and Jessica James. Hows that for a legacy. [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. [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. The book A House Full of Daughters has a plot set in a small 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. Her mother had high hopes that one of her three children would become an actress, and when it became apparent that none of her sisters would fit the bill, Grable's mother pressured her daughter to audition for various roles. The film was a remake of the 1935 film of the same name. Soon after James and Grable started seeing each other, she had an unpleasant visit from the Ghost of Boyfriends Past. 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. By 1930, she had worked as a chorus girl before signing with legendary Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn. Grable was voted the number-one box-office draw by American movie exhibitors in 1943; she outranked Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, Greer Garson, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable in popularity. We want our readers to trust us. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. This went even more horrifically than you might think. But now meet "Mommie"Mrs. B etty Grable was famed more for her shapely legs than for her acting and singing, as the star of dozens of Hollywood musicals was always ready to concede. What is are the functions of diverse organisms? [49], Grable thereafter found a new career starring in her own act in Las Vegas hotels and with her then husband, musician Harry James. Voice of a Pin-Up Girl. By 1943, with Grable being named one of the "top ten movie-stars" in the world, and becoming 20th Century Fox's top money maker; Darryl F. Zanuck (Fox's chief) soon named Grable his "favorite" contract-player. For all her immense fame, this girl just couldnt seem to catch a casting break. Although Grable rode her legs to stardom,she paid a grotesque price for her fame. Betty Grable - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays "If that's not luck I don't know what you'd call it" Grable said. Her legs were insured for $1,000,000. The biggest box office star of the 1940s and the most desired WWII pin-up girl, acting-singing-dancing triple-threat Betty Grable became the stuff of Hollywood legend after her studio reportedly . She told the studio she wanted a raise. In 1947, she starred in the highly popular film, Mother Wore Tights in which she was cast opposite Dan Dailey. The couple had two daughters. Actress Born in Missouri #20. Hyman (born Barbara Davis Sherry, to Davis and her third husband William Grant Sherry), at the time of filming for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,. Betty Grable and Her Legs: An Iconic Century - LIFE Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, Anne Revere, Allyn Joslyn, Gene Lockhart, Elizabeth Patterson, Elisabeth Risdon, Arthur Shields, Charles Kemper, Roy Roberts, Coleen Gray, Lillian Bronson (uncredited) Plot: Set in 1874, Cynthia Pilgrim (Grable) graduates as a star student from the Packard Business College of New York. Her husband is Harry James (5 July 1943 - 9 October 1965) ( divorced) ( 2 children), Jackie Coogan (20 November 1937 - 8 October 1940) ( divorced) Betty Grable Net Worth Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Call Me Mister, proved to bring only 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. In fact, grossly enough, he was known for his endurance and his indiscriminate taste. And that wasnt all. On July 2, 1973, at age 56, she died of lung cancer. As a member of the ensemble group of attractive young chorines, Grable appeared in a series of small parts in movies, including the mega-hit Whoopee! 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)). Betty Grable was the pinup queen and inarguably the biggest star of the 1940's, according to box-office records. Yikes. The film was an attempt by Fox to recapture Grable's reputation as the studio's biggest star, and although she was paired with Dale Robertson, the film was a critical and box-office flop. Betty Grable - Rotten Tomatoes The film told the story of two aging vaudeville performers as they look back on their heyday through a series of flashbacks. The Gay Divorcee. Betty Grable - New World Encyclopedia Grable and Coogan divorced later that same year (October 1939). alcoholic, this did not end the bitterness of the two girls. Grable var gift frsta gngen 1937-1939 med Jackie Coogan och andra gngen 1943-1965 med jazztrumpetaren Harry James, med vilken hon fick tv barn. They had two children together: daughter Leslie Diane Coogan was born in Los Angeles, while son Christopher Fenton Coogan was born in Riverside County . The Dolly Sisters (1945), her next film, teamed her with newcomer June Haver, an actress Fox was promoting as Grable's successor. 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 the banner actress for the era before the advent of Playboy and other publications designed to satisfy the lust of the heterosexual male, an era that objectified women but in a more wholesome, less pornographic way that was designed to reinforce all-American values. She often worried about starring opposite well-known leading men. Thrill of a Lifetime. Who were the models in Van Halen's finish what you started video? If only this didnt come back to bite her. The movie was about a Broadway actress who is so successful that her husband considers her more of an asset than a wife. Betty Grable Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements "I Had the Craziest Dream", the ballad from Springtime in the Rockies, was played on the church organ. Without Grable's movies, which generated large profits, the studio struggled to stay afloat. Her two daughters Betty Grable Photos - Etsy Print length. This was followed by small roles in a number of films over the decade. