1. Gail Russell was born to George and Gladys Russell in Chicago and then moved to the Los Angeles area when she was a teenager.
31 Facts About Gail Russell
1. 2.
Gail Russell's father was initially a musician but later worked for Lockheed Corporation.
3.
Gail Russell's beauty brought her to the attention of Paramount Pictures in 1942, and she signed a long-term contract with that studio when she was 18.
4.
At the age of 19, Gail Russell made her film debut in the 1943 film Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour.
5.
Gail Russell had a small part in Lady in the Dark and was meant to play a role in Henry Aldrich Haunts a House when, in March 1943, she was cast in a key role in The Uninvited with Ray Milland.
6.
Producer Charles Brackett wrote that filming with Gail Russell proved difficult; he said that she would cry on set with her mother, claiming she had a sore throat, but in fact, Gail Russell was crying because Director Lewis Allen had made her wear a hat for a scene which she did not want to wear.
7.
Gail Russell co-starred opposite Alan Ladd in Salty O'Rourke, a horse racing drama.
8.
True to the Navy became Bring On the Girls; Gail Russell did not appear in that film.
9.
Gail Russell was reunited with Ladd in Calcutta, shot in 1945 but not released until two years later.
10.
Gail Russell made a cameo as herself in two all-star Paramount films, Duffy's Tavern and Variety Girl.
11.
Gail Russell was borrowed by Andrew Stone for The Bachelor's Daughters at United Artists.
12.
Gail Russell returned to Paramount for Night Has a Thousand Eyes, directed by John Farrow, who had made Calcutta.
13.
Gail Russell reteamed with Wayne at Republic for Wake of the Red Witch, which was a hit.
14.
Gail Russell appeared in a Western, El Paso, with John Payne for Pine-Thomas Productions, a production outfit who released through Paramount.
15.
Gail Russell did Song of India for Columbia and The Great Dan Patch for United Artists.
16.
Gail Russell made some more Pine-Thomas films: Captain China with Payne, and The Lawless with Macdonald Carey directed by Joseph Losey.
17.
Gail Russell was already drinking on set by her third film, 1944's The Uninvited, to ease her paralyzing stage fright and lack of confidence.
18.
In 1953 John Wayne's then-wife claimed during her divorce proceedings that Wayne and Gail Russell had spent the night together.
19.
In January 1954, in a court in Santa Monica, California, Gail Russell pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, receiving a $150 fine.
20.
Gail Russell returned to work in a co-starring role with Randolph Scott in the western Seven Men from Now, produced by her friend Wayne and directed by Budd Boetticher.
21.
The film and Gail Russell's performance were lauded and she seemed poised to make a comeback.
22.
Gail Russell was expected to follow Seven Men from Now with Madame Courage, again with Boetticher as director, but the film was never made.
23.
Gail Russell failed to appear at a court appearance and was discovered at home passed out due to drinking.
24.
Gail Russell was fined $420, given a 30-day suspended sentence and put on three years' probation.
25.
Gail Russell appeared in No Place to Land for Republic.
26.
Gail Russell had roles in episodes of The Rebel and Manhunt.
27.
Gail Russell was top billed in her last film, the low-budget The Silent Call.
28.
Gail Russell moved to a small house where she lived alone.
29.
Gail Russell was found by two neighbors who were concerned they had not seen her for several days.
30.
Gail Russell died from liver damage attributed to "acute and chronic alcoholism" with aspiration of stomach contents as an additional cause.
31.
Gail Russell was found to have been suffering from malnutrition at the time of her death.