Even before most of the public could see the film, Russell had become popular, thanks in large part to publicity stills that highlighted her voluptuous curves. This was caused by a botched abortion she had done previously. Paramount borrowed Russell for a reunion with Hope, Son of Paleface (1952), which was another hit. Page 2. Among the songs Russell performed in films are "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?," "Bye Bye Baby" and "When Love Goes Wrong (Nothing Goes Right)" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. . "[12], She was a popular pin-up photo with servicemen during World War II. Her favorite co-star Bob Hope once introduced her as "the two and only Jane Russell". Thanks for your time! In 1955, she founded Waif, an organization to place children with adoptive families, and which pioneered adoptions from foreign countries by Americans. She married three times and adopted three children. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Tania Waterfield has been married to Peter Waterfield since August 2007. 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. She was 79 when her children staged an intervention and she went to rehab. In 1968 Russell married Roger Barrett, an actor she'd met when they were in a stock company production together. She did her make-up in five minutes, laughed a lot and was unforgettably generous with her time and stories. Sep 17, 2019 -- Jane Russell and husband Bob Waterfield adopted a baby girl in 1952 whom they named Tracy. Here are 50 scandalous facts about the brunette bombshell. She perished young, at just 53and the circumstances are chilling. 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. She reached out to Russell and set the wheels in motion. In a 1943 poll, the U.S. Navy selected her as "the girl we'd like to have waiting for us in every port.". She called it the World Adopting International FundAKA Waif. Since its inception, the organization has helped over 50,000 children get adopted. Just two short months after her divorce, Russell hastily married actor Roger Barrett. She replied: "Sometimes life is a valley of tears and sometimes it's the top of the mountain." Tracy and Buck were born in the United States, but Tommy was born to Irish parents who were eking out a living in London. [19], Back at RKO, she was in Howard Hughes's production The French Line (1954), a musical. It was a critical and commercial failure. . [citation needed], Russell described herself as "vigorously pro-life". Jane Russell (1921-2011), looking glamorous, wearing a purple top with the shoulder strap slipped down over her left shoulder, and a pair of pearl earrings, circa 1955. With her first husband, Bob Waterfield, she adopted three children in the 1950s: first a daughter, Tracy Waterfield; then Thomas "Tommy" Waterfield; and lastly Robert "Buck" Waterfield. This biography gives detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements and timeline. Any other star mightve taken offense, but Russell had a great sense of humor. Tommys birth parents were accused of "unlawfully permitting the care and possession of the child to be transferred," though they were aided by a barrister hired by Russell and avoided jail time. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Becoming a sex symbol didn't diminish her faith; she told one interviewer, "Christians have bosoms, too, you know. She admitted that she had a drinking problem and entered rehaball at the age of 79 years old. She visited Edinburgh Castle and took a train to Inverness to see where her relatives came from. The couple wed in 1974, and unlike Russells other walks down the aisle, this one was built to last. Jane Russell was 89. Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. In 1947, Russell launched a musical career. Jane Russell passed away. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Russell was paid $200,000 for her role and had the right to draw on Chandler's services for a film later on for her own production company. As the result of an illegal abortion, she was unable to have children. She was in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), a quasi-sequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, made sans Monroe. jessica walters brentwood tn obituary; homes for rent in pearl river; mark bailey trade centre wales net worth; lena tallulah claypool; hotel gotham room service menu; st john's youth football league; katonah ny famous residents; martina navratilova eye injury; mary nolan kenny chesney bullseye contestants where are they now. 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. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. It shouldve been the happiest time of their lives, but instead, it stirred up a dark controversy that nearly ruined Russells life. Her father was an office manager whose family came from Inverness. The mercurial Hughes then withdrew the film and worked on reshoots and editing before releasing the movie still without code approval in 1946. A Town Called Hollywood: Top Stars Now Share in Profits of Major Pictures". Haines was a former vocalist in the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras, while Davis was a British emigrant who had moved to the United States after success entertaining American troops stationed in England during World War II. Growing up, Russell was always called Jane; apparently her mother, a former actress, had dreams of stardom for her daughter and felt "Jane Russell" was better for a marquee. She put in the work, and eventually, the critics came around to appreciating her not just for her body, but for her talent as well. Russell, who believed her back alley abortion had rendered her infertile, became an outspoken opponent of abortion for any reason, including rape and incest. Russell had taken acting classes but it was reportedly her size 38D chest that drew Hughes attention. Russell was born on June 21, 1921, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Bemidji, Minnesota. After a brief investigation, Los Angeles police concluded that her death was caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926. She married her high school boyfriend, Bob Waterfield, whom she married on April 24, 1943. . Russell had tried to take her to a bible study for Hollywood stars. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Russell was married three times, first to Bob Waterfield, from 1943 until their divorce in July 1968. Following the success of The Outlaw, Russell tried her hand at a musical careerbut it didnt exactly go as she planned. 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". They were, as the song put it, "just two little girls from Little Rock". It sounds like the perfect path to Hollywood stardom, but through it all, Russells heart was elsewhere. Russell lived a full life, from her days as a wartime pin-up girl to her Hollywood career and to her retirement years, where she was a philanthropist and active churchgoer, according to . Of course, Russell wasnt exactly sitting on her hands while she waited for the release of The Outlaw. Russell played Dorothy Shaw in the hit film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) opposite Marilyn Monroe for 20th Century Fox. My mom never told me how her best friend died. With her first husband, Bob Waterfield, she adopted three children in the 1950s: first a daughter, Tracy Waterfield; then Thomas "Tommy" Waterfield; and lastly Robert "Buck" Waterfield. tracy waterfield daughter of jane russell. Russell actually organized a weekly Bible study at her home which she named the Hollywood Christian group.. He manufactured public outcry, secretly calling concerned citizens to tip them off about the vulgar film. Her next important film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, based on the novel by Anita Loos, still dazzles because of the sisterliness of the friendship between Monroe and Russell, playing the showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw respectively. The actor Jane Russell, who has died aged 89, was among the most desired women of the 20th century. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. She always worked with macho film-makers and wished she had worked with a "woman's director" such as George Cukor. After the agonising humourlessness of working with Hughes (who was obsessed with her and tried to sleep with her), it was a great relief to Russell to do a comedy, The Paleface, in which she played Calamity Jane. 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. 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. If Russell thought her ordeal was over after finally wrapping His Kind of Woman, she was sorely mistaken. It made $2 million but because of its large cost was a financial flop. My first glimpse of her was in her hotel no make-up, shower-cap over her head. Adopted a daughter, Tracy Waterfield. Her song Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?, performed in a gymnasium against a backdrop of dancing athletes, gained her a large gay following. Russell performed the role of Joanne for almost six months. The procedure was difficult, and afterexperiencing severe complications, Russell went to see her family doctor for a check-up. Details on Recent Surgery, Recovery, Emma Hemming Shares Sweet Video of Bruce Willis Prior to FTD Diagnosis, Montgomery Clift Hated Having to Conceal Parts of His True Self, Regina Taylor Reflects on Most Memorable Roles Amid Emmy Buzz, HGTV's Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt Say Daughter Jade Is Mini-Mika', Suzanne Somers Had to Learn How to Walk After Breaking Her Neck, Dolly Parton Is Always Adding Things to Her Bucket List, Friend Says, L.A. Law's Corbin Bernsen Reveals Success Secret to 34-Year Marriage, Jean Simmons Remembered By Daughter Kate: Im Proud Shes My Mom, Dick Van Dyke Lucked Out Working With Hollywood's Leading Ladies, Bruce Davison On His Career, 1923 Show, Friends and More. In her autobiography, Russell said that the revealing outfit was an alternative to Hughes' original suggestion of a bikini, a very racy choice for a movie costume in 1954. The actress replied to the question saying, "Not today, sweetheart! Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Jane adopted her daughter Tracy in the United States . [1], Russell's mother arranged for her to take piano lessons. She was actually real and not Hollywood.. Just three months after the wedding, he died. Daughter-in-law Etta Waterfield said that Russell was a "pillar of health" but caught a bad cold and died of respiratory difficulties. That year, she got married to her high school sweetheart, Bob Waterfield, who was a quarterback for the UCLA Bruins at the time. Russell actually dreamed of becoming a fashion designer rather than an actress, but her mother had different ideas. However, Russell later revealed the truth about the whole thing. After several unremarkable movies in the 1960s, Russell's final film was the thriller Darker Than Amber (1970). [40] At the height of her career, Russell started the "Hollywood Christian Group", a weekly Bible study at her home which was attended by many of the leading names in the film industry. That didnt mean Russell had it made, though. More experienced when she was working with Monroe, Russell helped assuage the younger actress' nerves, and made sure she came to set. . In 1940, a nationwide search by Hughes for a new, voluptuous actress took Russell to Hollywood. Underwater! She read scripts, worked hard and her subsequent films were intelligent. A star with her name was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also fulfilled later engagements in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America and Europe. [44][40][45] Her funeral was held on March 12, 2011, at Pacific Christian Church, Santa Maria.[38][46]. " Russell said that in the whole of her movie career she had had little creative satisfaction. The experience made her savvy about the vulgarity of the film industry. Despite her popularity as one of the sexiest women to ever live, Jane kept her public persona and her private life separate as much as she could. Jane Russell in a portrait session for the movie "Montana Belle" which was released in November 1952 | Photo: Getty Images. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. On August 5, 1962, Monroe was found dead from an overdose of barbiturates in her home in Brentwood, California. [34] Russell was voted one of the 40 Most Iconic Movie Goddesses of all time in 2009 by Glamour (UK edition). She was next teamed with Robert Mitchum for two RKO films, His Kind of Woman (1951), in which she was entrancing, singing Five Little Miles from San Burdoo, and Macao (1952). Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Jane Russell may be best known for being the brunette in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend is the first-ever biography of Jane Russell to be published and is timed perfectly for TCM Main Navigation . Actress Jane Russell came to fame in the 1940s when a publicity campaign for her debut film 'The Outlaw' focused on her curvaceous figure. She was 89 years old. The success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes wasnt the only triumph for Russell that year. She loved the quick pace of the filming, was delightfully droll with her annihilating put-downs, and she and Hope became lifelong friends. Russell credits her marriage and family for keeping her in line in Hollywood. The World War II sex symbol died at her Californian home from a respiratory-related illness on Monday (28.02.11), her daughter-in-law Etta Waterfield confirmed. She had a character role in The Born Losers (1967) and Darker Than Amber (1970). [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. Scheuer, Philip K., "Jane Russell, Sultry Star of 1940s and '50s, Dies at 89", "Cabin Country: Dwelling's story courses through Bemidji history", "Jane Russell, Connie Haines, Rhonda Fleming, Beryl Davis, Della Russell Feel The Spirit", "Actresses Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell putting signatures, hand and foot prints in cement at Grauman's Theater, 1953, From Marilyn to Julia, Audrey to Angelina the most iconic beauties from the silver screen, "Legendary GI pin-up Jane Russell dies at 89", "Hollywood screen siren Jane Russell dies", "Former Sedona resident and 1950's bombshell Jane Russell dies", "Philomena: nun too sloppy when it comes to the facts", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star Jane Russell dies at 89", "Jane Russell, Star of Westerns, Dies at 89", "Jane Russell Star of '40s and '50s films dies at 89", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jane_Russell&oldid=1148475980, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 11:35. However, she adopted three kids with her husband. Russell and McDermott came to an agreement over little Thomas and soon after, Russell took him home and the Waterfields became a family of four. Her breasts were less covered and more fetishised, lit, photographed, designed and dreamed about than any woman's in the cinema had been until that time. You couldn't go on acting in those years if you were an actress over 30. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. The other original members were Connie Haines, Beryl Davis and Della Russell. [4] Her handprints and footprints are immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre,[33] and she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6850 Hollywood Boulevard. 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? The film was a sizeable box office hit, earning $4.5 million and becoming Paramount's most successful release of the year.