Born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell on June 21, 1921 in Bemidji,
Minnesota, she was a screen
siren most famous for her roles in “
The Outlaw” (1943) and “
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953).
Her father was a U.S. Army lieutenant and her mother was an actress, and she had four brothers. She took piano lessons as a child and was always interested in drama.
She married pro football player Bob Waterfield in 1943, and in the 1950s she created Russ-Field Productions with her husband. She and Waterfield divorced in 1968, and she married Robert Barret that same year. He soon died. She married John C. Peoples in 1974 and they are still together today. She has been a major contributor to charities over the years and also used to model bras for Playtex.
She made controversy with her cleavage in “The Outlaw,” and added a brunette appeal opposite Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The press were sure she and Monroe would not get along on the set, but they became good friends.
Jane Russell died at age 89 on February 28, 2011.
Other movies starring Jane Russell:
“The Paleface”
“His Kind of Woman”
“Macao”
“The Tall Men”
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