Betty Grable
Born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in 1916 St. Louis, Betty Grable has become one
of the most famous and enduring icons of Old Hollywood. Known for her long,
lithe, dancer-legs, Grable began appearing onscreen at the age of 14. Her first
credited appearance was in 1930's Whoopee, and afterward Samuel Goldwyn
signed her to an exclusive contract--placing her alongside Lucille Ball,
Virginia Bruce, Ann Dvorak and Paulette Goddard as one of the 20 original
Goldwyn Girls.
By 1946-47, the Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid
woman in America, receiving $300,000 a year. In the late 1940s, Fox studio
insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a quarter million
dollars.
Grable appeared in over 80 films by 1955, including Hollywood Luck, The
Flirty Sleepwalker, The Age of Consent, The Kid from Spain, Sweetheart of Sigma
Chi, Susie's Affairs, The Gay Divorcee, My Blue Heaven, The Farmer Takes a Wife,
and How to Marry a Millionaire.
At the height of her career, Grable was a sought-after dancer and a very
popular pinup girl.
By way of trivia, Grable's appearance in the aforementioned The Flirty
Sleepwalker hit pretty close to home: she was a known somnambulist. She also
bore the interesting distinction of being demophobic--afraid of crowds--though
so much of her career was spent among them.
In the mid-1950s, Grable left Hollywood for stage work. Her most notable
performance was in the Broadway musical, Hello, Dolly!
|
