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| Born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell, she worked as a chiropodist’s receptionist and a photographic model before her acting, and her 38-inch bust, came to the attention of Hollywood. The daughter of a former actress, she studied at Max Reinhardt’s Theatrical Workshop, under Maria Ouspenskaya. Her big break arrived in the most dubious of forms, when the director, Howard Hughes, selected her as the winner of a nationwide chest-hunt for a suitably-figured leading lady for a new film. The resulting movie, 'The Outlaw', for which Hughes designed a special bra to showcase her "talents", was shown briefly in 1941, and again in 1943, but, due to great controversy, did not receive an official release until January 1950. Voluptuous Miss Russell soon became notorious for her assets - Bob Hope once introduced her as “the two and only, Miss Russell' However, Russell was to go on to prove herself in a variety of roles throughout her career. Her stock character, however, was as the cynical, experienced dame, and one of her most enduring roles was opposite Marilyn Monroe, in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', in 1953. Having been married for the first time in 1943, to football star Bob Waterfield, she married again to actor Roger Barrett in 1968, who sadly died three months later. In 1970 she took the lead in the Broadway musical, 'Company', replacing Elaine Stritch. Moving into television advertising, she was prominent as the face of Playtex bras in the mid-1970s. Throughout her career, Russell has been an advocate for children’s charities. She campaigned to get the Federal Orphan Adoption Amendment of 1953 passed, and since 1981, she has testified before Congress and met with over 150 Senators and Representatives, including President George Bush Sr. She lives in Sedona, Arizona with her third husband, a real-estate agent. |
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