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Who Was Jane Russell?
Jane Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress who first gained prominence when Howard Hughes cast her in The Outlaw. Even before the film’s release, her role had attracted significant attention due to the publicity stills that emphasized her striking features, quickly establishing her as a star. Russell became well-known for her roles in Westerns and musicals, with notable performances in films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where she shared the screen with Marilyn Monroe. Although her film career included some less successful and uninspired projects, she remained active in theater and nightclubs as her film career slowed. In the 1970s, she gained additional recognition as a spokesperson for Playtex’s 18-hour bra. Russell’s personal life included three marriages and the adoption of three children.
Movies
Russell’s film career began when she was cast by mogul Howard Hughes in The Outlaw at the age of 19.
“The Outlaw”
Russell was employed as a receptionist at a chiropodist’s office when Howard Hughes, in search of unknown actors for The Outlaw—a Western centered on Billy the Kid—decided she should portray the Irish-Mexican character Rio McDonald, the film’s love interest. Despite having taken acting classes, it was reportedly Russell’s size 38D chest that initially caught Hughes’ attention. Hughes subsequently took on the role of director and even designed a custom seamless bra for her to wear during filming. However, Russell later claimed to have used Kleenex to enhance her appearance, as Hughes desired.
The Motion Picture Production Code board, responsible for reviewing films prior to their release, deemed The Outlaw unacceptable, particularly criticizing Russell’s figure. Rather than altering the film, Hughes used the controversy to generate public interest. He released the film independently, without code approval, at a San Francisco theater for a limited run in 1943. Hughes then withdrew the film for reshoots and further editing before releasing it again in 1946, still without code approval.
Before the film’s widespread release, Russell had gained significant popularity, largely due to publicity stills that accentuated her voluptuous figure. In a 1943 poll, the U.S. Navy even named her “the girl we’d like to have waiting for us in every port.”
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, directed by Howard Hawks, stands as one of Jane Russell’s most celebrated works. In this classic, Russell, alongside Marilyn Monroe, portrayed showgirls in pursuit of romance and financial stability, as illustrated in their duet, “Two Little Girls From Little Rock.” While Monroe’s rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” may be more widely recognized, Russell also delivered her own memorable performance of the song within the film.
Other Films
While awaiting the wide release of The Outlaw, Russell took on the role in Young Widow (1946). She subsequently teamed up with Bob Hope in the comedic Western The Paleface (1948), portraying Calamity Jane, and reprised her role in the sequel Son of Paleface (1952). In Montana Belle (1952), she played a singing dance hall girl.
Russell appeared alongside Robert Mitchum in His Kind of Woman (1951) and Macao (1952). In Double Dynamite (1951), she shared the screen with Frank Sinatra and Groucho Marx, although the film did not achieve commercial success.
In the 3D musical The French Line (1954), Russell performed in a revealing costume. She featured in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), a quasi-sequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, albeit without Marilyn Monroe. Underwater! (1955), a film about treasure-hunting divers, premiered in a specially constructed underwater theater. Russell also appeared in melodramas such as Foxfire (1955) and Hot Blood (1956).
Songs Featured in Films
Russell’s film performances include several notable songs. From the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she delivered memorable renditions of “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love?”, “Bye Bye Baby”, and “When Love Goes Wrong (Nothing Goes Right)”. In The Paleface, Russell performed the Academy Award-winning song “Buttons and Bows” alongside Bob Hope. In the sequel, she revisited the song and also performed “What a Night for a Wing Ding” and “Am I In Love?”. Additionally, for the film Montana Belle, she sang “The Gilded Lily”.
Production Company
In collaboration with her husband Bob Waterfield, Russell established Russ-Field, an independent production company that produced films both featuring and excluding Russell. Among the productions were The Tall Men (1955), a Western starring Clark Gable, and The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956). While these films achieved commercial success, The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957), which explored the story of a kidnapped star who begins to empathize with her captors, did not perform well at the box office. Consequently, Russ-Field ceased operations a few years later.
End of Film Career
Following a series of less notable films in the 1960s, Russell’s cinematic journey concluded with the thriller Darker Than Amber in 1970. Reflecting on the end of her film career, she offered a candid explanation: “I was getting too old! During those years, it was challenging for actresses over 30 to continue acting.”
Despite the decline in her film career, Russell maintained a steady income. In 1954, she entered into a $1 million contract with Hughes, which stipulated her involvement in six films. The agreement ensured she received $1,000 per week for a span of 20 years, regardless of whether she completed the films.
Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe
Jane Russell, possessing more experience during her collaboration with Marilyn Monroe, played a supportive role in alleviating the younger actress’s anxieties and ensured her punctuality on set. The two developed a friendship, with Russell even inviting Monroe to a Bible study group. Following the meeting, Monroe remarked, “Jane attempted to introduce me to her religious beliefs, while I tried to introduce her to Freud.”
Family Life and Adoption
Russell was unable to have biological children, a situation she attributed to a back alley abortion she underwent as an unmarried teenager. During her marriage to her first husband, Bob Waterfield, the couple adopted three children in the 1950s: their daughter, Tracy Waterfield; their son, Thomas “Tommy” Waterfield; and their youngest son, Robert “Buck” Waterfield.
