Hollywood icon Jane Russell passed away at the age of 89

Hollywood icon Jane Russell passed away yesterday, in her Santa Maria home. The cause of death was “respiratory-related illness”. She was 89 years old. My favorite Jane Russell film is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, just because it’s actually quite hilarious today – it’s not as dated as you would expect, although Jane does have a scene where she’s surrounded by scantily-clad men at the gym, and she breaks into song and… well, that part is a little cheesy. But it’s totally worth watching! Jane’s complete filmography is here, in case you want to Netflix some of her old movies.

Jane Russell, the full-figured beauty who was one of Hollywood’s leading sex symbols of the 1940s and ’50s, died Monday at her home in Santa Maria, Calif.

The Minnesota-born icon, 89, died of a respiratory-related illness, according to reports.

Discovered by Howard Hughes in 1941, Russell shot to fame in the controversial Western The Outlaw about Billy the Kid. The publicity stills were as scandalous as the film, with Russell sprawled in the hay wearing a tight, low-cut dress.

Russell also hit movie gold in 1953, when she starred opposite Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Russell also tried a career in music, forming a gospel group that had a hit single in the mid-’50s.

Following her gospel career, Russell started the Hollywood Christian Group, a Bible study at her home for people in the film industry. She also appeared periodically on television’s Praise the Lord.

Russell was married three times. Unable to have children on her own, Russell and first husband Bob Waterfield adopted two boys and a girl, and in1955, she founded World Adoption International Fund.

Russell was married to her third husband, John Calvin Peoples, through his 1999 death.

[From People]

Wow, I didn’t know that Jane was an adoptive mother. I didn’t know she was so churchy either. I imagined that with those insane curves and that face, she had been marked a sinner all of her life. Anyway, thoughts and prayers to Jane’s family, and I’ll be toasting the good ol’ broad tonight.

Photos courtesy of WENN.