Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:14pm

She's 84.



Jane, at her zenith:

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:15pm

Still glam.

[Mrs Mangel]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:15pm

Love the tissue in hand.
And love her, too.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:15pm

She's the one I'd be the most excited about meeting--unless Celeste Holm showed up.

[shameless]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:16pm

I had huge crush on her after I saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Marilyn Schmarilyn!

[Mrs Mangel]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:17pm

Did Joan Fontaine end up going?

[Mamie]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:18pm

Totally glam. And I agree lildogs - I'd love to meet this beautiful lady. OH - the stories she could tell.....

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:20pm

"But nobody chaperones the chaperone. That's why I'm so right for this job." (Flings the fox)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:21pm

Jane and Dinah Shore have their way with "The Ladies Who Lunch."

I was 14 when the original Company opened and I saw it 4 times, the 4th time was with Jane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yzc8OM106U

She was better than she is in the YouTube.

[nitsua]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:24pm

That video's awful.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:30pm

So go find a better video of Jane Russell doing Sondheim.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 4:48pm

Saw Jane in COMPANY, too, at 19, and was devastated going in to learn Stritchie had left. But what a surprise. Even playing with Larry Kert's unmemorable understudy (last week of August 1972? Or do I mean 71?) She was remarkable, spot on with the role. To me, she just looked like Joanne.

PalJoey: Remember seeing the wonderful Marian Hailey as Amy? And I think Cynthia Harris as the karate wife.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 5:04pm

Wow. Marian Hailey! I had no idea.

And Cynthia Harris! She then went on to play Wallis Simpson in Edward and Mrs Simpson.

[mmousefan]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 5:11pm

I remember her bra commercials....but she's always had class, even if she was so SMOKING hot Howard Hughes couldn't resist and she hawked controlling her ginormous ta-tas on national TV.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 5:20pm

(Love Cynthia Harris. Played a great Sabina in SKIN OF OUR TEETH once at Baltimore's Center Stage...)

But Russell was another example of Hal Prince's insteresting casting intincts. Reading about the Alexis Smith auditions for FOLLIES reminded me of how quirky he could be, going out on a limb with a very complex view of a character. Smith could barely sing before she got Phyllis, and had to come back and try a couple of times. And wasn't landing in the role in the Boston tryout. Prince stuck by her. And many people said he was told to fire LuPone in EVITA. She wasn't the phemom-slash-diva when the show premiered in LA; some people thought she didn't sing it well enough (I know, sounds crazy now.)

Anyway, instead of finding someone who'd do Joanne like Stritch, he went for a very different approach with Russell, with great results. I wonder if it was hard for her, the dancing, the schedule, etc.; she'd only done summer theater before.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 8:35pm

Make it one for her baby and one more for the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBh_x3-EB-c

[roquat]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 11:19pm

I did a tour of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which went to her hometown for a night, and she came to see it. The company manager acknowledged her from the stage after the curtain calls and had her take a bow; she then came up to meet with the cast, pose for pictures, chat, etc.--she was incredibly patient and seemed good-naturedly amused at all the fuss being made over her. Two special moments--after the walk-out music, as the orchestra was packing up, Jane and a female companion walked past the pit. The companion stopped for a moment to say something like, "You were all so wonderful" to the musicians--"Move it!", Jane growled, giving the woman a hearty shove.

Later, while the pictures were being taken, she directed the various shutterbugs not to photograph her from the knees down, because she was clad in a silver-trimmed, sky-blue pantsuit--and a pair of ratty sneakers. She explained, "I couldn't wear my high heels tonight, it was raining!"

Ya still got it, kid!

[mmousefan]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 11:20pm

hey was that the non-AEA recent BLONDES tour? Wish I could have seen that....

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 11:22pm

Nice story, roquat. She's got some nifty shoes in the pic above, even if they are flats.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 11:47pm

She's amazing. Always.

Updated On: 2/25/08 at 11:47 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 12:05am

The ultimate Jane Russell video--with BODYBUILDERS!

"Ain't There Anyone Here for LOVE?"

[DAME]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 1:29am

I sat right behind her this past Thursday at the Liza concert in Santa Barbara. Liza introduced her from stage. Some queen behind us loudly said he thought she was Bea Arthur. Tab Hunter was also there. He also looked very good.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 9:38am

You should have decked said loud queen--at least take away his gay card!

I would have DIED DAME! How did you focus on the concert?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 10:10am

So how was Liza?

[mmousefan]

Posted: 2/26/08 at 10:14am

yeah, as if any egocentric queen could distract from La Liza's attention-gathering....