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That's the original photo, from THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER. Jane was uncharacteristically a red-head in the film. She had objected, saying she looked better with her natural dark hair or as a blonde; but the studio insisted she go red for the role. (I also think she didn't look too good as a blonde when impersonating Marilyn, but think she looked amazing with red hair.) I'm not sure why someone tinted the hair color in the photo I used, but since it's closer to her natural shade that's what I went with; lest someone think my icon is Rita Hayworth.
One of my favorite Jane Russell films is HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951), although it's an interesting film rather than particularly good. Jane could sometimes be photographed ungainly on film, but she looks spectacular in this one. She & Robert Mitchum had remarkable chemistry. They made only two minor, messy films together which is a shame; I think their chemistry was as good as Bogart & Bacall. This is a good summation of their appeal, "[He] likes her – a lot – their chemistry (also seen in another Mitchum/Russell/Hughes RKO picture with two directors – Macao) is so sexy and witty, with banter so sharp but good-natured, that you absolutely buy Mitchum having no problem being pals with a woman he’s sexually attracted to. (Friends in real life, this adds to their buddy allure)."
This is a perfect example of a movie not having to be good to be enjoyable. It's a quirky, uneven hodgpodge of good directing (John Farrow) and Howard Hughes' meddling.
One of my favorite Jane Russell films is HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951), although it's an interesting film rather than particularly good. Jane could sometimes be photographed ungainly on film, but she looks spectacular in this one. She & Robert Mitchum had remarkable chemistry. They made only two minor, messy films together which is a shame; I think their chemistry was as good as Bogart & Bacall. This is a good summation of their appeal, "[He] likes her – a lot – their chemistry (also seen in another Mitchum/Russell/Hughes RKO picture with two directors – Macao) is so sexy and witty, with banter so sharp but good-natured, that you absolutely buy Mitchum having no problem being pals with a woman he’s sexually attracted to. (Friends in real life, this adds to their buddy allure)."
This is a perfect example of a movie not having to be good to be enjoyable. It's a quirky, uneven hodgpodge of good directing (John Farrow) and Howard Hughes' meddling.
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I've always thought that Jane Russell was at her most attractive in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Revolt of Mamie Stover.
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I'm glad you touched upon that because I wanted to comment about it but didn't want to be rude. I personally find Jane to look somehow vulgar and just bad in that Gentlemen Prefer Blonds courtroom scene and it always surprises me just what a change that blonde wig makes on her. I mean, don't get me wrong, I adore that movie, it's pure perfection and Jane is amazing in it. Her character is so likeable and a pal everyone would want, but that scene always irks me for some reason. Which leads me to another thing, Jane's very unique facial features. She had that, bird-like, look ( if it makes sense, her nose, sth about her face reminds me of a bird) and it was very important to photograph her well. Most of the times she looked stunning but there are some photos, camera angles and movie moments when she doesn't look pretty at all.
I agree that she was drop-dead gorgeous in His Kind of Woman, a very entertaining and at the same time bizarre movie that had an epic behind the scene story that's even more interesting than the movie itself. I'll post Eddie Muller's Noir Alley intro and outro to this movie with all the fascinating details, and an insight into Howard Hughes' madness.
And speaking of Hughes madness, this guy was both a blessing and a curse for her career. Yes, it's great to have a powerful figure investing in you but when he puts you mostly in crappy, often trashy movies, it becomes a problem. This was especially the case in the final RKO years, when everything was falling apart and Jane was reduced to some really cheap looking, porn like outfits and looks. It's hard to believe some of this passed the censors.
There's a lot of great info about this period of RKO history and its final, sad days, in this great BBC documentary that also features both Jane and Robert Mitchum and many other RKO stars talking about everything that was happening in those days.
