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That is awesome. I hadn't ever noticed Jane Russell didn't have her own personal biography out there.
Which, to be frank, I've never even looked.
Which, to be frank, I've never even looked.
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I don't know a great deal about Jane Russell but as big Marx Brothers fan I'm familiar with DOUBLE DYNAMITE (1951) which she made with Groucho and Frank Sinatra.
It was originally called It's Only Money (the name of the song that features in it) but was renamed by Howard Hughes as a reference to Russell's, shall we say, attributes.
It was originally called It's Only Money (the name of the song that features in it) but was renamed by Howard Hughes as a reference to Russell's, shall we say, attributes.
Hunter was effectively the TV version of Magnum Force (i.e., Dirty Harry with the obligatory-for- the-80s female partner). Sledgehammer was a sitcom parody of the tough cop genre.
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One of the few films on Jane's skimpy filmography that I had never seen was JOHNNY RENO (1966). This was one of the films Jane made in the mid-60s in a brief attempt at a comeback; she apparently thought so little of this B western, she didn't even mention it in her autobiography.
I caught it on TV tonight. I'm not generally a fan of westerns, especially of the low grade variety. To my surprise, I liked it. It's kind of garish and lusty, with a good cast for a B-picture: Dana Andrews (who I don't think I've seen in anything before), Jane and Lon Chaney Jr.
I caught it on TV tonight. I'm not generally a fan of westerns, especially of the low grade variety. To my surprise, I liked it. It's kind of garish and lusty, with a good cast for a B-picture: Dana Andrews (who I don't think I've seen in anything before), Jane and Lon Chaney Jr.
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You've never seen LAURA?
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Good point. I have seen LAURA, although not in a long time. Looking at his filmography, I've also seen THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES and BALL OF FIRE. I suppose I don't find Dana Andrews a very memorable actor. In 6 months, I may forget I saw him in JOHNNY RENO. He seems kind of interchangeable with Joseph Cotton and Robert Preston.
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I'm not a big Dana Andrews fan either.
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I'm almost positive I've seen pieces of JOHNNY RENO before. My father is a frequent viewer of Grit TV, and I'm sure that channel has aired it.
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My DVR picked it up from a channel called Epix, which I think airs a lot of westerns. I have the other cheapie western she made in 1966 (WACO, with Howard Keel) but I've never bothered to watch it. Since I seem to be in the mood for perfunctory westerns, I might give it a watch this week.
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My father watches that channel sometimes.
I'm almost positive I've watched WACO somewhere before, but it didn't make too big an impression. It's pretty much you're basic B-Western, quite similar to JOHNNY RENO. I've always found it interesting how Jane came back in the late-sixties to do these cheap Westerns, only to dive back into semi-retirement thereafter.
I'm almost positive I've watched WACO somewhere before, but it didn't make too big an impression. It's pretty much you're basic B-Western, quite similar to JOHNNY RENO. I've always found it interesting how Jane came back in the late-sixties to do these cheap Westerns, only to dive back into semi-retirement thereafter.
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I’ve known many people that agree with you on that opinion. And without spoiling ur spoiler, yes, I’ve heard that criticism of her more than once as well. But I have to say that for my taste she was absolutely stunning. I found her to be a very beautiful woman so I guess her looks have always been a matter of debate.
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I watched the A&E biography of Jane Russell, subtitled Body and Soul, that I have on my laptop last night. One thing I've always admired about Jane is how she maintained a strong Christian faith throughout her Hollywood career. While I'd be liable to question some of her costumes and behaviors, she definitely did not seem to be that sexy, fiery woman off-camera. She loved God and focused a lot of her time towards helping impoverished children. She founded the WAIF foundation to help fund poor children overseas. Russell also fronted a Gospel music group beginning in 1954, along with Connie Haines, Beryl Davis, and Della Russell. I've heard that the group was simply called The Girls, but also that they operated under the Hollywood Christian Group.
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Sometimes I'm not sure what triggers Youtube's algorithm, but I've been down the rabbit hole lately of Bob Hope TV specials from the 60-80s. Aside from Bob's excruciatingly lame standup comedy, it's dug up some interesting videos. Here's Dinah Shore interviewing Bob with some of his more famous leading ladies: Lucille Ball, Jane Russell, Dorothy Lamour, Rosemary Clooney, Rhonda Fleming.
Mostly Bob's stale one-liners and bland pleasantries one would expect, but things get a bit raucous when the ladies start complaining about Bob's notoriously laid back attitude towards rehearsal.
Mostly Bob's stale one-liners and bland pleasantries one would expect, but things get a bit raucous when the ladies start complaining about Bob's notoriously laid back attitude towards rehearsal.
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Wasn't Jane Russell in another of these types of interviews about Old Hollywood 'class' and 'glamour'? I think Jane Powell was apart of the group discussion as well. I think that was also apart of the Dinah Shore talk show.
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One of the more interesting aspects of Jane's life is the sharp contrast between her public image and private life. Privately, she was devoutly religious, a married mom of 3 adopted kids, and deeply involved in her charity organization. She didn't dwell on it much in her autobiography, but she seemed to consider the 'sexy' image Hughes foisted on her to just be a role to play.
I thought I had it in my collection, but nope. I'll have to wait for my DVR to randomly record it.
I recall her being interviewed with some other ladies of the 1940s/50s; I think it was this episode of Vicki Lawrence's talk show.
She turned up semi-regularly with Bob on talk shows and his specials through the early 90s. Whatever his flaws, Bob was surprisingly loyal to his leading ladies even as they got older. Unlike that jerk Bing Crosby, who reportedly dismissed Dorothy Lamour as "a dumb broad with no talent" or some such and didn't want her in the last ROAD picture because she was too old. (She, of course, was younger than both Bing and Bob.)
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I know she held Bible studies that were attended by many well-known names during the '50s and '60s. She tried to introduce several of her co-stars to the Lord, but most of them rejected her.
It's puzzling that that WACO hasn't shown up on Grit TV, which is a channel my father watches a lot. My wife and I don't have cable (and we don't plan to), so the only way I'd see the movie is if I bought the DVD or streamed it somewhere.
Is it on YouTube I wonder?
Is it on YouTube I wonder?
I could've sworn it was on Dinah Shore's TV show.... But I could very well be wrong.
Yeah, Bob Hope appeared quite often with his former leading ladies on a few different talks shows and TV specials during his golden years. I've seen a few of them.
I hadn't any idea that Bing Crosby was such a jerk, which I guess isn't surprising because I've never done any studying on him whatsoever. Dorothy Lamour was one of the primary reasons that the ROAD series was the hit it was at the box office. And for THE ROAD TO HONG KONG she was replaced with Joan Collins, but the movie -- as I hear it because I've yet to see it -- was quite a dud.
I hadn't any idea that Bing Crosby was such a jerk, which I guess isn't surprising because I've never done any studying on him whatsoever. Dorothy Lamour was one of the primary reasons that the ROAD series was the hit it was at the box office. And for THE ROAD TO HONG KONG she was replaced with Joan Collins, but the movie -- as I hear it because I've yet to see it -- was quite a dud.
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This is the TV special I'm talking about. It's from the DINAH show in 1979. Jane appears, as does Debbie Reynolds, Jean Peters, Jane Powell, and Diahann Carroll.
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Jane appeared tipsy.
The first biography of Jane was released yesterday. I mostly stopped reading movie star biographies years ago. A lot of them are awfully bad, filled with unsubstantiated gossip that often reads like fanfic. I was unfamiliar with this author's work; her previous book was on Ann Dvorak, an actress so obscure I couldn't name a single thing about her.
I skipped right to the chapter on GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, as a gauge of the book's quality. I was pleasantly surprised. It's well written and factual. No revelations, but I wouldn't expect any; some details that I wasn't previously aware of, some quotes I hadn't before seen, and some behind-the-scenes photos. I'm eager to read the whole thing now.
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I'm glad you've enjoyed what you've read thus far. I've got several celebrity biographies. It's a shame that Jane hasn't had one before now. I might pick-up a copy one of these days.
Let me know about how the rest of it goes.
Let me know about how the rest of it goes.