Posts in Category: Collection Spotlight
The Delays of Howard Hughes
Year of Jane Russell: Day 150
After production wrapped on His Kind of Woman, director John Farrow thought he was turning in a finished film. Howard Hughes thought otherwise and would spend months and hundreds of thousands of dollars revising the last act of the movie.
Jane Sings!
Year of Jane Russell: Day 149
Jane enjoyed making His Kind of Woman, and became lifelong friends with co-stars Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price. She especially appreciated that her character in the film was a nightclub performer which gave her the opportunity to sing onscreen again.
Jane and Mitch in “His Kind of Woman”
Year of Jane Russell: Day 148
By 1950, Howard Hughes had gained a controlling interest in RKO Pictures, so it was only natural that Jane would become a marquee player on the lot and appear opposite one of RKO’s biggest stars – Robert Mitchum. Jane and Mitch started shooting Smiler With a Gun aka His Kind of Woman in March 1950.
Kisses and Tears
Year of Jane Russell: Day 147
Double Dynamite gave Jane the opportunity to sing the song “Kisses and Tears” with Frank Sinatra which was the high point for her. She later said, “He was playing a dumb little guy and I was playing a dumber little girl and it was a stupid picture, but we sang in it.”
Jane, Groucho, & Frank in “It’s Only Money” aka “Double Dynamite”
Year of Jane Russell: Day 146
After Montana Belle, Jane’s next film was It’s Only Money co-starring Frank Sinatra and Groucho Marx. Howard Hughes also shelved this one for a while before finally releasing it under the title Double Dynamite.
“Montana Belle” Italian One-Panel
Year of Jane Russell: Day 145
Montana Belle was a lower budget, independent production, but had some gorgeous artwork for posters, like this stunning Italian one-panel.
Jane is “The Gilded Lily”
Year of Jane Russell: Day 143
Montana Belle gave Jane the first of many opportunities to sing onscreen. For this film, she hit up friend Portia Nelson who was an actress and songwriter. Nelson gave Jane a song called “The Gilded Lily,” which is a highlight of the film.
Jane and George Brent in “Montana Belle”
Year of Jane Russell: Day 142
Jane followed up her role as Calamity Jane in The Paleface by portraying Belle Starr, opposite George Brent in Montana Belle. Howard Hughes would end up purchasing the independent production and shelved it for three years before releasing it under RKO.
Jane & Bob Hope Perform “The Paleface” for Radio
Year of Jane Russell: Day 141
Before we completely move away from The Paleface here is a fun record I came across while researching the book. It features Jane and Bob Hope performing a radio version of the film for “Screen Director’s Playhouse,” sponsored by RCA on March 3, 1950.
Listen to the full episode here:
Jane the Horsewoman Part II
Year of Jane Russell: Day 140
What’s better than one photo of Jane Russell with a horse? Why two! Jane was so comfortable on horseback that one of her last acting jobs in the 1980s included a scene of her on a horse.