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Harry Wild's cinematography in BLONDES is great, but I think some of the hairstyles and clothes Jane had in the film were not particularly flattering to her. In a biography of Marilyn I read some years back, designer Travilla made some disparaging remarks about Jane; something to the effect that, compared to Marilyn, Jane looked like a Teamster in drag. He may not have liked designing for her. Jane said in her autobiography that she demanded an entirely re-designed wardrobe for the film, so Travilla may have been resentful that she rejected his initial designs.
Pulled in from the Lana thread ...
It's not easy being a fan; there's not much worthwhile in her filmography. It's not so much that she had a high ratio of bad films. Crawford and Davis also have far more bad movies than good to their credit, but Jane's filmography is skimpy to boot. But, still, 3 great films, a few good and a couple oddities balances out the rest of the mediocrities.
I think she had more box office success than you give her credit for, though. THE OUTLAW, both PALEFACE films, HIS KIND OF WOMAN, BLONDES of course, THE FRENCH LINE and THE TALL MEN were all hits at the box office. I suppose it could be argued that most of these were carried by her co-stars, but it's worth noting that Fox considered her a potent enough draw for them to give her top billing and a significantly higher salary to bolster Marilyn's yet unproven box office appeal. Also, some RKO shareholders sued Hughes in the early 50s, claiming Jane's salary wasn't warranted by her box office success; the judge ruled against them.
Her features were rather angular and I've seen photos from bad angles where she was nearly unrecognizable. As her main film career was winding down, she adopted one of those close-cropped hairstyles that were inexplicably popular in the late 50s and which made even young, beautiful women look like dowdy matrons. It suited her even less-well than many others.
Ahh, THE FRENCH LINE; Hughes' attempt at re-creating GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES but with the giddy vulgarity replaced with tacky vulgarity. And don't forget, the movie was in 3D. ("J.R. in 3D! It'll knock BOTH your eyes out!") It's probably a good thing the 3D fad faded before Jayne Mansfield came along; she might have given people concussions.
But that movie wasn't nearly as ill-conceived as GENTLEMAN MARRY BRUNETTES. For years, I was curious to see that film, but it remained elusive. When I finally was able to watch it, I didn't last more than 30 minutes. It's her worst film, and that's saying something since she started with the awful THE OUTLAW.
That's an excellent documentary; the entire thing is on Youtube. There's a comparable one on MGM made maybe a decade later. It's a shame all of the classic film studios didn't get similar documentaries while most of the major stars were still alive.
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I don't know, I find here terribly attractive in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her outfits, her hair, her voice, her songs. It's all bundled together in a real potent package. She's sarcastic, soft, tough-as-nails. She's sandpaper, she's vulnerable. She's tomboyish, but feminine. All the qualities are there, and I lover her for it. I've never heard anything concerning her rifts with Travilla, but I'm sure her decision not to wear his clothes didn't sit well with him, especially considering Marilyn apparently adored his work, wearing his clothes in like eight of her pictures.
I mean, look at her. She's absolutely stunning here.
Of course, her features could be classified as being "stronger" or more "defined" of typical leading ladies of her era, but she's still beautiful. I can also agree that she did have a bird-like structure to her face, especially when photographed from the side. As she aged, and sometimes lost weight, this was more noticeable than when she was younger and a little heavier.
I think we I've said before concerning Jane Russell's box office popularity wasn't particularly clear. I know she had a period of successes (The Paleface, His Kind of Woman, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to name the more popular ones), and she was definitely a drawing card for the marquees. When Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was originally tabled in 1952, I know there was some rift with Marilyn and her agent about her salary and not getting top billing. Apparently the studio just didn't feel comfortable banking on Marilyn yet, but they felt confident that Jane would draw in a crowd.
Where I get baffled when Jane Russell is the perceived lack of quality her films typically had. And maybe my judgment is off, considering my knowledge of her filmography has gotten rusty. It's been years since I've seen some of her films, and I don't believe I own any of them anymore outside of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and maybe, just maybe, a cheap copy of The Outlaw. Everything I've ever seen of hers has been when TCM showed them, and that isn't too common. I remember catching The French Line and Underwater on there sometime back when the channel was throwing some kind of "Russell with Tussle" marathon, or I think they called it that. I remember not being particularly impressed by either movie, though.
