I really hate posting this. Jane Russell — Howard Hughes discovery, controversial bombshell and just all-around cool lady — has passed away at 89. Her obituary can be seen here.
The photo is from one of my Top Five favorite films of all time, and one of the funniest things you’ll ever see, Son Of Paleface (1952).
She was a great dame. Never once did she ever show any resistance or resentment to some of the ludicrous parts she was given or costumes she was asked to wear, but she never played a neurotic or a duplicitous femme fatale–she was usually straight down the line. She must have been a little hard to cast, which is maybe why she made so few films. It doesn’t surprise me that Hawks latched on to her–she had a sporty masculinity that was undercut by that great bosomy body. She was sexy enough anytime they put her up against someone like Mitchum, someone who looked like they could best her in a wrestling match.
I have some affection for a movie she made that was released before The Outlaw, Young Widow, that also starred Faith Domergue (I wonder who was pulling the strings on that production…)–she showed that she could act when asked.
Anyway I love that most ridiculous and entertaining of all Westerns, The Outlaw, and someday someone will analyze her place as a large, buxom woman surrounded and frustrated by gay men, in that movie and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She set the pace for the Doris-Rock-Tony Randall cycle of the late fifties-early sixties.
She was fun. R.I.P. Ernestine.
The Outlaw is one of those trainwreck movies you can’t take your eyes off of. Good scenes. Bad scenes. Terrible scenes. Walter Houston with a very cool hat. And Jane Russell being somehow above all the hype and nonsense. If Hughes had let Hawks do his job, it might’ve been something.
Russell always fared well with heavy-duty leading men — Mitchum (as you mentioned), Gable, Groucho, Hope, Victor Mature, etc. I would’ve loved to see her lock horns with John Wayne. She could’ve given him a real run for his money, a la Angie Dickinson and Maureen O’Hara.
Wish I had a copy of Montana Belle around here someplace.
According to the interviews on the colorized two disc set
of “The Outlaw” Hawks bailed out at a very early stage;
the inexperienced Hughes was doing about 40 takes for
every set-up.(The graveside scene he went to a staggering 100 takes!) New Kids in town Russell and Jack
Buetel thought this was the Hollywood norm until they
worked with other directors.
The recent Spanish DVD of “Montana Belle” is sadly in black
& white only.A remastered colour version of this film would
be most welcome;in any case it is far far better than its
rather negative reputation.
It’s hard to tell what and how much Hawks directed because the script is by Jules Furthman, who added so many themes and ideas to Hawks’ films. It’s more awkward and badly directed than what we’re used to seeing with Hawks, so from that perspective, it seems like Hughes just came in and stomped his muddy boots all over whatever Hawks did. But maybe it’s more interesting that way; certainly more cheesy, which makes it fun. But if I were running a Hawks-Furthman retrospective, The Outlaw would be in there. Anyway, this has to be the Western with the weirdest and least subtle gay subtext of any I’ve ever seen. It’s just positively giddy.
Yep; the Hawks contribution is always going to be argued
just like the Christian Nyby contribution to “The Thing”
Anyway according to the interviews mentioned Hawks
bailed out before the film started.
You mention gay subtext;have you seen “Yellowstone Kelly”
Funny–I just wrote a bit about Yellowstone Kelly, and it seems like it’s more about young marrieds (Kookie and Kelly) than brokeback shenanigans. I thought they were going turn into Fred and Ethel, before the Indian Maiden stepped in–I love it when Walker gets all grumpy over Kookie’s cooking.
i’d be curious to know which are the other films of your Top Five of all time…
“Dove eggs”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So long, Jane Russell. Some people say, “So long, Russ.”
Jane Russell is 9 days older than Russell Scott, Blinky the Clown.