Betty Grable was one of the most beautiful actresses of the golden age of Hollywood. As lovely as her face was, she was actually world famous for her legs.
According to hosiery specialists;
The proportions of her legs were ideal at: thigh(18.5”), calf (12”) and ankle (7.5”)
Many a young GI adorned their personal space with the famous 1943 pin up of Gable taken from behind with her looking over her shoulder. This photo was reproduced over 5 million times, making it the most popular pin up of the WWII era.
A rumor has been heavily circulated that Miss Grable was pregnant at the time this photo was taken. This seems unlikely as she only had two children, Victoria born on March 4, 1944 and Jessica born on May 20, 1947. The pin up was shot in 1943, so this could be true, however many sites online list the date as 1942.
As further proof that the pregnancy rumor may be just that...a rumor, is the obituary of the photographer who shot the photo, Frank Powolny from the L.A. Times at the time of his death in 1986; gives the information below:
During a 1982 interview, he recalled that it came about after a regular shooting session.
'Began to Clown Around'
"I asked Betty if she'd like to have a back shot, just to be different," he said. "She said, 'Yes,' and began to clown around. 'You want it like this?' she asked, posing. And I said, 'Yeah.'
"I made only two shots of that pose. It was the second shot that became famous."
If Frank was telling the truth, and there is really no reason for him to lie as Grable had been dead for years at the time of this interview, it's doubtful that Grable was 'with child' at the time of the shoot.
Betty's legs were reportedly insured for $1 million dollars by her studio through Lloyd's of London, this is probably a publicity stunt. The same stunt was undertaken by Mary Hart of the early Entertainment Tonight TV Show
Betty Grable passed away way too young at the age of 56 of lung cancer.
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