For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies Please note that uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide Born on June 21, 1921, Ernestine Jane Russell grew up in a Bible-loving household, the oldest child and only daughter in a brood of five. In addition to her comedic roles, Russell was known for playing dramatic characters, often wealthy, dignified, and stylish women. The British Government sought to compile data on the bombings of British towns and cities throughout the war, as they related to the approximately 63,000 civilians killed in air raids, and they did this in a variety of ways. In 1950s America, Jane Russells scandalous hour-glass figure caused an absolute frenzy. Sandra Storme, circa 1930s. Finally, the film gained general release in 1946. The screen siren was 89 years old. Her family was a wealthy one and she enjoyed a comfortable childhood. She was born into wealth and privilege but for Golden Age moviegoers, Rosalind Russell represented the epitome of the working woman. When the interviewer brought up Monroes connection to the Kennedys, Russell agreed that she believed they had a part in her friends untimely demise. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. 483623. Russell never remarried after him. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. ROSALIND RUSSELL JANE DARWELL 1936 CRAIG'S WIFE 8X10 PHOTO. Submit Related Articles 30 Must-Read Books. The movie earned $3 million.[20]. His Kind of Woman and Macao were minor hits but both involved so much re-shooting because of the interference of Hughes that they lost money.[17]. The movie's penultimate moment showed Russell in a form-fitting one-piece bathing suit with strategic cutouts, performing a then-provocative musical number titled "Lookin' for Trouble". [8] Russell attended Catholic schools, including the women's-only Rosemont College in Rosemont, Pennsylvania and Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York. Her last on-screen appearance was in a 1986 episode of Hunter.[32]. bila je amerika kazalina i filmska glumica, moda najpoznatija kao brbljajua reporterka novina u Hawksovoj screwball komediji His Girl Friday, te kao originalni tuma Auntie Mame na Broadwayu i na filmu.Osvojila je svih 5 Zlatnih globusa za koje je bila nominirana, a do 2007. godine bila po broju osvojenih nagrada izjednaena s . Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? The procedure was difficult, and afterexperiencing severe complications, Russell went to see her family doctor for a check-up. In 1947, Russell delved into music before returning to films. News images provided by Press Association Advertisement. In the film, a reworking of Ben Hecht's story The Front Page, Russell plays quick-witted ace reporter Hildy Johnson, who was also the ex-wife of her newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant). Faced with a difficult choice at a young age, she ultimately chose to terminate the pregnancy. "[13][14], She did not appear in another movie until 1946, when she played Joan Kenwood in Young Widow for Hunt Stromberg, who released it through United Artists. It also spelled the end of the production company that Russell began with her husband Bob Waterfield. Gail Russell Photo, Jane Fonda Photo, 1936 Year Collectible Vehicle Original Photos, 1936 Year Automobilia, Shirtless Photo, Stockings Photo, The cause was a respiratory-related illness, her daughter-in-law, Etta Waterfield, said. [5] Russell's parents lived in Edmonton, Alberta until shortly before her birth and returned to that city nine days after her birth, where they lived for the first one or two years of her life. Funny, Life, Movie. Even against those odds, she became one of the most desirable women in Hollywood, known for her sultry appeal and curvaceous figurebut behind the scenes, Russell knew tragedy and heartbreak far too well. Most Popular. She did not act in films in 1944. Russ-Field produced Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), a sequel to Blondes in which Russell starred alongside Jeanne Crain, for release through United Artists. For most of the next decade, she only occasionally appeared in films and mostly stuck to television and music, chalking it up to her advanced ageshe was in her mid-30s. [26], Russell has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the 1700 block of Vine Street. One British politician was so outraged that he called for baby Thomass return to the UK. Films such as His Kind of Woman (1951) and The Las Vegas Story (1952) did nothing to highlight her true acting abilities. [1][2] She was the eldest child and only daughter of the five children of Geraldine (ne Jacobi) and Roy William Russell, who married on March 22, 1918, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In Shakespeare's play As You Like It Shakespeare presents the two different worlds of court life and the country life by making the court a place of corruption. She was a buxom 19 year old working in a humdrum job at a doctors office when infamous Hollywood director Howard Hughes walked through the door. Condition: New New. While Hughes didnt get as creepy with her as he did other starlets, he was once quoted as saying: There are two good reasons why men go to see [Russell], and those are enough.. However, she also revealed her own dark suspicions about Monroes infamously tragic end. That wasnt Russells only connection to the armed forcesher father, Roy William Russell, had been a first lieutenant in the US Army. Rosalind Russell. While working on the film, von Sternberg sniped that Russell was a beautiful stupid girl. There were fights on set, and the director constantly threatened to fire his actorsbut in the end, it was von Sternberg who got fired himself. The controversy over The Outlaw had made a star of Russell, and its success just cemented her place in Hollywood. As the oldest, Jane decided that shed get a job as a receptionist to support her family. Also in the 1970s, Russell started appearing in television commercials as a spokeswoman for Playtex "'Cross-Your-Heart Bras' for us full-figured gals", featuring the "18-Hour Bra", still one of International Playtex's best-known products even as of early March 2011. [15] Russell found out about this while riding on a train to New York, when she read an article in The New York Times stating that she had been cast in the film and listing all the actresses who had turned the part down. The persnickety Hughes demanded an entire years worth of reshoots for the film, with the castnow annoyed and fighting each othereven throwing an anniversary party for the shoots. During her contract with RKO Pictures, Russell was cast opposite Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price in His Kind of Woman. However, Russell later revealed the truth about the whole thing. It was such a grueling process, Russell later said that she felt as it she spent the first half of the 1940s doing nothing but promoting her debut film. Hughes cast Russell opposite Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price in His Kind of Woman (1951), a film noir originally directed by John Farrow in 1950 which would be reshot by Richard Fleischer the following year. [17] Russell used the pen name C.A. The film went over budget by $600,000 and was a box office failure.[15]. This film showed Jane's comedic side very well. Rosalind Russell starred in His Girl Friday, which showcases on Tuesday, November 15 on Film4 at 12.55pm. Brisson had been traveling from England to the United States by ship in 1939, and The Women was playing on an endless loop during the voyage. On the sitcom Maude (the episode "The Wallet"), Walter Findlay (played by Bill Macy) carries a lipstick impression and autograph of Jane Russell on a cocktail napkin in his wallet as a good luck charm. We want our readers to trust us. McKnight again in 1971, when she was credited as screenwriter for adapting the novel The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax into the screenplay for Mrs. Pollifax-Spy, in which she also starred. When Russell was just 18 years old, she became pregnant with Waterfields child. submissions or preferences. ROSALIND RUSSELL JANE DARWELL 1936 CRAIG'S WIFE 8X10 PHOTO. The film was finally fully released in 1946, and it was a hit. She also cut a 78 rpm album that year for Columbia Records, Let's Put Out the Lights, which included eight torch ballads and cover art that included a diaphanous gown. As a young girl she was an adventurous tomboy who loved to climb . Jane Austen Book Club (2007) . The voluptuous Russell was a popular pin-up during the Korean War as wellso popular, that the forces there named a pair of embattled hills in her honor. [28], In October 1957, she debuted in a successful solo nightclub act at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Rosalind Russell, long one of the brightest stars of the American stage and screen, whose witty sophistication as Auntie Mame was a natural extension of Roz, the woman, died yesterday of cancer at . 20 Copy quote. One Tough, Funny Lady. She starred in more than 20 films. [citation needed], In 1989, Russell received the Women's International Center Living Legacy Award. Russell was acclaimed when she co-starred with Robert Young in the MGM drama West Point of the Air (1935). Russell shot Montana Belle for Fidelity Pictures in 1948, playing Belle Starr. . [4] Russell's career spanned from 1930s to the 1970s and she attributed this longevity to the fact that, although she had many glamorous roles, she never became a sex symbol.[5]. Is keri Russell related to Kurt Russell? As Monroe put it, Jane tried to convert me (to religion), and I tried to introduce her to Freud. Obviously, neither woman budged in her beliefs. At first, filming went off without a hitchthat is, until Howard Hughes stepped in, While making His Kind of Woman, Mitchum came up with a cheeky nickname for Russell, calling her Hard John for her rigid Christian beliefs. This biography gives detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements and timeline. Thomas eventually became a US citizen and would go on to play in the band Toucan Eddy. Jane Russell was a popular American actress of the 1940s and 1950s. Jane Russell (1921-2011) Jane Russell. Sadly, the failure of The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown went far beyond disappointing ticket sales. In addition to music, she was interested in drama and participated in stage productions at Van Nuys High School. All Rights Reserved. $264,000. [citation needed]. Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. Russ-Field also made some films without Russell for United Artists: The King and Four Queens (1956) starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker (co-produced with Gable's company), and Run for the Sun (1956) starring Richard Widmark and Jane Greer. He joked, "Culture is the ability to describe Jane Russell without moving your hands. Eventually, Russells good looks were bound to land her a romance, and in 1943 she got one. Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw dance with top hats and canes in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She was named Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell. One critic wrote: "Rosalind Russell as the 'other woman' in the story gives an intelligent and deft handling to her scenes with Young. Rosalind Russell, Chris Chase (1979). In 1947, Russell launched a musical career. After 25 years and three months of love and loss, Russell was unexpectedly alone for the first time since in high school. Hughes was well-known for his love of beautiful young women, so its no surprise that he immediately focused on Jane Russell. as they attempt to solve a murder. Warehoused as a Universal acquisition and underutilized at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the lanky, dark-eyed actress tested her comic chops in George Cukor's "The Women" (1939) before coming into her own as Cary Grant's co-star in Howard Hawks' "His Girl Friday" (1. Geraldine Russell had been an actress before starting their family in