Betty Grable

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Lore & Background

Grable was a celebrated sex symbol whose bathing-suit poster made her the top pin-up girl of World War War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth; the image was later included in *Life* magazine’s “100 Photographs That Changed the World.” Her legs were noted by hosiery specialists for their ideal proportions—measuring specific lengths for the thigh, calf, and ankle—and her studio insured them for $1 million as a publicity stunt. She famously said of her film career, “I became a star for two reasons, and I’m standing on them.” Grable’s 42 films from the 1930s and 1940s grossed over $100 million, and for ten consecutive years (1942–1951) she ranked among the Quigley Poll’s top ten box-office stars, a feat matched only by Doris Day, Julia Roberts, and Barbra Streisand. The U.S. Treasury Department listed her as the highest-salaried American woman in 1946 and 1947, and she earned more than $3 million over her career. She began acting at age 12 in 1929, was later fired for signing a contract with false identification, and studied with Neely Dickson at the Hollywood Community Theater. After early B-movie roles at RKO and Paramount, she gained prominence in the Broadway musical *Du Barry Was a Lady* (1939), which led to her breakthrough at 20th Century-Fox. She replaced Alice Faye in *Down Argentine Way* (1940) and became Fox’s biggest star, appearing in popular Technicolor musicals with leading men such as Victor Mature, Don Ameche, John Payne, and Tyrone Power. In 1943 she was the world’s number-one box-office draw. Her greatest successes included *Mother Wore Tights* (1947) and *How to Marry a Millionaire* (1953). She retired from screen acting in 1955 after leaving her Fox contract but continued performing on stage and television.

Reader's Guide

Betty Grable’s career was defined by her extraordinary commercial appeal and her carefully cultivated image as a wartime pin-up. For ten consecutive years, from 1942 through 1951, she ranked among the top ten box-office draws in the world, a sustained run of popularity matched by only a handful of other stars in Hollywood history. At the peak of her fame in 1943, she was the number-one box-office attraction globally. Her forty-two films from the 1930s and 1940s collectively grossed over $100 million, and she earned more than $3 million over her career. The U.S. Treasury Department named her the highest-salaried American woman in both 1946 and 1947. Grable’s most famous image—a bathing-suit poster—made her the top pin-up of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth, and was later included in *Life* magazine’s “100 Photographs That Changed the World.” Her legs, whose proportions were frequently noted by hosiery specialists, were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. Grable herself acknowledged the centrality of her physique to her success, remarking that she became a star for two reasons and that she was “standing on them.” After retiring from screen acting in 1955, she continued performing on stage and television. Her legacy endures as a symbol of wartime glamour and a trailblazer for female stars in Hollywood.

Did You Know?

• Grable began her film career in 1929 at age 12.
• She was fired from a contract for having signed with a false identification.
• In 1943, she was the number-one box-office draw in the world.
• The U.S. Treasury Department listed her as the highest-salaried American woman in 1946 and 1947.
• Her legs were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt.