See Stunning Rare Color Photos of 1940s Icon Betty Grable on the Anniversary of Her Death

Karen Ruud 13 minutes ago

Betty Grable, ca. 1930s — Everett Collection

Everett Collection

Actress, singer, and dancer Betty Grable, who was born on December 18, 1916, and died on July 2, 1973, was one of the biggest stars of 1940s cinema. Grable rose to fame with the musical Down Argentine Way (1940) and then starred in a slew of classics of the era, including I Wake Up Screaming (1941), Coney Island (1943), Pin Up Girl (1944) and Mother Wore Tights (1947). She was also a famous WWII pin-up girl, known for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood, which were famously insured for $1 million with Lloyds of London. It was during the height of her movie career that Grable posed for the iconic bathing suit pin-up photo that became a favorite of countless servicemen during World War II.

In the mid-1950s, right before retiring from the screen, she starred in one last hit: the Marilyn Monroe vehicle How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Her final film was How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955).

Carving a new path for herself, Grable would go on to perform in the nightclub circuit in Las Vegas while married to her second husband, band leader and musician Harry James. The two played venues like the El Rancho Vegas and the Riviera Hotel. She also performed in a traveling production of “Hello, Dolly!” which led to a hugely successful Broadway run of “Hello, Dolly!” in 1967. James and Grable got divorced in 1965 after 22 years, ending a marriage that was beset by alcoholism and infidelity.

The star met her end at the relatively young age of 56 from lung cancer on July 2, 1973, in Santa Monica, California. She left two daughters, Victoria and Jessica James, and a film legacy that is as long as those $1 million dollar legs.

Take a look back at these amazing photos of the screen icon as we celebrate her life and career.