Since Betty Grable was before my time, I was familiar with her photo, not her life. The only thing I really remember about Grable was that her legs were insured for $1 million (that was considered to be an astounding amount in that day and time). The pin-up photo of the actress is one of the most iconic photos of the war years.
Grable starred in far too many "college films" and they have not worn well. Generally, they were low-budget films that were churned out by the dozens. This book does an interesting analysis of Grable's popularity, after deeming the films as forgettable. She was cheerful in a time of tension and uncertainty (the depression years). Grable also had strong singing and dancing skills that were allowed to be the basis of the films.
There's an error where the author mentions Grable's two daughters with Harry James. One was Victoria and the other was Jessica. In this book, the author offered an interesting insight into 'women's musicals' - a concept I'd never heard before.
When one looks at Grable's mostly forgettable performances, the author explains that Grable was, during and after the war, an icon for American patriotism. The last sentence of the book explains Betty Grable: "... but it would be impossible to understand World War II America without acknowledging the central role she played."
Grable starred in far too many "college films" and they have not worn well. Generally, they were low-budget films that were churned out by the dozens. This book does an interesting analysis of Grable's popularity, after deeming the films as forgettable. She was cheerful in a time of tension and uncertainty (the depression years). Grable also had strong singing and dancing skills that were allowed to be the basis of the films.
There's an error where the author mentions Grable's two daughters with Harry James. One was Victoria and the other was Jessica. In this book, the author offered an interesting insight into 'women's musicals' - a concept I'd never heard before.
When one looks at Grable's mostly forgettable performances, the author explains that Grable was, during and after the war, an icon for American patriotism. The last sentence of the book explains Betty Grable: "... but it would be impossible to understand World War II America without acknowledging the central role she played."
