5 Things You May Not Know about Betty Grable
Like that today would have been her birthday. Happy 101th Birthday to the legend Betty Grable!
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1.) That Stage Mother Tho
I couldn’t find a photo of Grable as a child, but I did one of Grable with her children. So, I was close.
If Betty Grable was born in the 1990s, there’s a chance she would have been on Toddlers and Tiaras. Her mother, Lillian, was a true stage mother who enrolled Betty in dancing classes as soon she could walk. In fact, Lillian was so determined to shape her youngest daughter into a star that she left her husband and eldest daughter behind in St. Louis to bring Betty to Hollywood.
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2.) That Stage Fright Tho
Looks like she got over it…
Despite her career as an entertainer, Grable suffered from “demophobia” AKA the fear of crowds. She also was a somnambulist, AKA a sleepwalker. Probably not the best combination of disorders for an entertainer but, hey, I guess none of that matters if your mother is grooming you for stardom.
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3.) That Baby Bump Tho
There are actually 2 people in this photo.
In her iconic pin-up photo, Grable has her back to the camera as she looks over her shoulder, smiling coyly. While it may seem like the pose is an artistic moment of genius, the pose was actually done for a very practical reason: Grable was pregnant and showing. Yup, Grable flaunting a baby-bump definitely would have taken away from that “everyman’s gal” fantasy they were building.
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4.) That Pay Tho
How to Marry a Millionaire? Well, just marry Grable.
In 1946, Grable was highest paid woman in American, with the Treasury Department noting that she made over $300,000 a year. Nice!
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5.) Them legs Tho
Those legs are worth more than my, well, everything I own and have ever owned.
OK, so perhaps you already know this one, but at the height of her fame, Grable’s legs were insured for 1 million dollars. To put that in perspective, that’s a little over 9 million in 2016 dollars. That’s 4.5 million per leg…who needs the left leg anyway, am I right?
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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Yep. I knew the insurance gag, but for the rest of it, you have enlightened me.
Thank you for the baby bump info! I can’t wait to tell my mom, who was pregnant at about the same time. I enjoy all your posts.
I had no clue that she was pregnant at the time of that iconic pinup photo shoot. Who knew?? I wish my back side looked Betty Grable perfection back in my preggo days. LOL! Thanks for a fun piece!
When it comes to Betty Grable, the word ‘talent’ is putting it mildly. When you’re feeling sad and distraught, you could watch Grable and smile instantly. It would have been nice to have seen her play dramatic parts, because she did excel with comedies and musicals.