Tag Archives: Betty Grable

Classic Hollywood #167 – Betty Grable

Betty Grable & Poodle – 1944

Pin-Up Queen Gets On The Ball
Hollywood, Calif. – Vivacious Betty Grable, a “Mamma” of five months, romps with this frisky poodle as she gets back in the groove on her return to the kleig lights. The famous Grable gams will dance their way through 20th Century-Fox’s Technicolor musical, “Diamond Horseshoe” now in production. photo: Acme 8/19/1944

Gams. Talk about 1940s jargon. I don’t think I’ve recently heard anyone refer to a woman’s legs as gams except in the movies.

Supposedly Grable’s legs were insured for $250,000 dollars by Lloyds of London. It was a publicity stunt, but an effective one at drawing attention. Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #157 – Betty Grable Poses For USC Trojan Sculptor

Betty Grable Is Model For “Spirit Of Hollywood” – 1937

photo: World Wide PhotosHollywood, Calif: Roger Noble Burnham, noted sculptor last night presented his latest work, “Spirit of Hollywood,” to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the women’s division. Miss Betty Grable, actress was present last night and was chosen by Burnham as his model because in “Spirit of Hollywood,” he sought to depict youth, beauty and energy moving forward and looking upward, but with “both feet on the ground.” The sculptor said he felt Miss Grable exemplified this, as she worked her way upward through childhood in Hollywood. The life size plaque will be on display in the Chamber’s auditorium. Photo shows: Roger Noble Burnham, noted sculptor, completing his plaque of Miss Betty Grable, actress, shown posing for Burnham. photo: Wide World Photos 11/9/1937

Among Roger Noble Burnham’s (1876-1962)  most enduring works is the sculpture on the campus of The University of Southern California (1930) called Trojan Shrine aka Tommy Trojan. Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #13 – Betty Grable & Marilyn Monroe

Candid Photographs of Marilyn Monroe

Instead of the typical movie publicity or glamor photographs of Marilyn Monroe, we thought we’d highlight three photographs that show Marilyn in a bit of a different light.

Betty Grable and her How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) co-star Marilyn Monroe emerge from a Hollywood restaurant. Grable who was 20th Century Fox’s blond bombshell for most of the 1940’s was being “replaced” by Monroe. Grable was relieved as she was getting tired of fighting with Daryl F. Zanuck, Fox’s studio chief. Supposedly she told Marilyn privately, “Honey, I’ve had my time in the spotlight, now it’s your turn!”

Marilyn takes a break and kneels on the steps of a brownstone while filming Billy Wilder’s The Seven Year Itch (1955).  A portion of the film was shot on location in New York City. The brownstone where the lead character, Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell) lives with Marilyn subletting the apartment above him, is located at 164 East 61st Street. The building is still there, though somewhat modified.

Marilyn Monroe with a very dour looking Joe DiMaggio in Florida in 1961. Monroe was visiting DiMaggio, who was a special instructor to the New York Yankees during spring training. After their nine month marriage ended in divorce in 1954, the couple remained friends and got closer as the years passed. There were rumors that Monroe and DiMaggio were contemplating remarrying one another when Monroe passed away in 1962.