Sunday, December 18, 2016

A Centennial Tribute to Betty Grable

Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of sparkling film star Betty Grable.


Grable was born December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri.


WWII's most famous pin-up girl was quite simply a delight on screen. While Grable's film career lasted many years, she is perhaps most beloved for cheering wartime audiences while singing, dancing, and romancing in colorful Fox confections such as DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940), MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942), and SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES (1942).




She famously married Harry James, a union which lasted 22 years. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica. Neither Grable nor James remarried after their 1965 divorce; James passed away in 1983.


Betty Grable was just 56 at the time of her death on July 2, 1973.


Betty Grable movies reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: OLD MAN RHYTHM (1935), THIS WAY PLEASE (1937), DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940), A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (1941), MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942), SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES (1942), CONEY ISLAND (1943), and THAT LADY IN ERMINE (1948).


Some additional notable Betty Grable titles: FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936), TIN PAN ALLEY (1940), FOOTLIGHT SERENADE (1942), SWEET ROSIE O'GRADY (1943), PIN UP GIRL (1944), THE DOLLY SISTERS (1945), THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM (1947), MOTHER WORE TIGHTS (1947), WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME (1948), MY BLUE HEAVEN (1950), CALL ME MISTER (1951), and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953).

Update: Here are more Grable movie review links: MELODY CRUISE (1933), in which she had a bit role, PIN UP GIRL (1944), and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953).

2022 Update: I paid a visit to Betty Grable's final resting place at Inglewood Park Cemetery.

2 Comments:

Blogger Caftan Woman said...

My daughter said it best after viewing her first Betty Grable movie: "She seems like someone you could be pals with".

1:16 PM  
Blogger Laura said...

Definitely! Great way to put it.

Best wishes,
Laura

1:52 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Newer›  ‹Older