Hollywood loses another legend...

Fans everywhere mourn the loss of Jane Russell, who passed away today at the age of 89. Ms. Russell, famous for her roles in the 1940's and 1950's in classics such as The Outlaw (1941) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), was discovered by Howard Hughes at the age of 19.

Russell's first film, Hughes' The Outlaw, took years to achieve a wide release. It was filmed in 1941 and took ages to get past the censors, due mostly to the manner in which Jane Russell was filmed. With FIlmChat in 2009, when asked about how this affected her, as a young girl, a new actress, and a devout Christian, Ms. Russell said that, "It was a big fuss! But it was all about some cleavage. Today they are doing cleavage in the back!" She also said that the early controversy got her accustomed to being assertive with the press.

Russell had a great film career that spanned decades and included parts portraying famous cowgirls Calamity Jane (Paleface) and Belle Starr (Montana Belle), and playing opposite such greats as Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, and Roy Rogers. While her career died out a bit in the 1960's, it was revitalized in the 1970's when she became a spokesperson for Playtex. She appeared on television throughout the 1980s and in later years, became an outspoken proponent of her faith in various interviews. She published an autobiography in 1985 called, "Jane Russell: My Paths and My Detours: An Autobiography."

The esteemed Jane Russell, you will be missed.

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