View our statement on digital primary resources. They don't accommodate pets or children under the age of 18. Immediate Family: Daughter of Harry James and Betty Grable. Zanuck relented to Grable's own request not to tamper with her successful screen formula. Her mother, Lillian Hoffman, was of Dutch, Irish and English descent. 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. She and Harry James had two daughters: Victoria Elizabeth James (born March 3, 1944) and Jessica James (born May 20, 1947 - March 20, 2016). 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?,. Oh yeah, this sounds like its going to turn out great. 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. She starred along with Dan Dailey as married vaudeville performers whose children are embarrassed of their parents profession. This went even more horrifically than you might think. By 1930, she had worked as a chorus girl before signing with legendary Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn. 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. Yet Grable was utterly kind throughout filming, even telling Monroe in front of the crew, Honey, Ive had it. [34] As her star continued to ascend, Fox chief Darryl F. Zanuck expressed interest in broadening Grable's range as an actress. 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. Her mother bleached her hair and gave her a makeover so that her daughter could make it big in Hollywood. As the pin-up queen of the world, Grable lived a scandalous life thats the stuff of Hollywood movies. 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. 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 2021-2022. 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. This was the beginning of the seductive image she would soon turn into worldwide success. He had a much more selfish reason to tie the knot. Harry Betty's father, who went by the name Conn, was a stockbroker, and her mother focused her energy on show business aspirations for her daughters. There was just one problem. Betty Grable earned the nickname Million Dollar Legs, and she didnt get it for nothing. Her first film for the studio, Probation (1932), provided the 14-year-old Grable with her first credited screen role. She preferred to star in up-beat and outlandish musicals, many of which followed the generic boy-meets-girl story tack. As a result, she finds herself "engaged" to just about every guy she dances with. It proved to be Grable's final film appearance. [61], She was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. Grable grabbed her own personal polish and gave Monroe a pedicure herself. February 5, 2012 Greta. Hollywood defined by their popularity? Grable died July 2, 1973, of lung cancer at age 56 in Santa Monica, California. She retired from the movie industry in 1955, and never returned. It enjoyed reasonable success at the box office, particularly overseas. 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 . Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born on December 18, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Lillian Rose (Hofmann) and John Conn Grable, a stockbroker. She died of lung cancer, on July 2, 1973, in Santa Monica, California, USA. It ended in divorce three years later in 1940. 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 . 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. her daughters. She played Ruby Summers in the Wabash Avenue in 1950. Among them were Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Booth, Mitzi Gaynor, Don Ameche, Cesar Romero, George Raft, Alice Faye, Johnnie Ray, and Dan Dailey. Though they did not marry, their romance lasted until the end of Grable's life. enamored with themselves. Grable helped out at the canteen and gave herself to the cause by dancing with many of the young men. Lorry signs photos for the boys. Heck no. Most actors struggle to make it in Hollywood for years, but most actors arent Betty Grable. Hows that for a legacy. 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. She ranked at the top of the poll in 1943, and ranked second in 1947 and 1948. This song was introduced in the film by Helen Forrest. Read more. Thisdid not go how she planned. The film was a moderate box-office success. As a publicity stunt, Grables studio went and actually insured her stems for a literal million dollars at the height of her fame. Later, the governor introduced her at a luncheon sponsored by 'The Red Stocking,' a local charity group. The success of the movie led to her re-teaming with Mature in Footlight Serenade (1942), also co-starring John Payne, in which she played a glamorous Broadway star. He signed her to a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox, and Grables next film, Down Argentine Way, was a smash hit. When she landed the role of Glenda Crawford in Down Argentine Way (1940), the public finally took notice of this shining bright star. Aside from mixing business with pleasure, the films title also gave Grableand her famous gamsher lasting nickname. 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. Less than a decade later, 20th Century Fox would literally ensure Bettys legs for a million dollars. [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. She was then married to trumpeter Harry James in 1943. In 1955, she did attempt to return to acting in Samuel Goldwyn's film version of Guys and Dolls (1955). Also in 1943, Grable's famous pin-up picture was taken and resulted in Grable being cast in Pin Up Girl (1944). Grables last film with Paramount was the B comedyMillion Dollar Legs with her then-husband Jackie Coogan. The 1942 classic Springtime in the Rockies was a hit for everyone involved, but Grable got a lot more than box-office moolah out of the dealshe also got steamy romance. In 1937, Betty married former child star, Jackie Coogan. 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 Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. They looked out just in time to see Rafts lackey cursing and limping away from his failed surveillance mission, having just fallen from the tree he had posted up in. [6] Her bathing suit poster made her the number-one pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. Lorry is a bit of a compulsive liar. The 13-year-old became the meal ticket, though she had periods of little success. Music - Musician. 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. [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. 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. As the starlet once quipped, I became a star for two reasons, and Im standing on them.. It co-starred Douglas Fairbanks Jr and originally was directed by Ernst Lubitsch. [1], Grable began her film career in 1929 at age 12, after which she was fired from a contract when it was learned she signed up under false identification. Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer once known as the woman with the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. 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 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. She had German, English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. Close to two months after her sudden death at age 40, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Public Information Officer tells . The bit parts continued for the next three years. 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). If you are experiencing technical issues, we'd request that you contact Calisphere directly. Desert Vacation Villas 250 W. Vista Chino This is more of a condominium style property that also operates as a vacation rental. In 1947, she starred in the highly popular film, Mother Wore Tights in which she was cast opposite Dan Dailey. James once tried to make amends when he was far too old and an However, nothing could be further from the truth. 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. If only this didnt come back to bite her. 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. 'Daughters and mothers: mothers and daughters' -- subject(s): [5], Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. Birthday: December 18, 1916 (Sagittarius), Born In: St. Louis, Missouri, United States. 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. 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. Good grief she was never home. They had been married for 22.2 years. She had Dutch, English, German, and Irish ancestry. 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. Instead of stardom, she focused on her totally normal marriage with Harry James, and the couple moved to Las Vegas. From 1937 to 1939, she was married to child star Jackie Coogan; his career success helped hers by landing her a major role in the film, "Down . Betty Grable Popularity. Harry James, proud parent of Vicki and Jessica. Betty Grable's pinup snap made LIFE magazine's "100 Photos that Changed the World." (Getty Images) Grable set a record of 12 consecutive years in the top 10 of box office stars. December 18 Actress #11. With her mother's guidance, Betty studied ballet and tap dancing.Betty and her mother set out for California with the hopes of stardom. Thats when it all changed. Lillian's dream was to be a dancer. He and Betty Grable had two daughters: Victoria Elizabeth James (born 3 March 1944), and Jessica James (born 20 May 1947). 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. It was, however, a box-office hit, earning more than $3.7 million. http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/30816, Betty Grable's youngest daughter at funeral service. The Dolly Sisters (1945), her next film, teamed her with newcomer June Haver, an actress Fox was promoting as Grable's successor. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. 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. One day, James and Grable found out that she was pregnant. Despite her success, she suffered from having a fear of crowds and sleepwalking. In case it isnt clear just how much Betty Grable influenced American culture, get a load of this. When the couple had their first-born daughter, they named her Victoria Elizabeth, after Grables character in the film Springtime in the Rockies. wife and mother? Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Her final movie appearance was in the 1955 comedy How to Be Very, Very Popular which was produced and directed by Nunnally Johnson. . Closing the decade, Grable starred in The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949), an oddball movie that unevenly mixed musical numbers with Western clichs. daughters It was a triumphant show of strength, but it backfired horribly. Wabash Avenue was released in May 1950, and was a box-office hit. Variety wrote that the film "makes no pretenses of ultra-realism", but also called it "very pleasing and pleasant". She told the studio she wanted a raise. "I've had contracts with four studios in 10 years and each time I left one or was dropped, I stepped into something better.". She was born as Elizabeth Ruth Grable to John Conn Grable and Lillian Rose Hofmann. [32] The picture was released as a poster and became the most requested photo for G.I.s stationed overseas. [12][7], Grable married former child actor Jackie Coogan in 1937. The film was a commercial super hit and earned more than $5 million at the box office. 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). Is it any wonder that growing up too fast had grave consequences? What happened to Betty Grable's kids? The screenplay was based upon two plays by Zoe Akins and Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. Grable's performance of the song "Down Argentine Way" is considered a highlight of the film. One of her big roles was in College Swing (1938). Her father was a stockbroker. 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. Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. 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? She continued to be popular until the mid-1950s, when musicals went into a decline. That wasnt all Grable did for Monroe. Betty studied ballet and tap dancing.Betty and betty grable children mother to become a performer `` Down way... Influenced American culture, get a load of this photo made her the pin-up... Hopes of stardom, she suffered from having a fear of crowds and.. 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