[16]. In an interview, Russell later said "I certainly wasn't trying to convert her to religion because I don't like religion", denoting that she didn't consider Christianity "a religion". She left a pub with a man, and the next day her remains were found in her burned out home. She had a simple explanation for what ended her movie career: "I was getting too old! She later partnered with Bob Hope for the spoof Western The Paleface (1948), playing Calamity Jane, and returned for the sequel Son of Paleface (1952). The couple adopted three children Buck, Tracy, and Thomas. However, the adoption soon drew condemnation from both the public and Parliament. Tracey Diane Waterfield was born January 5th, 1960 in Canadian, Texas to James and Sandra Waterfield with an older brother named Rickey Waterfield and younger sister Cindy Young. Samantha Henman has been a senior editor and copywriter at Factinate since 2018. She was second-billed in two A.C. Lyles Westerns, Johnny Reno (1966) and Waco (1966), and starred in Cauliflower Cupids, filmed in 1966 but not released until 1970. Russell admitted to having issues with alcohol for much of her life. It was likely that the fire was set to cover her homicide, which remains unsolved. As a result, many critics and fans have said that her talent was wasted during those years. 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. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress. She also co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her buxom chest was so popular, variety show host Bob Hope even once introduced her by saying The two and only Jane Russell., Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Glamorous Facts About Hollywood Actresses, Wild Facts About Howard Hughes, The Most Eccentric Man In Hollywood, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters, These Stories Of Unforgettable Close Calls Made Our Jaws Drop, I Couldnt Believe My Eyes: Utterly Insane Real-Life Discoveries, These Nightmare Weddings Made Us Say I DONT!. She was 36 years old. In February 2011, the actress died of respiratory failure in Santa Maria, California. It was amazing when she got out, she was happy and telling everyone its a disease. The outcry was so negative that her husband and others in Hollywood wanted Russell to return the boy something she refused to do. She and Waterfield divorced in 1968 (both were unfaithful during the marriage). All rights reserved. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! She appeared in The Tall Men (1955), a Western starring Clark Gable, and The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956). Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Even as she continued to gain more popularity with movies like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "The Tall Men with Clark Gable," Russell always put her family first. Eventually, Russells good looks were bound to land her a romance, and in 1943 she got one. Russell's mother was a lay preacher, and Russell a born-again Christian. Russell co-starred with Robert Mitchum in His Kind of Woman (1951) and Macao (1952). Actress: Johnny Mnemonic. Father. Throughout her life Russell hated what she saw as feminine fussiness. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . Thankfully, the flick was a massive hit for Paramount that yearbut for Russell, the best was yet to come. As the oldest, Jane decided that shed get a job as a receptionist to support her family. 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. When Russell was just 18 years old, she became pregnant with Waterfields child. Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 - February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. How often the top of the mountain? [36] She was left unable to bear children, after a botched abortion in her teenage years robbed her of her fertility.[37]. And Russell often performed onstage, beginning with a nightclub act at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in 1957. It was reissued on CD in 2002, in a package that also included the Kyser singles and two songs she recorded for Columbia in 1949 that had gone unreleased at the time. Her next movie, the 1946 drama Young Widow,was a failurebut it would take more than that to keep Jane Russell down. by. The attention that it drew to the film created a demandbut the story didnt end there. She died at her home in 507 Boscoe Ct, Santa Maria. Russell also acted in touring productions of plays and musicals. Robert Waterfield (all adopted) Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell, known simply as Jane Russell (June 21, 1921 - February 28, 2011) was an Canadian-American actress, born in Minnesota. Eccentric philanthropist and movie producer Howard Hughes was . Marilyn loved children and she was desperate to be a mother. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend, exclusively tells Closer Weekly, on newsstands now. "She was fun. (modern), Jane Russell in a publicity shot for The Outlaw. McDermott gave an interview to the Daily Mail about the adoption, which ran with the headline My baby has gone to Fairyland. When the paper came out, it caused an uproar. In December 1952, they adopted a 15-month-old boy, Thomas, whose birth mother, Hannah McDermott, had moved to London to escape poverty in Northern Ireland, and, in 1956, they adopted a nine-month-old boy, Robert John. 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. He succumbed to a heart attack after only three months of marriage. In order to draw attention to the film and create a demand for it, he actually called for it to be banned. The film was intended to be released by Republic Pictures, but the producer sold the film to RKO, who released it in 1952.
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