Search Amazon for Jane Russell. In Shakespeare's play As You Like It Shakespeare presents the two different worlds of court life and the country life by making the court a place of corruption. Gail Russell Photo, Jane Fonda Photo, 1936 Year Collectible Vehicle Original Photos, 1936 Year Automobilia, Shirtless Photo, Stockings Photo, Jane Russell was one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood during the 1940's and 1950's. After coming to the public's attention for her appearance in Howard Hughes's 'The Outlaw' in 1943, she became known more for her voluptuous 38D-24-36 figure than for her acting ability. [24], Russell was a devout Catholic, and a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rosalind Russell original glamour studio portrait photo 1949 RKO at the best online prices at eBay! McDermott gave an interview to the Daily Mail about the adoption, which ran with the headline My baby has gone to Fairyland. When the paper came out, it caused an uproar. The controversy over The Outlaw had made a star of Russell, and its success just cemented her place in Hollywood. Russ-Field also made some films without Russell for United Artists: The King and Four Queens (1956) starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker (co-produced with Gable's company), and Run for the Sun (1956) starring Richard Widmark and Jane Greer. Russell actually dreamed of becoming a fashion designer rather than an actress, but her mother had different ideas. Her father, Roy, a taciturn man, was outshone by his wife . She also fulfilled later engagements in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America and Europe. Any other star mightve taken offense, but Russell had a great sense of humor. Growing up, Russell was always called Jane; apparently her mother, a former actress . He still lives in Arizona today. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal. [14] She was then cast as catty gossip Sylvia Fowler in the comedy The Women (1939), directed by George Cukor. Russell performed the role of Joanne for almost six months. She then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Rosalind Russell. The Handbook is organized around three foundational questions: first, what . Her hand and footprints were immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. When something happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it. The couple wed in 1974, and unlike Russells other walks down the aisle, this one was built to last. Gail Russell has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. Problems occurred with the censorship of the production code over the way her ample cleavage was displayed in promotion of the film. Sandra Storme, circa 1930s. "I finally got to make a record the way I wanted to make it," she said of the MGM album in the liner notes to the CD reissue. [citation needed]. Hughes was well-known for his love of beautiful young women, so its no surprise that he immediately focused on Jane Russell. Russell is honored at the Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis. [10] Unhappy with Universal's leadership, and second-class studio status at the time, Russell set her sights on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was able to get out of her Universal contract on her own terms. 2011 due to respiratory-related illness. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. In December 1952, they adopted a 15-month-old boy, Thomas, whose birth mother, Hannah McDermott, had moved to London to escape poverty in Northern Ireland, and, in 1956, they adopted a nine-month-old boy, Robert John. The cause was a respiratory-related illness, her daughter-in-law, Etta Waterfield, said. Russell and Brisson were married 35 years, until her death. The voluptuous Russell was a popular pin-up during the Korean War as wellso popular, that the forces there named a pair of embattled hills in her honor. Buy It Now. [21] Her contract with Hughes ended in February 1954. "[12], She was a popular pin-up photo with servicemen during World War II. They had a very fruitful working relationship, and she starred in a number of RKO films over the next few years of her careerhowever, there was a dark side to it all. News images provided by Press Association Daughter-in-law Etta Waterfield told CNN that Russell was a "pillar of health" but caught a bad cold and died of respiratory difficulties. Jane Russell was known for playing sultry femme fatale types onscreen, but behind the scenes, she could be a goody-two shoes. Many felt she would have won had she cooperated. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away. Many expected the young couple to start a family, but sadly, Russell was hiding a dark secret. Russells troubling experience with adoption turned her into an advocate, and in 1955 she founded an organization meant to facilitate foreign adoptions for US families, which at the time werent yet common. She posted for photos and became a popular pin-up girl during that timeespecially with WWII servicemen. [19], Back at RKO, she was in Howard Hughes's production The French Line (1954), a musical. Her son married actress Patricia Morrow on March 15, 1975. Yes. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. The middle of seven children, she was named, not for the heroine of "As You Like It" but for the S.S. Rosalind on which her parents had sailed, at the suggestion of her father, a successful lawyer.After receiving a Catholic school education, she went to the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York, having convinced her mother that she intended to teach acting. [16], She continued to appear in movies through the mid-1960s, including Picnic (1955), A Majority of One (1961), Five Finger Exercise (1962), Gypsy (1962), The Trouble with Angels (1966), and its sequel Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968). Once Mr. Russell was mustered out of the service, the family took up residence in Canada but moved to California when he . It was reissued on CD in 2009 under the title Fine and Dandy, and the CD included some demo and soundtrack recordings, as well. for the content of external websites. posts, comments and submissions available. Born on June 21, 1921, Ernestine Jane Russell grew up in a Bible-loving household, the oldest child and only daughter in a brood of five. [10] Her screen test was directed by Harold S. Bucquet, and she later recalled that she was hired because of a closeup he took of her. . 36 in all, including examples from Lauren Bacall, Catherine Deneuve, Faye Dunaway, Lillian Gish, Tippi Hedren, Angela Lansbury, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Rosalind Russell, Jane Russell, and Shelley Winters. The success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes wasnt the only triumph for Russell that year. Thomas eventually became a US citizen and would go on to play in the band Toucan Eddy. They had one child in 1943, a son, Carl Lance Brisson. Russell said that she initially wore the bikini in front of her "horrified" movie crew while "feeling very naked". While Russells youngest son didnt come to live with her after the end of her first marriage, she moved close to him and his family in the final years of her life. Wire service provided by AFP and Press Association. There were dirty tricks.. Although the role was small, she received good notices, with one critic saying that she was "convincing as the woman scorned". It was a critical and commercial failure. She was a staunch Republican and devout Christianthats not an exaggeration. [14], Russell approached director Frank Lloyd for help changing her image, but instead, Lloyd cast her as a wealthy aristocrat in Under Two Flags (1936). Russell hid the invention and wore her own bra, adjusting the straps and padding it out with tissue to fool the notorious director. She said, [A]ppeal is goodbut not in bad taste. Russell was a prominent supporter of the Republican Party, and attended Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration, along with such other notables from Hollywood as Lou Costello, Dick Powell, June Allyson, Hugh O'Brian, Anita Louise and Louella Parsons. She had signed a seven-year contract with Hughes, and it seemed the only films he would put her in were those that displayed Jane in a very flattering light due to her body. One night, when Russell opened her door to let Grant in before they went dancing, as they often did, she found him standing next to a stranger. In her autobiography, Russell said that she found Hughes baffling bra invention to be incredibly uncomfortableso she devised a way to get around wearing it. Patrick Dennis dedicated his second Auntie Mame novel Around the World with Auntie Mame to "the one and only Rosalind Russell" in 1958. The film was finally fully released in 1946, and it was a hit. Were always looking for your input! Journal Media does not control and is not responsible $264,000. The subtly-named Boin-n-n-ng!. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. "Trouble with Angels," on March 15, is a light-hearted comedy from director Ida Lupino. This film showed Jane's comedic side very well. Catherine Rosalind Russell was one of seven children born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to James Edward, a lawyer,[6] and Clara A. Russell (ne McKnight),[7] a teacher. Two months after their divorce, Russell married actor Roger Barrett who died of a heart attack only two months later in November 1968. As a young girl she was an adventurous tomboy who loved to climb . She was signed by Howard Hughes for his production of The Outlaw (1943) in 1941, the film that was to make Jane famous. Today's Netflix Top 10 Rankings; [4], On the musical front, Russell formed a gospel quartet in 1954, with three other members of a faith-sharing group called the Hollywood Christian Group. Even against those odds, she became one of the most desirable women in Hollywood, known for her sultry appeal and curvaceous figurebut behind the scenes, Russell knew tragedy and heartbreak far too well. 2 large storage sheds, Big back yard for lots of sunny fun. Russell and Waterfield also had exciting success on the homefront. Jane Fonda studied up on Russell's life in order to play an . created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant In Gypsy (1962), Russell portrayed the mother of famed stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. She perished young, at just 53and the circumstances are chilling. . unless otherwise stated. Miss Russell's younger sister, Mary Jane (Mrs. F. Kenneth Beirn) of Southport, Conn., said, "I didn't know whether I would be able to watch all this but it was truly a 'celebration' of Roz . At that studio, Russell co-starred with Groucho Marx and Frank Sinatra in a musical comedy, Double Dynamite, shot in 1948 and released in 1951. Melissa RussellFeud2017WillGrace1998The Suicide Squad2021 . Ann Sothern, circa 1930s. She also modeled for photographers, and, at the urging of her mother, studied drama and acting with Max Reinhardt's Theatrical Workshop and with actress and acting coach Maria Ouspenskaya.[1]. Although she had originally planned on being a designer, her father died, and she had to go to work to help the family. Hughes insisted that he could make Russell a star, and before long, she had signed a seven-year contract with him. Courage, Affliction, Defeat. 