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/30816, Betty Grable's youngest daughter at funeral service. Pin Up Girl received poor reviews but was a tremendous box-office success. Before taking her famed pin-up photo, Betty Grable was working on cheering up the servicemen in another manner. BETTY GRABLE (1916-73) Ascertaining the level of intimacy in many of Betty Grable's relationships is not easy. Only, fame didnt come without drama. In the 1960s, Grable found herself broke and out of the Hollywood studio system that had once rocketed her to fame. "[46] How to Marry a Millionaire was a box-office triumph when released, grossing an estimated $8 million. Was she really a model wife and. Betty Grable: The Reluctant Movie Queen - Google Books 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. Alice Faye asked Baby band Betty and Harry Betty Grable Betty plays Betty Ritz Betty's billing Billy blonde Bob Remick Broadway career Carol Cast Cesar Romero chorus Conn contract Dailey. I've had mine! Betty Grable was an adorable, rosy-cheeked, blonde little girl. In 1946-1947, the Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid woman in America, receiving $300,000 a year. Her movie career is a distant memory now, but there was a time when Betty Grable was the hottest thing going in Hollywood. To hide her baby hump, she turned her back to the camera, and a legend was born. The film has her as a hostess for a USO canteen who also provides entertainment for the troops during their time there. 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. Grable stuck in his head so much that when Hefner returned home, he set to work on Playboywith her in mind. Elizabeth, who later became Betty, was enrolled in Clark's Dancing School at the age of three. When the couple had their first-born daughter, they named her Victoria Elizabeth, after Grables character in the film Springtime in the Rockies. However, the deception was found out and she was disqualified. The film was an immediate hit, Grable's biggest success to date, grossing more than $2 million. Betty Grable's Daughter Shares New Details on Pin-Up Career Some say Grable and Faye had a rivalry, but this has been denied by both actresses. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born on December 18, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Lillian Rose (Hofmann) and John Conn Grable, a stockbroker. Betty Grable Popularity. [3] Betty Grable - Net Worth February 2023, Salary, Age, Siblings, Bio Betty Grablewas born onDecember 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missourias the youngest child of Lillian Rose (ne Hofmann) and John Charles Grable. It may be hard to believe considering the stature of Grables talent and fame, but she was incredibly insecure about her abilities. Grables pin-up photo was so popular during WWII that approximately 5 million men serving overseas had it. Every item on Calisphere has been contributed to the site by a California institution. Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. Gambling, smoking, affairs, Betty was far They were so popular, they even spawned a lyric in song sung by WWII GI's,"I want a gal, just like the gal, who married Harry . 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. Betty Grable was interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California. When they asked to get a photo of Monroe in front of Grables name, signaling a transition of stars, Monroe absolutely refused. Among the luminaries attending her funeral were her ex-husband Harry James, Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Booth, Mitzi Gaynor, Johnnie Ray, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero, George Raft, Alice Faye and Dan Dailey. 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. Lillian's dream was to be a dancer. Producers had originally offered her the part, but she had turned it down, stubbornly sticking to her no challenges rule. When this deception was discovered, however, Grable was fired. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1 Or, watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSKgHx6EQVOwNKVz1cR2hKVDo you think you know a lot about TV? 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. Wabash Avenue, was a up-to-date remake of Grable's 1943 film Coney Island, and, she again co-starred with Dan Dailey for My Blue Heaven; both films are known as musical classics. She struggled to make it in movies for years. One of her big roles was in College Swing (1938). In 1943, she collaborated with photographer Frank Powolny for a regular studio photo session. Yep, that Judy Garland. Three for the Show, was released by Columbia Pictures; making the film Grable's first film away from 20th Century Fox, since she signed with them in 1940. 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. Although she received no on-screen credit for her performance, she led the film's opening musical number, titled "Cowboys". What happened to Betty Grable's kids? Grable, being generally kind-hearted and very in love, somehow let him. It enjoyed reasonable success at the box office, particularly overseas. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, the movie was a traditional black-and-white film noir, containing a combination of suspense and romance. Freeze Frame: The single photo that made Betty Grable the number-one pin-up girl during WWII. The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Glam Facts About Nils Asther, The Male Greta Garbo, Scorned Facts About Farida, Egypts Rejected Queen, Rebellious Facts About Drew Barrymore, Hollywood's Comeback Kid, Adventurous Facts About Frances Marion, Hollywoods Pioneer Writer. She then officially retired from motion-picture acting. Were always looking for your input! The film's success led to Grable's casting in Tin Pan Alley (1940), co-starring Faye. 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. 