Bemidji, Minnesota. It was a critical and commercial failure. About us. Russell's career revived when she was cast as Calamity Jane opposite Bob Hope in The Paleface (1948) on loan out to Paramount. First up was The Outlaw, a Western about infamous outlaw Billy the Kid, where she played his love interest. It made $2 million but because of its large cost was a financial flop. Samantha Henman has been a senior editor and copywriter at Factinate since 2018. [citation needed]. Hughes had cut some more salacious footage from the film, but the whole ordeal had scared off the films distributorand if it didnt get released, hed lose millions. The film was not a classic by any means but was geared through its marketing to show off Jane's ample physical assets rather than acting abilities. The looks, star power, and chemistry of the leads made it seem like the film would be a guaranteed blockbuster. A noted comedienne,[3] she won all five Golden Globes for which she was nominated. Rosalind Russell (1908 - 1976) in a scene from 'The Women' about New York socialite women. In 2006, her eyesight began to deteriorate. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Instead of signing with another studio, Russell and her husband Bob Waterfield began Russ-Field Productions. While making The Outlaw, Hughes designed a now-infamous underwire bra just for Russell to further propel her cleavage onwards and upwards for the movie. created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant Russell had immediately connected to the young boy for a heartbreaking reasonhe reminded her of her younger brother Billie, who had passed away at just 16 months old. Russell actually organized a weekly Bible study at her home which she named the Hollywood Christian group.. In 1940, Russell was signed to a seven-year contract by film mogul Howard Hughes,[8] and made her motion-picture debut in The Outlaw (1943), a story about Billy the Kid that went to great lengths to showcase her voluptuous figure. Shes also worked as a translator, editor, and writer for a stable of commercial clients. 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. In fact, while making her most famous film, the classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Jane Russell actually tried to convert her co-star, Marilyn Monroe, to Christianity. It was yet another setback for Russell, but her patience would soon pay off. She was a recovering alcoholic who had gone into rehab at age 79, and described herself in a 2003 interview, saying, "These days, I am a teetotal, mean-spirited, right-wing, narrow-minded, conservative Christian bigot, but not a racist. It has emerged that she and her husband adopted their son Thomas Waterfield in 1952 in a move that sparked controversy and almost ended her a career according to the BBC. Her next project was the Hughes-produced Macao, and this time she had to deal with temperamental Austrian director Josef von Sternberg, who quickly made enemies of most of the castbut who had a special dislike for Russell. Russell had spent years in Hollywood purgatory waiting for The Outlaw to be released, and over time, the endless delays took a major toll on her career. (Picasso) 2 The benefits of including the Visual Arts Personal expression Develops imagination & creativity A vital form of . The film was a sizeable box office hit, earning $4.5 million and becoming Paramount's most successful release of the year.[16]. When a reporter asked her about her reputation for being hard-nosed about her faith, she had a sassy retort: Christians can have big breasts too.. Russell confessed that she began to drink after the loss of her husband, and that her family had to confront her about her problem and urge her to seek treatment. [34] Russell was voted one of the 40 Most Iconic Movie Goddesses of all time in 2009 by Glamour (UK edition). Grant sheepishly explained that the odd fellow was Freddie Brisson, the man whom he had mentioned so often, and they set off for dinner, with Freddie in tow. Here are 50 scandalous facts about the brunette bombshell. Because I was getting too old! Despite the uproar in the UK, Russells career made a quick recovery stateside. The family was well-to-do and although Jane was the only girl among four brothers, her mother saw to it that she took piano lessons. I earnestly want to get away from this. Thankfully, the flick was a massive hit for Paramount that yearbut for Russell, the best was yet to come. 1,106 Square Feet. Growing up, Russell was always called Jane; apparently her mother, a former actress . The Russells were an Irish-American, Catholic family. Thanks for your help! The actor Jane Russell, who has died aged 89, was among the most desired women of the 20th century. In 1934, with some stock company work and a little Broadway experience, she was tested and signed by Universal. Russell said that she initially wore the bikini in front of her "horrified" movie crew while "feeling very naked". The subtly-named Boin-n-n-ng!. . Although the role was small, she received good notices, with one critic saying that she was "convincing as the woman scorned". In the early 50s, the longtime couple adopted a baby girl. Ann Sothern, circa 1930s. unless otherwise stated. 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. According to Russell, when the doctor took a look at her that day, he asked her a terrifying question:What butcher did this to you? As it turned out, the botched procedure had left the young girl infertile. Russell actually dreamed of becoming a fashion designer rather than an actress, but her mother had different ideas. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rosalind Russell original glamour studio portrait photo 1949 RKO at the best online prices at eBay! In her autobiography, Russell said that she found Hughes baffling bra invention to be incredibly uncomfortableso she devised a way to get around wearing it. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal. She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. USD. In 1959, she debuted with a tour of Janus in New England, performed in Skylark and also starred in Bells Are Ringing at the Westchester Town House in Yonkers, New York. The film was intended to be released by Republic Pictures, but the producer sold the film to RKO, who released it in 1952. New Duratec roof. [22] Cary Grant then spent weeks greeting Russell each morning on set with the question "Have you met Freddie Brisson?" Russell counted the 1957 film The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown among her best work, but it was a flop. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world. She was a staunch Republican and devout Christianthats not an exaggeration. She called it the World Adopting International FundAKA Waif. Since its inception, the organization has helped over 50,000 children get adopted. Russell was working on a play in London when, during an interview, she said that she wanted to adopt an Irish boy, due to her husbands heritage. By Marquis Who's Who Moderator February 2, 2021. In 1999, she remarked, "Why did I quit movies? For her debut, she was paid the princely sum of $50 per week. The Irish Times reports that in 1951 Russell expressed her desire to adopt an Irish boy as a brother to her adopted daughter as she could not have children. [citation needed], Perhaps her most memorable performance was in the title role of the long-running stage comedy Auntie Mame (based on a Patrick Dennis novel) as well as the 1958 film version, in which she played an eccentric aunt whose orphaned nephew comes to live with her. Once Mr. Russell was mustered out of the service, the family took up residence in Canada but moved to California when he found employment there. Jane Russell Facts. In order to draw attention to the film and create a demand for it, he actually called for it to be banned. In her first years in Hollywood, Russell was characterized, both in her personal life and film career, as a sophisticated "lady". [20], On October 25, 1941, Russell married Danish-American producer Frederick Brisson (19121984), son of actor Carl Brisson. [35], Russell was portrayed by Renee Henderson in the CBS miniseries Blonde (2001), based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates and portrayed leaving her imprints at Grauman's along with Marilyn Monroe in the HBO film Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996), starring Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino. Howard Hughes bought RKO Pictures, and would be Russell's main employer for the next few years. He was 74 and lived in Morongo Valley, Calif. [3], Her father had been a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and her mother an actress with a road troupe;[4] her mother was also the subject of a portrait by Mary Bradish Titcomb, Portrait of Geraldine J., which received public attention when purchased by Woodrow Wilson. Russell was the logical choice for reprising her role as Auntie Mame when the musical version Mame was set for a production on Broadway in 1966, but she declined for health reasons. [citation needed], Russell continued to display her talent for comedy in the classic screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940), directed by Howard Hawks. You couldn't go on acting in those years if you were an actress over 30. The Hollywood stars son was adopted from an Irish family in the 1950s in a move that nearly ended Russells career. . Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Shortly after the passing of her third husband, Russell revealed a dark and surprising secret. Russell was a prominent supporter of the Republican Party, and attended Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration, along with such other notables from Hollywood as Lou Costello, Dick Powell, June Allyson, Hugh O'Brian, Anita Louise and Louella Parsons. She also modeled for photographers, and, at the urging of her mother, studied drama and acting with Max Reinhardt's Theatrical Workshop and with actress and acting coach Maria Ouspenskaya.[1]. Birth Place: Waterbury, Connecticut, United States. When something happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it. With filming on His Kind of Woman completed, the cast looked forward to moving on to the next film project, but there was a dark twist around the corner. Tallulah Bankhead, 1932. Tue 1 Mar 2011 13.02 EST. I don't think a star has any business posing in a vulgar way. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was one of Russells most well-known films, but the ultimate fates of her and her co-star Marilyn Monroe were starkly different. "Rosalind Russell Yearns To Be Socked on Her Chin", Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance, Laurel Award for Top Female Musical Performance, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, "Mrs. Pollifax Spy (1971) Leslie Martinson Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Freedom of Communications: The joint appearances of Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon and other 1960 campaign presentations", Frederick Brisson papers, 19341984 (includes Rosalind Russell papers), New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalind_Russell&oldid=1135013531, Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners, Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners, Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Also screenwriter, credited as "C. A. McKnight", This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 02:09. It was reissued on CD in 2009 under the title Fine and Dandy, and the CD included some demo and soundtrack recordings, as well. The film was a smash at the box office.Jane did not make another film until 1945 when she played Joan Kenwood in Young Widow (1946). Russell made just . If Russell thought her ordeal was over after finally wrapping His Kind of Woman, she was sorely mistaken. Columbia Records released her innuendo-laden album Lets Put Out the Lights in 1947, but Russell later revealed that she hated the album, saying it was horrible. One song in the albums reissue?