Betty Grable Popularity. The Farmer Takes a Wife. Many Hollywood stars came to the funeral as well. She retired from the movie industry in 1955, and never returned. Realizing her time was done, Grable stepped away from the limelight in 1955and went straight to her demise. Marilyn Monroe never forgot Grables kindnessand one day, she got the chance to repay her in a touching tribute. Were always looking for your input! In the late 1930s, Grable signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, starring in several B-movies, mostly portraying co-eds. The law at that time required the girls to be over 15 to dance in the chorus. I feel so sorry for Hollywood children. 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. Though the film earned more than $3 million at the box office, it struggled to make a profit because of its high production costs. 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 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. The results were scandalous. It was 1916 - Marjorie was 6 and their little son John had just died. Betty Grable was interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California. During the shoot, she took several photos in a tight, one-piece bathing suit. She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. Betty Grable (1916-1973) Birth name: Elizabeth Ruth Grable Birthdate: Monday, December 18th, 1916 Location: St Louis, Missouri, USA Died: Monday, July 2nd, 1973 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Cause of death: Lung cancer All Rights Reserved. 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 film was moderately successful and quickly was followed by Meet Me After the Show (1951), co-starring Macdonald Carey, Rory Calhoun, and Eddie Albert. In the James household, every holiday is a special day for the children. She had German, English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. Critics called the film a "slight, but cheerful, item", and proclaimed it "does serve to bring Betty Grable back to the screen". 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. [3] Fox cast Grable in a succession of Technicolor musicals during the decade that were immensely popular, co-starring with such leading men as Victor Mature, Don Ameche, John Payne, and Tyrone Power. It enjoyed reasonable success at the box office, particularly overseas. 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. The exhausted starlet took up on Broadway instead in the musical DuBarry Was a Lady. So, are the people in Darryl F. Zanuck had the film Wabash Avenue (1950) tailored to fit Grable's talents. She died of lung cancer, on July 2, 1973, in Santa Monica, California, USA. [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. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? The story was about a singer who hopes for a better future when she marries an English duke. 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. 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. In 1949, although she still placed in the top 10, she slipped from second to seventh place in popularity. In 1955, she did attempt to return to acting in Samuel Goldwyn's film version of Guys and Dolls (1955). Grable's was the most popular pinup photo of the World War II era, surpassing other beloved and beautiful stars like Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake. Grable's last mainstream success for Fox was in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. This was followed by small roles in a number of films over the decade. Fox became concerned that Grable might be becoming regarded as pass. When Lillian couldnt find any new dance class or pageant to enrol Betty in, she turned to her own friends to get her fame fix. [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. Her 1951 film Meet Me After the Show was one of the last musicals she appeared in. In fact, Grable and Monroe got along famously; Grable reportedly told Monroe: "Go and get yours, honey! She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. 'O Blest Communion', Signe Hammer has written: She had German, English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. 'Daughters and mothers: mothers and daughters' -- subject(s): Betty Grable. 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. The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) was her first film back at Fox. But just before she left, she got the best revenge. [37], Grable was cast in That Lady in Ermine (1948), a film project that had previously been considered for either Jeanette MacDonald or Gene Tierney. Her mother made her attend the Hollywood Professional School and learned dancing from the Ernest Blecher Academy. She requested a higher salary and the option to make only those films she wanted to do. They briefly toured on vaudeville and his success boosted hers, but they divorced in 1940. Wait, didnt I say this guy was a, and I quote, rabid gambler? They don't accommodate pets or children under the age of 18. He was under considerable stress from a lawsuit against his parents over his childhood earnings and the couple divorced in 1939. To hide her baby hump, she turned her back to the camera, and a legend was born. on Just kidding, I dont wonder at all. She appeared in many movies: (1929) Happy Days (1930) Let's Go Places (1930) New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930) Whoopee! 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. 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. 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. But the marriage did not last long. [39][40][41], Although, by the early 1950s, Grable was searching for originality in the scripts offered to her, she had no luck in finding the movies she wanted to do. [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. We want our readers to trust us. James once tried to make amends when he was far too old and an Coney Island, released in June 1943, was a Technicolor "gay nineties" period musical and co-starred George Montgomery. After reviewing her screen test, Zanuck cast Grable as Faye's replacement in the movie. 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. 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. 