Betty Grable Biography Quotes 7 Report mistakes

Early Life
Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable on December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest child of John Charles Grable and Lillian Rose Hofmann. Her mother, an ambitious and determined presence, cultivated her daughter's talent from an early age with dance and music lessons and moved the family to California to pursue show business opportunities. By her teens Grable was appearing in Hollywood chorus lines, already displaying the poise and musicality that would become her hallmark.

Breaking into Hollywood
Grable's first on-screen appearances came in late-1920s and early-1930s revues and musicals, where her youthful energy quickly stood out. After bit parts and supporting roles for several studios, she gained wider notice in mid-1930s collegiate comedies and musical pictures. Titles such as Pigskin Parade (1936), This Way Please (1937), and College Swing (1938) showcased her timing, singing, and dance skills, positioning her as a reliable new talent at a time when the film musical was evolving. The turning point arrived when 20th Century Fox, under production chief Darryl F. Zanuck, recognized her potential as a leading musical star.

20th Century Fox Stardom
At Fox, Grable became a marquee name with a string of Technicolor hits beginning with Down Argentine Way (1940), co-starring Don Ameche and introducing Carmen Miranda to many American audiences. She followed with Tin Pan Alley (1940) alongside Alice Faye and John Payne, Moon Over Miami (1941) with Ameche and Robert Cummings, and Springtime in the Rockies (1942) with Payne and Miranda. These films perfected her screen persona: effervescent, wholesome, and athletic, with choreography shaped by collaborators such as Hermes Pan and stylish costumes by Fox designers like Charles Le Maire.

Throughout the 1940s Grable was a consistent box-office draw, headlining Coney Island (1943), Pin Up Girl (1944), Diamond Horseshoe (1945), The Dolly Sisters (1945), and Mother Wore Tights (1947), the last cementing a successful on-screen pairing with Dan Dailey. She continued with When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948) and later Wabash Avenue (1950), My Blue Heaven (1950), Call Me Mister (1951), and Meet Me After the Show (1951). She occasionally tussled with Zanuck over scripts and salary, even enduring suspensions, but her popularity remained formidable. Publicity famously touted her legs as insured for one million dollars, a symbol of her status as Hollywood's reigning musical star.

Wartime Icon
During World War II, Grable's image transcended the screen. A 1943 photograph by studio photographer Frank Powolny became the definitive American pin-up of the war, adorning barracks and aircraft nose art and boosting the morale of servicemen worldwide. She participated in war bond events and USO-related performances, her presence a tonic for audiences at home and abroad. The combination of accessible charm, patriotic association, and relentless professionalism made her one of the era's most beloved figures.

Personal Life
Grable's personal life unfolded in the glare of publicity. She married actor Jackie Coogan in 1937; the union ended in divorce in 1939. In 1943 she wed bandleader and trumpeter Harry James, one of the most famous musicians of the swing era. The couple had two daughters, Victoria (Vicki) and Jessica (Jessie), and were a high-profile entertainment pair who sometimes performed together. Their marriage, however, was turbulent, and they divorced in 1965. In her later years she shared her life with dancer and actor Bob Remick, a companion who was with her during her final illnesses.

Transition and Later Career
As tastes shifted in the 1950s and the studio musical waned, Grable adapted. She delivered a graceful, witty turn in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) opposite Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe, one of the earliest CinemaScope showcases that symbolically bridged generations of Fox glamour. Grable's generosity toward Monroe on set became part of Hollywood lore, emblematic of her collegial spirit. Three for the Show (1955), with Jack Lemmon and Marge and Gower Champion, was among her final films.

After stepping back from the screen, Grable remained a popular live attraction, starring in stage musicals, nightclubs, and Las Vegas revues, where her professionalism and rapport with audiences sustained her drawing power. She toured extensively, bringing the polish of her Fox years to live performance.

Legacy
Betty Grable died on July 2, 1973, in Santa Monica, California, from lung cancer, at the age of 56. She left behind a body of work that defined the Technicolor musical at 20th Century Fox and an indelible cultural image that carried special meaning during World War II. Her collaborations with performers such as Dan Dailey, Alice Faye, John Payne, Carmen Miranda, Don Ameche, and later Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe, as well as the guidance and occasional friction with Darryl F. Zanuck, map a career at the very center of Hollywood's golden age. To generations of filmgoers, she embodied a uniquely American blend of vitality, warmth, and optimism. For historians, she stands as a pivotal figure in the studio system, a consummate professional whose star power helped sustain the musical through its most exuberant decade and whose iconic pin-up image became a touchstone of 20th-century popular culture.

Our collection contains 7 quotes who is written by Betty, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Wisdom - Music - Success - Romantic.

Other people realated to Betty: Lauren Bacall (Actress), Doris Lilly (Journalist), Walter Lang (Director), George Montgomery (Artist)