BettyGrable

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Betty Grable

Betty Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, dancer and singer.^[1]

Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World". Grable was particularly noted for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood and studio publicity widely dispersed photos featuring them. Hosiery specialists of the era often noted the ideal proportions of her legs as: thigh (18.5") calf (12"), and ankle (7.5"). Grable's legs were famously insured by her studio for $1,000,000 with Lloyds of London.

She was born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri to John Conn Grable (1883–1954) and Lillian Rose Hofmann (1889–1964).^[2] She was the youngest of three children.

Most of Grable's immediate ancestors were American, but her distant heritage was of Dutch, Irish, German and English stock.^[3]^[4] She was propelled into the acting profession by her mother. 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. Her mother soon gave her a make-over which included dyeing her hair platinum blonde.

For her next film, her mother got her a contract using a false identification. When this deception was discovered, however, Grable was fired. Grable finally obtained a role as a 'Goldwyn Girl' in Whoopee! (1930), starring Eddie Cantor. Though Grable received no billing, she led the opening number, "Cowboys." Grable then worked in small roles at different studios for the rest of the decade, including the Academy Award-winning The Gay Divorcee (1934), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, where she was prominently featured in the number "Let's K-nock K-nees".

In the late 1930s, Grable signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, starring in several B movies, mostly portraying co-eds. Despite playing leads, the typecasting proved to hurt her career more than it was helpful.^[5] In 1939, Grable appeared with her then husband, Jackie Coogan (married in 1937), in Million Dollar Legs, from which her nickname is taken. They divorced later that same year (October 1939). After small parts in over 50 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). When her contract at Paramount expired, Grable decided to quit acting, being fed up with appearing in college films. In a 1940 interview, she said:

MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Grable

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.

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Betty Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American dancer, singer, and actress.

Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the Life magazine project “100 Photos that Changed the World”. Grable was particularly noted for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood and studio publicity widely dispersed photos featuring them. Hosiery specialists of the era often noted[citation needed] the ideal proportions of her legs as: thigh (18.5″) calf (12″), and ankle (7.5″). Grable’s legs were famously insured by her studio for $1,000,000 with Lloyds of London

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