Jane Russell in Son of Paleface (1952)
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 378. Photo: Paramount Films. Jane Russell in Son of Paleface (Frank Tashlin, 1952).
American film actress Jane Russell (1921-2011) was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1940, Jane Russell was signed to a seven-year contract by film mogul, Howard Hughes. She made her film debut in the Western The Outlaw (Howard Hughes, 1943), a story about Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) that went to great lengths to showcase Russell's voluptuous figure. Hughes' battles with the censors resulted in the film spending three years on the shelf before finally gaining wide release in a cut version in 1946.The film and the controversy turned her into an icon. In 1947 Russell delved into music before returning to films. She played Calamity Jane opposite Bob Hope in The Paleface (Norman Z. McLeod, 1948), and Mike 'the Torch' Delroy opposite Hope in another western comedy, Son of Paleface (Frank Tashlin, 1952).
Most famously, Jane Russell played Dorothy Shaw in the hit musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) opposite Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee. Brendon Hanley at AllMovie: "On the surface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a brassy, garish, colorful musical comedy featuring two rather lightweight actresses, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Ultimately, however, director Howard Hawks uses the nature of the material and the glossy stars to an interesting, paradoxical effect. The film lacks strong masculine characters and any sort of traditional morality; it's dominated by the superficial. The two main characters are sex symbols who, in true Hawksian fashion, have their sex-appeal turned on its head." After starring in multiple films in the 1950s, Russell again returned to music while completing several other films in the 1960s. She starred in more than 20 films throughout her career. Russell often played cynical, 'tough broads,' and in 1971, she starred in the Broadway musical Company.
Sources: Brendon Hanley (AllMovie), AllMovie, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Jane Russell in Son of Paleface (1952)
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 378. Photo: Paramount Films. Jane Russell in Son of Paleface (Frank Tashlin, 1952).
American film actress Jane Russell (1921-2011) was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1940, Jane Russell was signed to a seven-year contract by film mogul, Howard Hughes. She made her film debut in the Western The Outlaw (Howard Hughes, 1943), a story about Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) that went to great lengths to showcase Russell's voluptuous figure. Hughes' battles with the censors resulted in the film spending three years on the shelf before finally gaining wide release in a cut version in 1946.The film and the controversy turned her into an icon. In 1947 Russell delved into music before returning to films. She played Calamity Jane opposite Bob Hope in The Paleface (Norman Z. McLeod, 1948), and Mike 'the Torch' Delroy opposite Hope in another western comedy, Son of Paleface (Frank Tashlin, 1952).
Most famously, Jane Russell played Dorothy Shaw in the hit musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) opposite Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee. Brendon Hanley at AllMovie: "On the surface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a brassy, garish, colorful musical comedy featuring two rather lightweight actresses, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Ultimately, however, director Howard Hawks uses the nature of the material and the glossy stars to an interesting, paradoxical effect. The film lacks strong masculine characters and any sort of traditional morality; it's dominated by the superficial. The two main characters are sex symbols who, in true Hawksian fashion, have their sex-appeal turned on its head." After starring in multiple films in the 1950s, Russell again returned to music while completing several other films in the 1960s. She starred in more than 20 films throughout her career. Russell often played cynical, 'tough broads,' and in 1971, she starred in the Broadway musical Company.
Sources: Brendon Hanley (AllMovie), AllMovie, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.