135 Hipes Patrick July 20 2018 Julia Roberts And Sam Esmails Homecoming Gets from ENGLISH 101 at Northville High School, Northville Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world. Her favorite co-star Bob Hope once introduced her as "the two and only Jane Russell". The film was a major hit, boosting Russell's career and establishing her reputation as a comedienne. Hughes infamous invented bra now lives in a Hollywood museum. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 - November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and singer, known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940), as well as for her portrayals of Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame (1958) and Rose in Gypsy (1962). Six years after the loss of her second husband, she fell for an estate agent named John Calvin Peoples. The looks, star power, and chemistry of the leads made it seem like the film would be a guaranteed blockbuster. It also spelled the end of the production company that Russell began with her husband Bob Waterfield. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Rather, she said, Someone did it for her. In the 1940s, Russell made more comedies including The Feminine Touch (1941), Take a Letter, Darling and My Sister Eileen (both 1942), dramas including Sister Kenny (1946) and Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), and a murder mystery: The Velvet Touch (1948). Condition: New New. One Tough, Funny Lady. Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell was born on June 21, 1921, in Bemidji, Minn., the daughter of Roy and . When Hughes laid eyes upon Russells soon-to-be-infamous figure, he saw dollar signsand he acted on it in a truly bizarre way. (Picasso) 2 The benefits of including the Visual Arts Personal expression Develops imagination & creativity A vital form of . Eventually, Russells good looks were bound to land her a romance, and in 1943 she got one. Registered office: 3rd floor, Latin Hall, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. After starring in several films in the 1950s, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Russell again returned to music while completing several other films in the 1960s. Russell had spent years in Hollywood purgatory waiting for The Outlaw to be released, and over time, the endless delays took a major toll on her career. She had a character role in The Born Losers (1967) and Darker Than Amber (1970). Hughes, who had directed the film, had to think fastso he came up with a devious plan. The movie's penultimate moment showed Russell in a form-fitting one-piece bathing suit with strategic cutouts, performing a then-provocative musical number titled "Lookin' for Trouble". Her father was a United States Army lieutenant and her mother had been a student of drama and an actress with a traveling troupe. George Cukor told her to "play her as a freak". Jane ended up being the first of five children for the Russell family. In 1950s America, Jane Russells scandalous hour-glass figure caused an absolute frenzy. . Jane Geraldine Russell died at her home in Santa Maria of a respiratory-related illness on February 28, 2011 . "Auntie Mame" kept her on Broadway for two years followed by the movie version.Oscar nominations: My Sister Eileen (1942), Sister Kenny (1946), Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), and Auntie Mame (1958). Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2/62 SCHOLASTIC ROTO - Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Jane Wyatt, Rosalind Russell at the best online prices at eBay! Jane Russell(born on 21st June 1921) was a legendary actress, singer, and model of Hollywood from the United States. Prior to coming on board, she was the digital coordinator at a full-service auction house. Marilyn Monroe in a scene from her 20th movie appearance "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" 1953 When she plead ignorance of Hollywood (while wearing her worst-fitting clothes), Universal released her and she signed with MGM for seven years.For some time she was used in secondary roles and as a replacement threat to limit Myrna Loy's salary demands. [39] They spent the majority of their married life residing in Santa Maria, California. The film was a huge success, Russell's biggest hit since The Outlaw, making over $5 million. 1941NGBT,,Humphrey Bogart,Walter Brennan,James Cagney,Jack Carson,Gary Cooper,Gino Corrado,Bette Davis,Rita Hayworth,Gene Lockhart,Brenda Marshall,George Raft,Claude Rains,Ronald Reagan,Rosalind Russell,Ann Sheridan,James Stewart,Jane Wyman,:NG New Duratec roof. Paramount borrowed Russell for a reunion with Hope, Son of Paleface (1952), which was another hit. She was born into wealth and privilege but for Golden Age moviegoers, Rosalind Russell represented the epitome of the working woman. After her disastrous and lengthy contract with Howard Hughes through RKO Pictures, Russell was finally able to strike out on her own. This photo was taken in 1939. He became so enamored with Russell's performance as Sylvia Fowler that he turned to his friends and proclaimed: "I'm either gonna kill that girl, or I'm gonna marry her".[22]. After being reminded by his wife, Alice, of his reluctance to attend even a party that Jane Russell was throwing, an insulted Kramden rants, "I was talking about Jane Russell: I said nothing about any party that Norton's running!". Her publicist and mentor Howard Hughes was said to be apoplectic at the move but Russell stood her ground and refused to give the child up. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? "[12] She quickly rose to fame, and by 1935, was seen as a replacement for actress Myrna Loy, as she took many roles for which Loy was initially set.