Today we’ve lost another Hollywood great. Actress Jane Russell, who was launched into Hollywood by none other than aviation legend Howard Hughes, passed away yesterday in Santa Maria, Calif. after respiratory failure. The Minnesota native was 89 years old.
Russell is probably know best for her role as Dorothy Shaw in the 1953 classic film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, alongside fellow beauty Marylin Monroe. Her iconic beauty and fantastic figure gained her attention from Hughes and audiences, but she made audiences laugh with films like Blondes and the follow-up Gentlemen Marry Brunettes and gained their respect in Paleface alongside Bob Hope. Still, her bust continued to be one of her claims to fame; Hughes designed a special bra for her “assets” and she was known as the face of Playtex Cross My Heart bras in the 1970s. She also took a few turns on the Broadway stage, at one point replacing legend Elaine Stritch in Company in 1971.
Outside of her film roles, Russell was very active in her church and spent a great deal of time helping many different charities, in fact she received the Women’s International Center Living Legacy Award in 1989 to commemorate her commitment to helping others. She will be missed.
Source: THR
