Jane Russell
By Howard McQuitter II
Jane Russell, 1921-2011
Actress Jane Russell, 89, died the day after the 83rd Academy Awards–February 28–one of the most popular beauties of the silver screen in the 1940s in San Maria,California.
She got her first role in the film “Outlaw” (1943) by director Howard Hughes, a movie the censors criticized for its provocative scenes of Russell”'s low-cut blouse. The movie barely got by the censors two years later in limited showings. “Outlaw” wasn”'t a particularly good movie, but the stunning beauty attracted male moviegoers by the millions.
Jane starred in other movies “Young Widow”(1946),”Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” (1955) “His Kind of Woman”(1951), “The Las Vegas Story” (1951), “Mamie Stoyer” (1956) and “The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown”(1957), a big flop.
Her roles past “Nightgown” nearly disappeared. For a short time she worked in television and then returned to the film “Fate is the Hunter” (1964). She did the film “The Born Losers” (1967). Her last film was “Darker Than Amber”(1970).
If only Jane Russell has been a better placed actress beyond in more telluric roles, she was a better actress beyond her beautiful face and body.
Jane was born in Bemidji, Minnesota, but moved to Canada and then to California. She was a life-long Republican and believed in pro-life causes. Russell didn”'t much care for some of the liberal actors and actresses in Hollywood.
