Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer who was reportedly dubbed “Hollywood’s most beautiful legs.” Her portrait in a bathing suit posture became legendary and was included in the project “100 Photographs that Changed the World” by ‘Life’ magazine. She was the No. 1 pin-up girl of the World War II era. Her legs were so beautiful that her studio had them insured for $1 million, earning her the moniker “the girl with the million dollar legs.” Betty was groomed for celebrity from a young age as the daughter of a powerful woman. Her mother dyed her hair and gave her a makeover in the hopes of her daughter becoming a Hollywood star. Her first film role was in the musical comedy ‘Whoopee!’ as a Goldwyn Girl. Because of her youthful appearance, she was quickly typecast as a college student in films. She rose to fame as a successful actress and soon became Hollywood’s highest-paid female star. She posed for a portrait in her bathing suit showing off her shapely legs after a spate of super blockbuster films including ‘Moon over Miami,’ ‘Springtime in the Rockies,’ and ‘Coney Island,’ and the image quickly became famous.
Childhood and Adolescence
Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born to John Conn Grable and Lillian Rose Hofmann. She was the eldest of three siblings.
From a young age, her mother prepared her for a future in show business. She instilled in her daughter the desire to sing, dance, and act.
Betty made her film debut as a chorus girl in 1929, when she was 12 years old, in the picture ‘Happy Days.’
Her mother insisted that she attend the Hollywood Professional School and the Ernest Blecher Academy of Dance.
In ‘Let’s Go Places,’ she was chosen for the chorus. To dance in the chorus, the girls had to be over the age of 15 at the time. Betty was just 13 at the time, but her mother had fake identification documents made for her so she could perform. The deceit, however, was discovered, and she was disqualified.
A Career of Betty Grable
In the film ‘Whoopee!’ in 1930, she had her debut appearance as a Goldwyn Girl. ‘Cowboys,’ the first number, was led by her. Following that, she had minor roles in a variety of films over the next ten years.
In the late 1930s, she obtained a deal with Paramount Pictures. She appeared in several B-movies, including ‘Pigskin Parade’ (1936), ‘This Way Please’ (1937), and ‘College Swing’ (1938). (1938). She was typecast in this part because she played college students in the majority of these flicks.
In 1940, she received her first big role in the musical film ‘Down Argentine Way,’ in which she played Glenda Crawford with Don Ameche, Charlotte Greenwood, and Carmen Miranda.
In 1943, she starred in the musical film ‘Sweet Rosie O’Grady,’ in which she portrayed the title role. The plot revolved around a musician who marries an English nobleman in the hopes of a better future. The film was a huge commercial success.
In 1947, she played alongside Dan Dailey in the critically acclaimed picture ‘Mother Wore Tights.’ She was cast as a vaudeville performer whose daughter is ashamed of her mother’s occupation. It was one of the year’s highest-grossing pictures.
In 1950, she portrayed Ruby Summers in the film “Wabash Avenue.” The picture was a remake of ‘Coney Island,’ which was released in 1943. In a Chicago dance hall, she played a burlesque queen.
One of her last musicals, ‘Meet Me After the Show,’ was released in 1951. The film was about a Broadway actress who has achieved such fame that her husband regards her as a business asset rather than a wife.
In the 1953 romantic comedy ‘How to Marry a Millionaire,’ she co-starred with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall as gold-diggers. The screenplay was inspired by Zoe Akins, Dale Eunson, and Katherine Albert’s plays.
Nunnally Johnson produced and directed her final film, ‘How to Be Very, Very Popular,’ which was released in 1955. The story centred around two showgirls who witness a fellow performer’s murder but refuse to become involved in the investigation.
Major Projects of Betty Grable
‘Mother Wore Tights,’ a musical, is considered her signature film. She and Dan Dailey played married vaudeville performers whose children are ashamed of their parents’ occupation. The picture was a commercial smash, grossing more than $5 million in theaters.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1937, she married actor Jackie Coogan, whom she divorced in 1939. In 1943, she married trumpeter Harry James for the second time. They had two daughters together. The couple split in 1965 after a tumultuous marriage marred by drinking and infidelity.
She had a long-term romance with Bob Remick, a much younger dancer, that lasted until her death.
She was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of it in 1973.
Estimated Net Worth
Betty is one of the wealthiest movie actresses and one of the most well-known. Betty Grable’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.