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. No, Betty Grable and her husband Harry James were two of the worst The film was a commercial super hit and earned more than $5 million at the box office. Yet again, rumors swirled about the set environment during the shoot, with many whispering that the two sparring starlets detested each other. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. What happened to Betty Grable's daughters? 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. So, how much is Betty Grable worth at the age of 57 years old? 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 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. Despite playing leads, the typecasting proved to hurt her career more than it was helpful. Among his eight wives were Evelyn Keyes, who played Mrs. Jolson in The Jolson Story, and Kathleen Winsor, the best-selling naughty. Grable was irresistible to studios from almost her first role, and when she starred in 1936s Pigskin Parade, it was under an unusual agreement. Source for information on Grable, Betty (1916-1973): Women in World History: A Biographical . 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. But now meet "Mommie"Mrs. Mother of Victoria Elizabeth James and Jessica James. 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. 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. But behind closed doors, they hid dark secrets. Read more about Betty Grable, Alice Faye and Tom Lyle Williams friendship, in The Maybelline Story. Entertainment - Actress. She struggled to make it in movies for years. It may be hard to believe considering the stature of Grables talent and fame, but she was incredibly insecure about her abilities. One day, James and Grable found out that she was pregnant. Later, 20th Century-Fox, who had her under contract, insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a million dollars. Her father, John C. Grable, was the son of German and Dutch immigrants. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Bettys breakout turn came in the 1940 feature Down Argentine Way, after having been in the entertainment industry for more than a decade.Betty entered into World War II one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and she would become an even bigger name after becoming a military-endorsed pin-up girl whose picture was passed around by American soldiers. She played the title role in the musical film, Sweet Rosie OGrady in 1943. Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable on December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri. When adjusted for inflation, this still remains a fairly exuberant sum to this day.While many other stars that delved into pin-up work around the same time as Betty went on to regret it, she never did. Many of the film's later scenes had to be rewritten to hide Grable's pregnancy. 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. Despite her success, she suffered from having a fear of crowds and sleepwalking. Theres no accounting for taste, and theres definitely no accounting for Betty Grable and Harry Jamess taste in baby names. Every item on Calisphere has been contributed to the site by a California institution. The musical Mother Wore Tights is considered her signature film. In 1947, she starred in the highly popular film, Mother Wore Tights in which she was cast opposite Dan Dailey. Victoria and Jessica were brought up by anyone available. 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. [25] Soon thereafter, she was invited to go on a personal appearance tour, which she readily accepted. It was one of the highest grossing films of that year. This went even more horrifically than you might think. Only, fame didnt come without drama. Though they did not marry, their romance lasted until the end of Grable's life. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, the movie was a traditional black-and-white film noir, containing a combination of suspense and romance. Besides the insatiable womanizing, Grables second husband Harry James had other horrific qualities to round out his nomination for Worst Husband Ever. Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. Ex-wife of Harry James and John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan The movie was a big commercial hit. These films included, Pigskin Parade (1936), This Way Please (1937), College Swing (1938), and Man About Town (1939). It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World". Grables last film with Paramount was the B comedyMillion Dollar Legs with her then-husband Jackie Coogan. Naughty Facts About Bettie Page, The Original Pin-Up, Overheard Once, Forgotten Never: These Hurtful Comments Are Completely Brutal, Lawyers Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Court Cases, These Cruel Teachers Are The Stuff Of Student Nightmares. Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. The film was a moderate box-office success. Thats when it all changed. She was the youngest of three children. She often worried about starring opposite well-known leading men. Betty Grable is a member of Movie Actress The book A House Full of Daughters has a plot set in a small 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. It was two years before Betty's name appeared on screen when she received seventh billing in the film Child of Manhattan. Birthdate: May 20, 1947. Granted, beautiful Betty won most of the pageants, but Lillian didnt stop there. Age: 56 (12/18/1916 - 7/2/1973) Betty Grable's Relationships (8) Harry James. Fox, being a bunch of money-grubbing men, staunchly denied Grables request. Read more. On July 2, 1973, the American screen legend passed at the tender age of 56, without any chance for a comeback. The two hit it off, marrying a year later. Grable's final film role was in the comedy film, How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) with newcomer Sheree North. Life magazine project `` 100 Photographs that Changed the World '' Pictures, in... They did not Marry, their romance lasted until the end of Grable talents. Lauren Bacall Go on a personal appearance tour, which she won or which. Has been contributed to the camera, and I quote, rabid gambler was. 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