One of the most famous of Hollywood's blonde superwomen, best known as WWII's most pinned up pin-up. Grable's luxurious legs (insured by Lloyd's of London for upwards of $1 million) and surprisingly wholesome appeal brightened a number of bland but successful light musicals and dramas lensed in glowing Technicolor for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s and early 50s. She had began in features at age 13 and worked steadily for a decade in mostly small roles in films including the Wheeler and Woolsey comedy "Hips Hips Hooray" (1934) and the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical "Follow the Fleet" (1936, as one of Rogers's backup singers). Broadway success in the late 1930s led to a leading role in "Down Argentine Way" (1940) when reigning Fox musical queen Alice Faye proved recalcitrant, and if Grable was never quite exceptional as actress, singer or dancer, her incredible athletic vivacity, eager-to-entertain professionalism, and sexy peaches-and-cream personality still register strongly today.
Some of Grable's films ("Song of the Island" 1942, "Pin Up Girl" 1944, "That Lady in Ermine" 1948) seem either interchangeable or downright mediocre today, but she was by far the most popular female star of the 1940s (and third overall behind only Bing Crosby and Bob Hope). Her better films still make for rousing entertainment, and include "Moon Over Miami" (1941), "Springtime in the Rockies" (1942), "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe" (1945), "Mother Wore Tights" (1947) and "Meet Me After the Show" (1951). She more than held her own opposite Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall in "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953) and when her film career abruptly petered out as she neared 40, Grable worked on an intermittent basis on stage, TV and the straw hat and nightclub circuits. In the late 1960s she joined Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Phyllis Diller and Pearl Bailey as one of the many middle-aged stars who played on Broadway and on tour in the musical "Hello, Dolly!". Married to actor Jackie Coogan from 1937 to 1940 and bandleader Harry James from 1943 to 1965.
Companion
HUSBAND: Jackie Coogan. Actor. Married in 1937; divorced in 1940.
HUSBAND: Harry James. Trumpeter, bandleader. Married in 1943; divorced in 1965.
Milestone
1930: Signed by Samuel Goldwyn, who changed her name to Frances Dean; began playing bit parts in films, beginning with the Samuel Goldwyn-produced musical "Whoopee" starring Eddie Cantor
1940: Achieved star status in film with "Down Argentine Way"
1940: Appeared in first of four starring films opposite John Payne, "Tin Pan Alley", which also co-starred 20th Century Fox's other leading blonde female musical star, Alice Faye; Grable and Payne had earlier appeared together in "College Swing" (1938) but were not stars
1942: First made annual exhibitors' list of top ten boxoffice stars, placing eighth; would make the list for ten years in a row (the only female star ever to do so)
1942: Made first of four films in which Cesar Romero was one of her leading men, "Springtime in the Rockies"
1947: Made first of four films co-starring Dan Dailey, "Mother Wore Tights"
1951: Last appearance on exhibitors' top ten boxoffice list; placed third
1955: Made last film, "How to Be Very, Very Popular"
Appeared on Broadway in the late 1960s in the title role of long-running hit musical, "Hello, Dolly!", After Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers and Martha Raye had already played the title role; also went on tour with a company with the play
Education
Hollywood Professional School - Los Angeles, California
Grable's boxoffice potency (and durability) is proven by her record in the annual poll of exhibitors for their top ten stars: 8th place in 1942, 1st in 1943, 4th in 1944 and 1945, 9th in 1946, 2nd in 1947 and 1948, 7th in 1949, 4th in 1950, and 3rd in 1951. No other female star in the history of the poll (which began in 1932) has made the list ten years in a row (the female stars who come the closest are Doris Day and Barbra Streisand).
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