When it all boils down to it, though, I'm actually saddened that I've been so harsh to Jane and her career. I always find her lovely, but yet I've critiqued her to death. It's unfair on my part.
I mean, look at her. She's absolutely stunning here.
Of course, her features could be classified as being "stronger" or more "defined" of typical leading ladies of her era, but she's still beautiful. I can also agree that she did have a bird-like structure to her face, especially when photographed from the side. As she aged, and sometimes lost weight, this was more noticeable than when she was younger and a little heavier.
I think we I've said before concerning Jane Russell's box office popularity wasn't particularly clear. I know she had a period of successes (The Paleface, His Kind of Woman, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to name the more popular ones), and she was definitely a drawing card for the marquees. When Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was originally tabled in 1952, I know there was some rift with Marilyn and her agent about her salary and not getting top billing. Apparently the studio just didn't feel comfortable banking on Marilyn yet, but they felt confident that Jane would draw in a crowd.
Where I get baffled when Jane Russell is the perceived lack of quality her films typically had. And maybe my judgment is off, considering my knowledge of her filmography has gotten rusty. It's been years since I've seen some of her films, and I don't believe I own any of them anymore outside of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and maybe, just maybe, a cheap copy of The Outlaw. Everything I've ever seen of hers has been when TCM showed them, and that isn't too common. I remember catching The French Line and Underwater on there sometime back when the channel was throwing some kind of "Russell with Tussle" marathon, or I think they called it that. I remember not being particularly impressed by either movie, though.
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I also don't know if I'd totally lay the success of her more popular films at her co-stars' feet. While that could be argued for the earlier ones, what success most of her films got relied solely on her clout with audiences, which had to be considerable for her popularity to sustain.
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I'm sure Jane's not spinning in her grave over a bit of online criticism, so don't fret too much; it's all part of the fun of discussions.
To the points above, I should clarify that when I said Jane could sometimes look ungainly, GPB was definitely not a film I had in mind. She's beautiful in the film, even if I think some of the suits she was given didn't, well, suit her. That red boarding outfit and the blue cafe suit are weirdly boxy on her, and the hats totally unbecoming for her facial shape. (Or maybe I just don't like her in hats.)
On the other hand, yeah -- gorgeous.
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I thought the red boarding suit was very becoming on her. It seemed like a step-up clothing wise. More mature and lady-like. The blue cafe suit wasn't particularly attractive on her or Marilyn.
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Sometimes the roles an actor didn't play can be as interesting as those they did, and Jane missed out on a few prime parts.
As noted in the Lana thread, Jane was offered the role eventually played by Rita Hayworth in the Tyrone Power picture BLOOD & SAND. THE OUTLAW had just finished filming and Jane was in the midst of the early Hughes' publicity whirlwind, but Hughes rejected the offer. His picture was being delayed by censorship battles, and he saw no reason for another film to benefit for the publicity he was paying for. Probably just as well. Jane's genial persona wasn't well suited to femme fatale roles.
Paramount was reportedly happy enough with Jane's two films with Bob Hope that they planned to pair her with Danny Kaye, but that never came to pass. The film was later made as RED GARTERS with Rosemary Clooney.
I recall somewhere reading of a vague possibility of Jane and Marilyn being reteamed by Fox, but that may have just been wishful thinking.
In her autobiography, Jane said she tried for and was almost cast in the Gary Cooper Quaker drama, FRIENDLY PERSUASION; she had hoped the role would help her fight her 'sexy' image. Dorothy McGuire got the role.
