In my opinion, Betty Grable is truly the best actress... ever! Betty Grable had a special quality about her. She is a wonderful singer, as well as an actress, and she is very, very beautiful. I didn't know about Betty Grable until the summer of 1997. In fact, I didn't even watch old movies until I came to the mainland in 1997.
One day, I was just flipping the channels at my grandmother's house, and I saw a beautiful actress in a wonderfully colored movie...it was Down Argentine Way. AMC was having a Betty Grable marathon, with a whole bunch of her movies. Until that marathon was over at around 12:00 PM, I could not drag myself away from the television. From then on, I've fell in love with old movies. They're all so great. I especially love those dance-and-music routines.
Now, I've seen most of her movies, but she has acted in so many, I still have quite a few too see. My favorite movies of Betty Grable are Moon Over Miami, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, That Lady in Ermine, and Wabash Avenue. But...how could you not like them all?!

Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable, in St. Louis, on December 18, 1916. She was their third child. Her mother always wanted to have a child in show business, she first tried with Marjorie, but failed. Betty had all sorts of lessons. (And of course, she succeeded!)
Betty and her mother went to California in 1929. The first movie, called Let's Go Places, she was only in the chorus. (She wasn't old enough, and had false papers about her age!) She was in a quite a few more movies. Then, while she was acting in a play, Zanuck asked Betty to come back and replace Alice Faye, for Down Argentine Way, who was ill.
And this, of course, was her big break. Down Argentine Way was a big success! She was married to Jackie Coogan and Harry James. She had two daughters. I've read that she was extremely nice, and that she liked almost everyone. Also, that she very fun to work with. And she was very respected. The greatest actress ever died on July 2, 1973 of lung cancer.
Though I never met her or was I even alive when she died, she still is my favorite actress and the best. I'm always shocked when I think that most people don't even know who Betty Grable is, she isn't nearly as popular as she was then, I think. Most people only know about the very popular Marilyn Monroe (hey, who doesn't?!), James Stewart, Doris Day, or Cary Grant! She deserves more attention, don't you think?
There is a lot more to Betty Grable's life story, and if you are interested, Bombshells.com has a wonderful biography on her.
If you have any questions, comments, or corrections, please e-mail me.

Last note : Betty Grable is the perfect example that you can do anything you put your mind to. With enough determination, you can make it. Besides, she did!