Gail Russell(1924-1961)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gail Russell was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 21, 1924. She
remained in the Windy City, going to school until her parents moved to
California when she was 14. She was an above-average student in school
and upon graduation from Santa Monica High School was signed by
Paramount Studios.
Because of her ethereal beauty, Gail was to be groomed to be one of
Paramount's top stars. She was very shy and had virtually no acting
experience to speak of, but her beauty was so striking that the studio
figured it could work with her on her acting with a studio acting
coach.
Gail's first film came when she was 19 years old with a small role as
"Virginia Lowry" in
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943)
in 1943. It was her only role that year, but it was a start. The
following year she appeared in another film,
The Uninvited (1944) with
Ray Milland (it was also the first time Gail
used alcohol to steady her nerves on the set, a habit that would come
back to haunt her). It was a very well done and atmospheric horror
story that turned out to be a profitable one for the studio. Gail's
third film was the charm, as she co-starred with
Diana Lynn in
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944)
that same year. The film was based on the popular book of the time and the
film was even more popular.
In 1945 Gail appeared in
Salty O'Rourke (1945), a story
about crooked gamblers involved in horse racing. Although she wasn't a
standout in the film, she acquitted herself well as part of the
supporting cast. Later that year she appeared in
The Unseen (1945), a story about a
haunted house, starring Joel McCrea. Gail
played Elizabeth Howard, a governess of the house in question. The film
turned a profit but was not the hit that Paramount executives hoped
for.
In 1946 Gail was again teamed with Diana Lynn for a sequel to "Our
Hearts Were Young and
Gay"--Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946).
The plot centered around two young college girls getting involved with
bootleggers. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere the caliber of the
first film and it failed at the box-office. With
Calcutta (1946) in 1947, however, Gail
bounced back with a more popular film, this time starring
Alan Ladd. Unfortunately, many critics
felt that Gail was miscast in this epic drama. That same year she was
cast with John Wayne and
Harry Carey in the western
Angel and the Badman (1947).
It was a hit with the public and Gail shone in the role of Penelope
Worth, a feisty Quaker girl who tries to tame gunfighter Wayne. Still
later Gail appeared in Paramount's all-star musical,
Variety Girl (1947). The critics
roasted the film, but the public turned out in droves to ensure its
success at the box-office. After the releases of
Song of India (1949),
El Paso (1949), and
Captain China (1950), Gail married
matinée idol Guy Madison, one of the
up-and-coming actors in Hollywood.
After The Lawless (1950) in 1950
Paramount decided against renewing her contract, mainly because of
Gail's worsening drinking problem. She had been convicted of operating
a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and the studio
didn't want its name attached to someone who couldn't control her
drinking. Being dumped by Paramount damaged her career, and film roles
were coming in much more slowly. After
Air Cadet (1951) in 1951, her only film
that year, she disappeared from the screen for the next five years
while she attempted to get control of her life. She divorced Madison in
1954.
In 1956 Gail returned in
7 Men from Now (1956). It
was a western with Gail in the minor role of Annie Greer. The next year
she was fourth-billed in
The Tattered Dress (1957), a
film that also starred Jeanne Crain and
Jeff Chandler. The following year
she had a reduced part in
No Place to Land (1958), a
low-budget offering from "B" studio Republic Pictures.
By now the demons of alcohol had her in its grasp. She was again absent
from the screen until 1961's
The Silent Call (1961) (looking
much older than her 36 years). It was to be her last film. On August
26, 1961, Gail was found dead in her small studio apartment in Los
Angeles, California.
remained in the Windy City, going to school until her parents moved to
California when she was 14. She was an above-average student in school
and upon graduation from Santa Monica High School was signed by
Paramount Studios.
Because of her ethereal beauty, Gail was to be groomed to be one of
Paramount's top stars. She was very shy and had virtually no acting
experience to speak of, but her beauty was so striking that the studio
figured it could work with her on her acting with a studio acting
coach.
Gail's first film came when she was 19 years old with a small role as
"Virginia Lowry" in
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943)
in 1943. It was her only role that year, but it was a start. The
following year she appeared in another film,
The Uninvited (1944) with
Ray Milland (it was also the first time Gail
used alcohol to steady her nerves on the set, a habit that would come
back to haunt her). It was a very well done and atmospheric horror
story that turned out to be a profitable one for the studio. Gail's
third film was the charm, as she co-starred with
Diana Lynn in
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944)
that same year. The film was based on the popular book of the time and the
film was even more popular.
In 1945 Gail appeared in
Salty O'Rourke (1945), a story
about crooked gamblers involved in horse racing. Although she wasn't a
standout in the film, she acquitted herself well as part of the
supporting cast. Later that year she appeared in
The Unseen (1945), a story about a
haunted house, starring Joel McCrea. Gail
played Elizabeth Howard, a governess of the house in question. The film
turned a profit but was not the hit that Paramount executives hoped
for.
In 1946 Gail was again teamed with Diana Lynn for a sequel to "Our
Hearts Were Young and
Gay"--Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946).
The plot centered around two young college girls getting involved with
bootleggers. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere the caliber of the
first film and it failed at the box-office. With
Calcutta (1946) in 1947, however, Gail
bounced back with a more popular film, this time starring
Alan Ladd. Unfortunately, many critics
felt that Gail was miscast in this epic drama. That same year she was
cast with John Wayne and
Harry Carey in the western
Angel and the Badman (1947).
It was a hit with the public and Gail shone in the role of Penelope
Worth, a feisty Quaker girl who tries to tame gunfighter Wayne. Still
later Gail appeared in Paramount's all-star musical,
Variety Girl (1947). The critics
roasted the film, but the public turned out in droves to ensure its
success at the box-office. After the releases of
Song of India (1949),
El Paso (1949), and
Captain China (1950), Gail married
matinée idol Guy Madison, one of the
up-and-coming actors in Hollywood.
After The Lawless (1950) in 1950
Paramount decided against renewing her contract, mainly because of
Gail's worsening drinking problem. She had been convicted of operating
a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and the studio
didn't want its name attached to someone who couldn't control her
drinking. Being dumped by Paramount damaged her career, and film roles
were coming in much more slowly. After
Air Cadet (1951) in 1951, her only film
that year, she disappeared from the screen for the next five years
while she attempted to get control of her life. She divorced Madison in
1954.
In 1956 Gail returned in
7 Men from Now (1956). It
was a western with Gail in the minor role of Annie Greer. The next year
she was fourth-billed in
The Tattered Dress (1957), a
film that also starred Jeanne Crain and
Jeff Chandler. The following year
she had a reduced part in
No Place to Land (1958), a
low-budget offering from "B" studio Republic Pictures.
By now the demons of alcohol had her in its grasp. She was again absent
from the screen until 1961's
The Silent Call (1961) (looking
much older than her 36 years). It was to be her last film. On August
26, 1961, Gail was found dead in her small studio apartment in Los
Angeles, California.