[13]. When asked with which role she was most closely identified, she replied that strangers who spotted her still called out, "Hey, Auntie Mame!" Item Information. She had great erotic force and great likability. Related articles Coronation Street's Simon Gregson 'couldn't leave the house' - anxiety It sounds like the perfect path to Hollywood stardom, but through it all, Russells heart was elsewhere. Russell was married three times, first to Bob Waterfield, from 1943 until their divorce in July 1968. "Rosalind Russell Yearns To Be Socked on Her Chin", Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance, Laurel Award for Top Female Musical Performance, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, "Mrs. Pollifax Spy (1971) Leslie Martinson Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Freedom of Communications: The joint appearances of Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon and other 1960 campaign presentations", Frederick Brisson papers, 19341984 (includes Rosalind Russell papers), New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalind_Russell&oldid=1135013531, Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners, Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners, Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Also screenwriter, credited as "C. A. McKnight", This page was last edited on 22 January 2023, at 02:09. For most of the next decade, she only occasionally appeared in films and mostly stuck to television and music, chalking it up to her advanced ageshe was in her mid-30s. Russell confessed that she began to drink after the loss of her husband, and that her family had to confront her about her problem and urge her to seek treatment. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. The film was not a classic by any means but was geared through its marketing to show off Jane's ample physical assets rather than acting abilities. I've seen plenty of pin-up pictures that have sex appeal, interest, and allure, but they're not vulgar. Funny, Life, Movie. During that time, Russell was kept busy doing publicity and became known nationally. Contrary to countless incorrect reports in the media since the release of The Outlaw,[citation needed] Russell did not wear the specially designed underwire bra that Howard Hughes had designed and made for her to wear during filming. They have a little art to them. policy. [11] She starred in many comedies such as Forsaking All Others (1934) and Four's a Crowd (1938), as well as dramas, including Craig's Wife (1936) (the second of three film adaptations of the play of the same name; Joan Crawford starred in the third) and The Citadel (1938). Mary Jane Russell -- Sister. In addition to music, she was interested in drama and participated in stage productions at Van Nuys High School. She had worked with Marilyn Monroe on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and defended the star, saying that Monroes pin-up calendar had been artistic, which kept it from being vulgar. Had Jane not been wasted during the Hughes years, she could have been a bigger actress than what she was allowed to show. Later, Kramden becomes aware that his best friend and neighbor, Ed Norton, is in fact throwing a party upstairs and did not invite him. Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 - November 28, 1976) was a four-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning American film and stage actress, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday.She is tied with actress Meryl Streep) with the most Golden Globe Awards (for films) wins, with five. The film was a sizeable box office hit, earning $4.5 million and becoming Paramount's most successful release of the year.[16]. The family was well-to-do and although Jane was the only girl among four brothers, her mother saw to it that she took piano lessons. Introduction to. Russells father perished, leaving behind a wife and five children. Sadly, just three months after Russells wedding to her second husband, tragedy struck. In 1950, she recorded a single, "Kisses and Tears", with Frank Sinatra and The Modernaires for Columbia. Russell won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1953 for her portrayal of Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town (a musical based on the film My Sister Eileen, in which she also starred). [34] Russell was voted one of the 40 Most Iconic Movie Goddesses of all time in 2009 by Glamour (UK edition). Actress Jane Fonda also modeled her Oscar-nominated role in the 1986 film The Morning After on the life of Gail Russell. Hughes cast Russell opposite Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price in His Kind of Woman (1951), a film noir originally directed by John Farrow in 1950 which would be reshot by Richard Fleischer the following year. The persnickety Hughes demanded an entire years worth of reshoots for the film, with the castnow annoyed and fighting each othereven throwing an anniversary party for the shoots. Russell was the logical choice for reprising her role as Auntie Mame when the musical version Mame was set for a production on Broadway in 1966, but she declined for health reasons. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Her last on-screen appearance was in a 1986 episode of Hunter.