Her biggest miss was her own fault. MGM offered her the lead in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME, but she dragged her feet on signing; she was hoping to be cast in I'LL CRY TOMORROW for which she was also being considered. She missed out on both, with, of course, Doris Day and Susan Hayward being cast. I think Jane could have handled the less demanding role in the first, but lacked Susan's acting chops to carry the second.
As noted in the Lana thread, Jane was offered the role eventually played by Rita Hayworth in the Tyrone Power picture BLOOD & SAND. THE OUTLAW had just finished filming and Jane was in the midst of the early Hughes' publicity whirlwind, but Hughes rejected the offer. His picture was being delayed by censorship battles, and he saw no reason for another film to benefit for the publicity he was paying for. Probably just as well. Jane's genial persona wasn't well suited to femme fatale roles.
Paramount was reportedly happy enough with Jane's two films with Bob Hope that they planned to pair her with Danny Kaye, but that never came to pass. The film was later made as RED GARTERS with Rosemary Clooney.
I recall somewhere reading of a vague possibility of Jane and Marilyn being reteamed by Fox, but that may have just been wishful thinking.
In her autobiography, Jane said she tried for and was almost cast in the Gary Cooper Quaker drama, FRIENDLY PERSUASION; she had hoped the role would help her fight her 'sexy' image. Dorothy McGuire got the role.
Her biggest miss was her own fault. MGM offered her the lead in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME, but she dragged her feet on signing; she was hoping to be cast in I'LL CRY TOMORROW for which she was also being considered. She missed out on both, with, of course, Doris Day and Susan Hayward being cast. I think Jane could have handled the less demanding role in the first, but lacked Susan's acting chops to carry the second.
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I always find it interesting to read about those "could have been roles" for my favorite old Hollywood stars. Marilyn had a host of them she wanted, didn't want, and eventually didn't end up playing, so I get a healthy dose of it from her.
I think Jane would've been good in Blood and Sand, even if there is something about the role that just seems to scream Rita Hayworth. Even though I wouldn't necessarily object to Jane playing the part, I can totally understand why Hughes rebuffed the idea. He was spending his own millions to make sure Jane Russell was a name on everyone's minds, and he wasn't just going to let Fox benefit from his hard-earned work. And from a business standpoint, I can certainly understand his position.
Moving on, though, I don't know if I ever knew Jane Russell was considered for Love Me or Leave Me, nor did I ever know she sought the lead in I'll Cry Tomorrow. Both those pictures ended up being career-defining performances for Doris Day and Susan Hayward, respectively. While I can easily see her as Ruth Etting, owing to her on-screen charisma and singing capabilities, I don't know if she'd quite have the depth to tackle a role like Lillian Roth. To think that Russell missed out on those two exceptional roles and instead did stuff like Underwater and Gentlemen Marry Brunettes that year, although she did shine in The Tall Men.
Below is one of my favorite pictures of Jane Russell.
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That is a lovely picture; emphasizing her beauty rather than, as usual, her sex appeal.
I often find the abrupt ending of Jane's Hollywood career to be curious. Yes her last four films -- GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES; HOT BLOOD; THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER; and THE FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN -- were poorly received, but she had big hits in '53, '54, and '55 and was still being actively pursued/considered for major films in that year. Even taking Hollywood's fickleness (see: Linda Darnell) into account, it seems improbable that she could become unemployable so quickly. Her later answer about not being able to keep working at (nearly) 40 seems too pat. Reading through those chapters in her autobiography (which doesn't always provide total clarity to her life), I would conclude it was a combination of career ambivalence, the financial independence Hughes gave her, a rocky marriage with some infidelity on her part, some heavy drinking, and her desire to be a stay-at-home mom for a few years.
