Another Legend Gone RIP Jane Russell

It's official, we have lost yet another Hollywood icon.  Jane Russell has passed on of a respiratory-related illness.  She was 89 years old.  RIP Jane.

Jane Russell

1921-2011

Jane Russell--more than 38"?

Jane Russell was the daughter of an actress, and was trying to break into Hollywood, when Howard Hughes discovered her in his dentist's office. According to Hughes, he was looking for a woman with an ample "chest" to be cast in his film, "The Outlaw," in 1943. The film caused a storm of controversy due primarily to the amount of cleavage shown by Russell onscreen, and, after brief releases in 1941 and 1943, it was not officially released until 1950. The controversy brought her much publicity, often in the form of off-color, sophomoric jokes. However, she surpassed her mindless "bombshell" image and went on to perform with versatility in a number of films during the subsequent three decades.

"The Outlaw (1943) faced close scrutiny by the Hays Office (and Joseph Breen), due to its exploitation of star Jane Russell's prominently-uncovered 38" chest in her debut film by Hollywood huckster Russell Birdwell. Salacious advertising with lines such as: "What are the two great reasons for Jane Russell's rise to stardom?" added to the lurid sensationalism and kept the film from being widely circulated. In addition, pin-up shots of big-busted Russell rolling around in the hay had the desired effect at the box office (especially among WWII GIs). One of the film's most vulgar stunts, also orchestrated by Birdwell, was to have skywriting planes fly over San Francisco where they spelled the film's title followed by two giant circles -- each dotted in the center."

Jane was usually cast as a "tough broad," or sassy kind of girl from then on. Here are some pics of Jane, including one from the film that caused so much scandal (the pic with her shirt falling off her shoulder). Hope you enjoy! Have a great day!