“I became a star for two reasons, and I”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Figure timeline
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she placed among the Quigley Poll's top 10 box office stars. The U.S. Treasury Department listed her as the highest-salaried American woman in 1946 and 1947, and she earned more than $3 million during…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
entertainment · American actress and pin-up girl (1916–1973) · singer · dancer · model · film actor · stage actor · television actor · actor · coverperson · also Betty Grable, Elizabeth Ruth Grable, Grable
Born 18 December 1916 · Died 2 July 1973 · Q233852
27 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
12 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
2026· 3 entries
Legacy obituary: Betty Grable Gidney Obituary (2026) - Shelby, NC - Genesis Funeral Services & Chapel Inc. - Shelby
- #news
- #headline
Public attention spiked: 4,642 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.8× the usual 1,208, with 0 article edits.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #attention
- #spike
- #pageviews
2025· 3 entries
Yahoo: Betty Grable Was America's Favorite Pinup — Then the Threatening Letters Started Coming from a Shocking Source
- #news
- #headline
Daily Racing Form: Betty Grable a rubber match between Grand Slam Smile, Sneaker
- #news
- #headline
BroadwayWorld: Betty Grable
- #news
- #headline
2021· 2 entries
New York Post: ’40s pinup queen Betty Grable was honored to bring ‘happiness’ to troops
- #news
- #headline
The Cheat Sheet: ‘The Carol Burnett Show’: Guest Star Betty Grable Had a Surprisingly Unrefined Habit on Set
- #news
- #headline
2014· 1 entry
Yahoo! Sports: Betty Grable's former house listed at $13.3 million
- #news
- #headline
2003· 1 entry
Was included in the list of 100 Photographs That Changed the World by Life
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1973· 2 entries
Died 1973-07-02.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
At the age of 56 in Santa Monica, California
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1955· 2 entries
Did attempt to return to acting in Samuel Goldwyn's film version of Guys and Dolls (1955)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
After she withdrew from her Fox contract, but she continued to perform on the stage and on television
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1952· 1 entry
Grable began re-negotiating her contract with Fox
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1950· 1 entry
Grable had regained her status as the most-popular female at the box office; she ranked fourth overall, behind John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1949· 1 entry
Although she still placed in the top 10, she slipped from second to seventh place in popularity
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1946· 1 entry
And 1947, and she earned more than $3 million during her career
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1943· 2 entries
Collaborated with photographer Frank Powolny for a regular studio photo session
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Was the number-one box-office draw in the world
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1941· 1 entry
Fox attempted to broaden Grable's acting and audience range by casting her in two films with more serious intent than those in which she had starred previously
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1940· 1 entry
“s performance in Du Barry Was a Lady, was, at the time, in the midst of casting the female lead in the musical film Down Argentine Way (1940). The role had originally been assigned to Alice Faye, Fox”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
1939· 1 entry
Appeared opposite her husband Jackie Coogan in Million Dollar Legs, a B-movie comedy that gave Grable her famous nickname
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1932· 1 entry
Aged 15, Grable signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures, and she was assigned to a succession of acting, singing and dancing classes at the studio's drama school
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1930· 1 entry
At age 13, Grable (under the pseudonym Frances Dean) signed with producer Samuel Goldwyn, thereby becoming one of the original Goldwyn Girls, along with Ann Sothern, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd and Paulette Goddard
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1929· 1 entry
At age 12 and was later fired from a contract for having signed with a false identification
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1916· 1 entry
Born 1916-12-18.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth