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"By the early 1950s, Jane Russell (1921-2011) should have been forgotten. Her career was launched in what is arguably the most notorious advertising campaign in cinema history, which invited filmgoers to see Howard Hughes's The Outlaw (1943) and to "tussle with Russell." Throughout the 1940s, she was nicknamed the "motionless picture actress" and had only three films in theaters. With such an inauspicious, slow start, most aspiring actresses would have given up or faded away. Instead, Russell carved out a place for herself in Hollywood and became a memorable and enduring star. In Mean . . . Moody . . . Magnificent!, Christina Rice offers the first biography of the actress and activist perhaps best known for her role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Despite the fact that her movie career was stalled for nearly a decade, Russell's filmography is respectable. She worked with some of Hollywood's most talented directors-including Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, Nicholas Ray, and Josef von Sternberg-and held her own alongside costars such as Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Vincent Price, and Bob Hope. She also learned how to fight back against Howard Hughes, her boss for over thirty-five years, and his marketing campaigns that exploited her physical appearance. Beyond the screen, Rice reveals Russell as a complex and confident woman. She explores the star's years as a spokeswoman for Playtex as well as her deep faith and secondary vocation as a Christian vocalist. Rice also discusses Russell's work in creating and leading the WAIF foundation, which helped unite tens of thousands of orphaned children with adoptive parents. This stunning first biography offers a fresh perspective on a star whose legacy endures not simply because she forged a notable film career, but because she effectively used her celebrity to benefit others"--… (more)
User reviews
As a small child, I remember- believe it or not- seeing Jane Russell's television ads for Playtex ‘Cross my Heart’ bras. Of course, I didn’t
This book, if you really pay attention to the title, is focused on how Russell became famous- which was through the marketing of her breasts… by Howard Hughes.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a biography, and it covers all of Jane’s life from childhood to her death. But a great deal of time is spent talking about her entrapment by Hughes and his obsession with Russell’s chest.
Russell’s first movie was ‘The Outlaw’ which due to one thing or another was not released for some years, making it necessary to keep Jane in the spotlight until it finally reached theatres- which required a lot of ‘marketing.’
Jane went on to make many more movies, but with a few exceptions, the roles were mediocre.
Jane’s personal life was also tumultuous, and she was notorious for her constant contradictions. Jane said one thing- but did another. She was vocally ‘conservative’ and deeply religious- but didn’t really walk the walk.
She struck me as being a tough woman most of the time. She never shied away from controversy- and I found the story of how she adopted her children to be stunning.
I did like how she often shrugged off critics and continued to do things just because she liked doing them- even if the reviews were less than stellar.
I didn’t know anything at all about Jane Russell when I started this book, so this was very interesting reading for me. I’m not sure, at the end of the day, how I feel about Jane Russell- but the title of this book is apt, I think.
The author did a good job with the material, stayed neutral, most of the time, but did point out Jane’s inconsistencies- just in case we didn’t make that connection for ourselves.
Overall, though, this is a solid biography, which also includes some nice photos.
4 stars