Irish Adoption Controversy
Tracy and Buck were born in the United States, whereas Tommy was born to Irish parents struggling to make ends meet in London. In 1951, while in London, Russell publicly expressed her desire to adopt a boy. Tommy’s birth mother, believing her son would have a better future with Russell, took the 15-month-old to meet the Hollywood actress. After this meeting, Russell chose to adopt him. At that time, British law prohibited non-British subjects from adopting British children. However, Tommy held dual Irish citizenship, and with the assistance of the Irish Embassy, he was issued a passport, allowing Russell to bring him to America.
The adoption, however, quickly sparked significant public and parliamentary backlash. Tommy’s birth parents were accused of “unlawfully permitting the care and possession of the child to be transferred,” though they were defended by a barrister hired by Russell and avoided incarceration. The public outcry was so intense that Russell’s husband and other Hollywood figures pressured her to return the boy, a request she steadfastly refused.
Jane Russell: Birth and Early Life
Jane Russell was born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell in Bemidji, Minnesota, on June 21, 1921. Though her full name was rather formal, she was commonly referred to as Jane. Her mother, a former actress with aspirations for her daughter’s future in the spotlight, believed that “Jane Russell” would be a more fitting name for a marquee.
When Did Jane Russell Die?
Jane Russell passed away on February 28, 2011, in Santa Maria, California, at the age of 89.
What Was Jane Russell’s Cause of Death?
Jane Russell passed away as a result of complications from a respiratory-related illness.
Husbands
Russell was married three times over the course of her life. Her first marriage was to Robert “Bob” Waterfield in 1943. Waterfield, her high school sweetheart, was a prominent player and coach for the Los Angeles Rams. The couple divorced in 1968, a separation attributed in part to infidelities on both sides.
In the same year, Russell married Roger Barrett, an actor she had met during a stock company production. Unfortunately, Barrett passed away from a heart attack just three months into their marriage.
Russell’s third marriage was to John Calvin Peoples in 1974. Peoples, a real estate broker and retired Air Force officer, remained her husband until his death in 1999.
Conservative Christian
Russell’s mother was a lay preacher, and Russell herself was a devout Christian, having experienced a personal spiritual awakening. Despite her public image as a sex symbol, her faith remained a central aspect of her life. She was candid about her religious practices, including her experiences with speaking in tongues. In response to perceptions about her faith and public persona, she remarked, “Christians have bosoms, too, you know.”
A committed Republican, Russell was an advocate for initiatives such as reinstating the Bible in schools. In a 2003 interview with the Daily Mail, she characterized herself as a “teetotal, right-wing, narrow-minded, conservative Christian bigot,” though she made a point to clarify that she was not racist.
Abortion Opponent
Russell, who was deeply affected by her belief that a back-alley abortion had left her infertile, emerged as a fervent opponent of abortion under any circumstances, including cases of rape and incest.
Adoption Advocacy
In the 1950s, Russell established the World Adoption International Fund, an organization dedicated to facilitating international adoption for American families. Despite facing controversy surrounding her adoption of Tommy and encountering procedural challenges while attempting to adopt a child in Europe, Russell’s initiative sought to address these issues. The organization subsequently shifted its focus to promoting the adoption of American orphans who were considered harder to place before ceasing operations in 1998.
Early Life
In her infancy, Russell’s family relocated to the San Fernando Valley in California, an area that was relatively rural at the time. Her family, which expanded to include four younger brothers, settled into a middle-class lifestyle on a ranch in Van Nuys. This stable environment was disrupted when her father passed away when Russell was 15.
Russell attended Van Nuys High School, where she pursued modeling part-time and enrolled in acting classes. Despite her efforts, her attempts to secure roles at Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures resulted in rejection.
Singing and Stage Career
In the 1940s, Russell performed with the Kay Kyser Orchestra and recorded an album titled Let’s Put Out the Lights. By 1954, she had established a female gospel group that achieved significant success with their hit song “Do Lord.” Her onstage career commenced with a nightclub act at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in 1957.
Transitioning from film to stage, Russell continued to thrive in theatrical productions and cabaret shows. Notably, in 1971, she made her Broadway debut, taking over the role of “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Elaine Stritch in Stephen Sondheim’s Company. Russell also participated in various touring productions of plays and musicals throughout her career.
Later Career
In her later career, Russell made several appearances in television productions and was prominently featured in commercials during the 1970s and 1980s, notably for Playtex bras targeting “full-figured gals.” This endorsement work reportedly earned her an annual income of $100,000. Additionally, she authored a memoir titled My Path and My Detours, which was published in 1985.
Alcohol Use and Intervention
Russell has acknowledged struggling with alcohol throughout much of her life. In 1978, she was sentenced to four days in jail following an arrest for driving under the influence. The subsequent loss of her third husband and stepson led her to further reliance on alcohol. At the age of 79, her children organized an intervention, resulting in her enrollment in a rehabilitation program.