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. This gets even more impressive when you think about the competition she was up against, including classic heavy hitters like Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable. Betty had two siblings, Marjorie Lucille Grable and John Karl 'Jackie' Grable. It is steeped in lurid stories about deceased stars who would die if they rea Grable helped out at the canteen and gave herself to the cause by dancing with many of the young men. Betty Grable Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous Birthdays By (1930), starring Eddie Cantor. Grable's performance was reviewed favorably by most critics, and the film enjoyed reasonable financial success. 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. As a result, she finds herself "engaged" to just about every guy she dances with. 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. Betty Grable Facts for Kids - Kiddle As soon as Betty arrived in Lansing, Governor Williams, his spouse and three youngsters referred to as on her. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. The couple had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica. The lavish musical used the pin-up photograph in many scenes, which boosted the photo's sales. As stated before, Betty Grable's life was short. After Lubitsch's death early in production, Otto Preminger took over. In 1942, she was cast in Song of the Islands and Footlight Serenade, two successful motion pictures. She was born as Elizabeth Ruth Grable to John Conn Grable and Lillian Rose Hofmann. Betty Grable - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help In 1943 Grable married jazz trumpeter and band leader Harry James. [50] She also appeared on Broadway in Hello Dolly in 1967. On August 10, 1941, he married Flower Parry (d.1981). 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. [13] Grable's photograph sold millions of copies, eventually surpassing the popularity of Rita Hayworth's famous 1941 photo.[33]. Her mother soon gave her a make-over which included dyeing her hair platinum blonde. 25 Feb/23. Harry 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). She was the youngest of three children. contributor's website. In 1946, Grable appeared as Herself in a cameo role in Do You Love Me. It was two years before Betty's name appeared on screen when she received seventh billing in the film Child of Manhattan. After Tin Pan Alley, Grable was teamed again with Ameche in the hit musical Moon Over Miami (1941), which co-starred up-and-coming actress Carole Landis. She was in a relationship with the much younger dancer Bob Remick which lasted till her death. They had two daughters, Victoria Elizabeth "Vicki" Bivens (born 1944) and Jessica Yahner (1947-2016). [32] The picture was released as a poster and became the most requested photo for G.I.s stationed overseas. Rich, famous, beautiful, and talented, Betty Grable and Harry James were a Hollywood superstar couple. She starred along with Dan Dailey as married vaudeville performers whose children are embarrassed of their parents profession. too busy making movies and having affairs to care too much about 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. 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. Grable grabbed her own personal polish and gave Monroe a pedicure herself. Pin Up Girl is a 1944 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy motion picture starring Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye, and Joe E. Brown.. All Rights Reserved. Down Argentine Way. February 5, 2012 Greta Conn and Lillian Grable had a pact - no more children. While on set, she met debonair bandleader Harry James, who also starred in the film. Betty Grable Children - JustPersonalCare So, how much is Betty Grable worth at the age of 57 years old? So, are the people in Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? The screenplay was based upon two plays by Zoe Akins and Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. Ex-wife of Harry James and John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan 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. 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. In was in 1940 that she landed her first leading roleshe was chosen to play Glenda Crawfordin the musical film Down Argentine Way which also had Don Ameche, Charlotte Greenwood and Carmen Miranda in the star cast. The Betty Grable Centennial | True Devotion Betty's father, Conn Grable, lives permanently at the ranch and oversees things. The law at that time required the girls to be over 15 to dance in the chorus. [2], She replaced Alice Faye in Down Argentine Way (1940), her first major Hollywood film, and became Fox's biggest film star throughout the next decade. Grable was kind and loving at heart, and she eventually reconciled with Zanuck. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Betty Grable. Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943), her follow-up feature, was equally successful at the box office, but it failed to obtain the same critical favor. [10] The same year, she made her uncredited film debut as a chorus girl in the Fox Studios all-star revue Happy Days (1929). In 1949, although she still placed in the top 10, she slipped from second to seventh place in popularity. The film followed the lines of other movies of the era, but it was not considered a propaganda movie by the studio. 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. Elizabeth Ruth (Betty) Grable - New Netherland Institute Betty Grable (1916-1973) - Find a Grave Memorial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Grable#Filmography. Betty finally landed a substantial part in By Your Leave (1934). Reams have been written about Miss Betty Grable the star. For all her good-girl looks and apple pie charms, Grable lived one scrappy existence as a struggling starlet. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? During production, Grable and Monroe falsely were rumored to be at odds with each other. Her marriage to trumpeter Harry James in 1943 produced two children and reams of publicity . They had two children together. Thats when it all changed. The Dolly Sisters earned more than $4 million at the box office and was Fox's second-highest earning movie of the year, behind Leave Her to Heaven. It was a triumphant show of strength, but it backfired horribly.