Betty Grable, an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer, was born on December 18, 1916. She began her dancing career at the tender age of three, when she enrolled in Clark's Dancing School. By the time she was 13, Grable and her mother had set out for Hollywood, driven by a shared dream of stardom.
After landing several minor roles in films such as Whoopee!, New Movietone Follies of 1930, Happy Days, and Let's Go Places, Grable signed with RKO Radio Pictures in 1932. Over the next three years, she continued to appear in bit parts until she landed a significant role in By Your Leave. Her breakthrough performance came in College Swing, and she soon found herself cast in the role of Glenda Crawford in Down Argentine Way, which marked the beginning of her rise to stardom.
Grable's fame continued to grow with comedies such as Coney Island and Sweet Rosie O'Grady, and she became the highest-paid star in Hollywood in 1947. Her iconic pin-up pose, which adorned barracks around the world during World War II, cemented her status as a sex symbol. Her studio, 20th Century-Fox, even insured her legs for a million dollars.
Grable remained a popular figure until the mid-1950s, when musicals began to decline in popularity. Her final film was How to Be Very, Very Popular, after which she shifted her focus to Broadway and nightclubs.
In her personal life, Grable was married twice, first to actor Jackie Coogan from 1937 to 1939, and then to musician Harry James from 1943 to 1965.
Tragically, Grable's life was cut short when she passed away at the age of 56 on July 2, 1973, due to lung cancer.