[32]. "[1][43], Russell resided in the Santa Maria Valley along the Central Coast of California. [citation needed], Russell continued to display her talent for comedy in the classic screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940), directed by Howard Hawks. Russell was working on a play in London when, during an interview, she said that she wanted to adopt an Irish boy, due to her husbands heritage. Hannah McDermott, meanwhile, was charged with breaking adoption laws, and people angrily protested outside Russells home. [citation needed], Russell described herself as "vigorously pro-life". [6] The family then moved to Southern California where her father worked as an office manager. She explained that the blonde bombshell had been preparing to remarry Joe DiMaggio, and had been excited about a new movie contract. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. As a result, many critics and fans have said that her talent was wasted during those years. PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. Thats not to say that Russell was judgmental of her co-stars and peers. However, it was her mothers footsteps that she followed in. First, because I want to improve my career and professional life and, secondly because I am tired of being a clothes horse a sort of hothouse orchid in a stand of wild flowers. INTERVIEW BY M.N. The Famous People. She won all 5 Golden Globes for which she was nominated, and was . Jane Austen Book Club (2007) . The film went over budget by $600,000 and was a box office failure.[15]. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . First, she urged her young daughter to take piano lessons. His reaction was devastating. [5] Russell's parents lived in Edmonton, Alberta until shortly before her birth and returned to that city nine days after her birth, where they lived for the first one or two years of her life. He was a UCLA All-American, Cleveland Rams quarterback, Los Angeles Rams quarterback, Los Angeles Rams head coach, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shes also worked as a translator, editor, and writer for a stable of commercial clients. All of them refused. "Rosalind Russell Dies, Fought 15-Year Battle". The Capitol LP was issued on CD in 2008, in a package that also included the choral singles by the original quartet and two tracks with Fleming replacing Della Russell. Catherine Rosalind Russell. Columbia Records released her innuendo-laden album Lets Put Out the Lights in 1947, but Russell later revealed that she hated the album, saying it was horrible. One song in the albums reissue? Russell wrote an autobiography, Jane Russell: My Path and My Detours (1985). With filming on His Kind of Woman completed, the cast looked forward to moving on to the next film project, but there was a dark twist around the corner. Russell co-starred with Clark Gable in The Tall Men (1955) at 20th Century Fox, one of the most popular films of the year, with earnings of $6 million. submissions or preferences. Films such as Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) and The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) did do Jane's justice and were able to show exactly the fine actress she was.After The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) (a flop), Jane took a hiatus from films, to dabble a little in television, returning in 1964 to film Fate Is the Hunter (1964). [citation needed], Perhaps her most memorable performance was in the title role of the long-running stage comedy Auntie Mame (based on a Patrick Dennis novel) as well as the 1958 film version, in which she played an eccentric aunt whose orphaned nephew comes to live with her. Russell was acclaimed when she co-starred with Robert Young in the MGM drama West Point of the Air (1935). Tallulah Bankhead, 1932. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was just around the corner, and cemented Russells status as Hollywood royaltyIn fact, Russell even got paid more than her co-star Marilyn Monroe. A young Irish mother named Hannah McDermott saw the interview. Rosalind Russell, long one of the brightest stars of the American stage and screen, whose witty sophistication as Auntie Mame was a natural extension of Roz, the woman, died yesterday of cancer at . About us. She called it the World Adopting International FundAKA Waif. Since its inception, the organization has helped over 50,000 children get adopted. Rosalind Russell, (born June 4, 1907, Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.died November 28, 1976, Beverly Hills, California), American actress who was best remembered for her film and stage portrayals of witty, assertive, independent women. Jane did continue to make films throughout the 1950s, but the films were at times not up to par, particularly with Jane's talents being wasted in forgettable movies to show off her sexy side. Details are scant, but the book indicates that health problems and the deaths of a sister and a brother were major factors leading to her breakdown. A Charmed Childhood. Her favorite co-star Bob Hope once introduced her as "the two and only Jane Russell". After spending a quarter of a century together and adopting three kids, high school sweethearts Russell and Bob Waterfield seemed solid as a rockbut heartbreak was lurking in the shadows. Sadly, the failure of The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown went far beyond disappointing ticket sales. She married real-estate broker John Calvin Peoples on January 31, 1974, living with him until his death from heart failure on April 9, 1999. It was such a grueling process, Russell later said that she felt as it she spent the first half of the 1940s doing nothing but promoting her debut film. [9] Upon graduation from the performing arts school, Russell acted in summer stock and joined a repertory company in Boston. Jane Russell was born in Bemidji, Minnesota, on June 21, 1921. The other original members were Connie Haines, Beryl Davis and Della Russell. It was likely that the fire was set to cover her homicide, which remains unsolved.