Jeffrey Wade
Betty Grable, born Elizabeth Ruth Grable, was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. She was the biggest box office star of the 1940s and was famous for her gorgeous legs, which were reportedly insured by her studio for $1 million with Lloyd's of London. This insurance served a dual purpose: it was a publicity stunt, and it also protected the starlet and her studio financially in case an injury to her legs derailed her career. This insurance helped cement her legacy in Hollywood, with her legs being featured in one of the most iconic photographic images of the 20th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Betty Grable |
| Profession | Actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, singer |
| Nickname | The Girl with the Million Dollar Legs |
| Studio | Lloyd's of London |
| Insurance Amount | $1 million |
| Reason | Publicity stunt |
| Magazine Feature | LIFE |
| Magazine Caption | "A major Hollywood landmark." |
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What You'll Learn
Betty Grable's legs were insured for $1 million
Betty Grable was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. She was the biggest box office star of the 1940s and the most desired WWII pin-up girl. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and she was the highest-salaried American woman in 1946 and 1947.
Grable was famous for her gorgeous legs, which were insured by her studio for $1 million with Lloyd's of London. This was reportedly a publicity stunt, but it served a real purpose. The starlet was famous for her legs, so any injury would not only have ended her career, but her movie studio would have lost one of its most bankable stars.
The ideal proportions of Grable's legs and thighs (18.5 in (47 cm)), calf (12 in (30 cm)), and ankle (7.5 in (19 cm)) were often noted by hosiery specialists of the era. Her legs were also immortalized in the cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Grable herself maintained a pragmatic attitude about the focus on her legs. "They are fine for pushing the foot pedals in my car," she told LIFE. She also quipped, "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them."
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Her legs were a major Hollywood landmark
Elizabeth Ruth Grable, popularly known as Betty Grable, was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and she was the highest-paid American woman in 1946 and 1947.
Betty's legs were a major Hollywood landmark. They were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. Hosiery specialists of the era often noted the ideal proportions of her legs and thighs (18.5 in (47 cm)), calf (12 in (30 cm)), and ankle (7.5 in (19 cm)). Her legs were so famous that they were referenced by an elderly student in the American television sitcom "Community".
In 1943, Betty's legs were profiled in LIFE magazine, where they shared headline status with the actress herself. The magazine even dubbed her legs a major Hollywood landmark. An impression of her leg was also immortalized in the cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Betty's legs were a significant part of her image and career. She often posed for publicity stills or stood in as a leggy extra during her early Hollywood days. Her studio's focus on her lower-half looks delayed her breakthrough into starring roles, but she maintained a pragmatic attitude about it. She famously quipped, "They are fine for pushing the foot pedals in my car."
Betty's legs were so famous that she even starred in a 1939 B-movie comedy titled "Million Dollar Legs," which gave her her famous nickname.
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Grable's legs were immortalised in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Betty Grable was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million. She was the highest-salaried American woman in 1946 and 1947, and earned more than $3 million during her career.
Grable's legs were often the focus of her studio's publicity efforts. They were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. In a 1943 issue of LIFE, Grable shared headline status with her own legs, which the magazine called a "major Hollywood landmark". Grable herself had a pragmatic attitude about the focus on her legs, saying, "They are fine for pushing the foot pedals in my car".
In February 1943, an impression of Grable's leg was immortalised in the cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre (officially known as the TCL Chinese Theatre). The theatre is a movie palace on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California. It was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922. The Chinese Theatre was built over 18 months, beginning in January 1926, and opened on May 18, 1927. It has been home to many premieres and private events, as well as three Academy Awards ceremonies.
The concrete blocks in the forecourt of the Chinese Theatre feature the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day. Grable's legs were thus immortalised alongside those of other Hollywood legends.
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Her 1943 photoshoot for LIFE magazine featured mostly her legs
Elizabeth Ruth Grable, born on December 18, 1916, was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and she was the highest-paid American woman in 1946 and 1947, earning over $3 million during her career.
Betty Grable was well-known for her legs, which were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. In February 1943, an impression of her leg was immortalized in the cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. That same year, she was profiled in the June 7 issue of LIFE magazine, where she shared the headline with her own legs, which the magazine dubbed a "major Hollywood landmark".
The 1943 photoshoot for LIFE magazine featured mostly her legs, with Grable's face visible in only one of the 14 pictures. The magazine chose to crop most of the images so that only her legs were visible. The photo essay, titled "Betty Grable and Her Legs: An Iconic Century", included captions that focused on her legs, such as "The legs at work on the set" and "The legs relaxing".
While Grable knew that her legs had contributed to her fame, the LIFE profile suggested that reducing a woman to a single body part, rather than her intellect, could be problematic. Grable herself maintained a pragmatic attitude about the objectification, commenting, "They are fine for pushing the foot pedals in my car".
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Grable's career was delayed by her studio's focus on her lower-half looks
Elizabeth Ruth Grable, born on December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. She began her film career in 1929 at the age of 12 and went on to appear in 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s, grossing more than $100 million. However, her breakthrough to starring roles was delayed due to her studio's focus on her lower-half looks.
During the early years of her career, Grable was often cast in college-themed films, portraying naïve students in movies like "This Way Please" (1937) and "College Swing" (1938). In 1939, she appeared in "Million Dollar Legs", a B-movie comedy that gave her the famous nickname. Despite her early roles, Grable's career progress was slowed down by the emphasis on her physical attributes, particularly her legs.
The focus on her lower-half looks resulted in a delay in Grable's transition to starring roles. Her legs became a defining feature, with hosiery specialists praising their ideal proportions. They were insured by her studio for $1 million, a significant amount at the time, as a publicity stunt. This insurance further emphasised the attention on her legs, and Grable herself acknowledged the irony of her situation, stating, "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them."
While the publicity surrounding her legs brought attention, it also typecast Grable, and she struggled to break free from this image. Her first major success came with the musical "Down Argentine Way" in 1940, followed by a string of hits with leading men such as Victor Mature and Dan Dailey. Despite her success, Grable's career trajectory was impacted by the initial focus on her physical attributes, and it took time for her to be recognised for her talents beyond her looks.
In the 1943 issue of LIFE magazine, Grable's legs were prominently featured, with most of the photographs cropped to showcase only her lower half. This further perpetuated the image of Grable as a symbol of idealised female physicality, with her face being shown in only one out of fourteen pictures. Despite the delay in her career progression, Grable eventually achieved success and became one of the biggest box office stars of the 1940s, proving her talent and versatility as an actress, singer, and dancer.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Betty Grable's legs were insured for $1 million by Lloyd's of London.
Grable's legs were considered her most famous asset, and they were even featured in one of the most iconic photographic images of the 20th century. Insuring them was a publicity stunt by her studio, but it also served the practical purpose of protecting her career and the studio's investment in her.
Hosiery specialists of the era considered the proportions of her legs and thighs (18.5 inches), calves (12 inches), and ankles (7.5 inches) to be ideal. Her legs were so famous that they even earned her the nickname "Million Dollar Legs" from her 1939 film of the same name.