I often find the abrupt ending of Jane's Hollywood career to be curious. Yes her last four films -- GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES; HOT BLOOD; THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER; and THE FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN -- were poorly received, but she had big hits in '53, '54, and '55 and was still being actively pursued/considered for major films in that year. Even taking Hollywood's fickleness (see: Linda Darnell) into account, it seems improbable that she could become unemployable so quickly. Her later answer about not being able to keep working at (nearly) 40 seems too pat. Reading through those chapters in her autobiography (which doesn't always provide total clarity to her life), I would conclude it was a combination of career ambivalence, the financial independence Hughes gave her, a rocky marriage with some infidelity on her part, some heavy drinking, and her desire to be a stay-at-home mom for a few years.
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@Crimson, I've been thinking Jane Russell a lot this week, and I've even been browsing over to her biography on Wikipedia. I feel like it's time for me to dive into her movies again, but I really don't know which ones I should get into first. Considering your a bigger fan than I, where would you suggest I start?
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If you're planning a stroll through Jane's filmography, it will be a short walk; unless you're a completest or have a predilection for dull films.
If you haven't already seen them, I would suggest starting with HIS KIND OF WOMAN and MACAO. Both films are oddities, but they're the most reflective of the "Jane Russell" persona. She and Bob Mitchum worked great together. It's one of my pet peeves when I see someone criticizing Jane's acting while praising Bob. Their acting was virtually identical: droll, detached, ironic, and languid.
I am not generally a big fan of Bob Hope's films, but he and Jane made a terrific pair. Her sexy but strong "straight man" made her the perfect female foil for his boastful coward character. Both PALEFACE films are very funny, although SON OF was a better showcase for Jane.
Lastly, I rather like THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER; Martin Scorsese is a fan of the film too. It's not quite a great film, but it's pretty close. In her autobiography, Jane said the screenplay took out all of the guts from the novel, but it's still one of those Golden Age films that manages to tap dance around luridness. (Mamie is a "dance hall hostess", the old euphemism for prostitute.)
If you get through those and enjoy her work, there are a few other films that are moderately entertaining. Jane made few bad films; the rest fall into the mediocre range.
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I've seen Macao, but it's been years. I know she usually gets touted for working well with Robert Mitchum, so I will definitely check those two out. Like you, I've never been a terribly big fan of Bob Hope or his movies, but I'll give their spoofs a gander, too.
The Revolt of Mamie Stover has always intrigued me the most. It was lurking around on one of those bootleg sites a while ago. I just might drift back on over there and snatch it up.
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I have my DVR set to record anything with my favorite actors, including Jane. That casts a wide net and sometimes picks up some oddities; tonight, a 1986 episode of HUNTER guest starring Jane.
I'm not sure I've ever heard of HUNTER, let alone seen it; I was vaguely aware Fred Dryer starred in one of those formulaic 80s cop shows, but thought it was HAMMER or SLEDGEHAMMER or something. At the risk of being s snob, it's amazing to me that American TV thrived for so long with such grind-it-out claptrap.
This was Jane's final acting role. She only turned up in the back half of the episode and had no more than 10 minutes screen time. Still, she at least had an interesting character to play: a former movie star named Ava Fontaine involved in some shady dealings.
I'm not sure I've ever heard of HUNTER, let alone seen it; I was vaguely aware Fred Dryer starred in one of those formulaic 80s cop shows, but thought it was HAMMER or SLEDGEHAMMER or something. At the risk of being s snob, it's amazing to me that American TV thrived for so long with such grind-it-out claptrap.
This was Jane's final acting role. She only turned up in the back half of the episode and had no more than 10 minutes screen time. Still, she at least had an interesting character to play: a former movie star named Ava Fontaine involved in some shady dealings.
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I can definitely see this! Jane Russell as Dorothy, Dorothy Lamour as Rose, Arlene Dahl as Blanche (does Lorenzo Lamas guest star as her son?) and Martha Raye as Sophia.
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Although Jane published her autobiography in the mid-1980s and she is frequently discussed in books about Hollywood (specifically censorship, Marilyn Monroe or Howard Hughes), this will be the first full biography of Jane published in the month that would have been her 100th birthday.
