The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Elizabeth Ruth Grable was born on December 18, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Lillian Rose (Hofmann) and John Conn Grable, a stockbroker. She had German, English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry. Her mother was a stubborn and materialistic woman determined to make her daughter a star. Elizabeth, who later became Betty, was enrolled in Clark's Dancing School at the age of three. With her mother's guidance, Betty studied ballet and tap dancing.

Betty and her mother set out for California with the hopes of stardom. She attended the Hollywood Professional school but Lillian lied about her daughter's age and Betty (real age 13), landed several minor parts as a chorus girl in early musicals (Whoopee! (1930), New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930), Happy Days (1929) and Let's Go Places (1930)), initially billed as 'Frances Dean'. In 1932 (real age 15), she signed with RKO Radio Pictures and began to use the moniker 'Betty Grable'. The bit parts continued for the next three years. Betty finally landed a substantial part in By Your Leave (1934). One of her big roles was in College Swing (1938). Unfortunately, the public did not seem to take notice.

The following year, she married former child star Jackie Coogan. They briefly toured on vaudeville and his success boosted hers, but they divorced in 1940. When she landed the role of Glenda Crawford in Down Argentine Way (1940), the public finally took notice of this shining bright star. Stardom came in such comedies as Coney Island (1943) and Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943).

The public was enchanted with Betty. Her famous pin-up pose during World War II adorned barracks all around the world. With that pin-up and as the star of lavish musicals, Betty became the highest-paid star in Hollywood. After the war, her star continued to rise. In 1947, the United States Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid star in America, earning about $300,000 a year - a phenomenal sum even by today's standards. Later, 20th Century-Fox, who had her under contract, insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a million dollars. She continued to be popular until the mid-1950s, when musicals went into a decline. Her last film was How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955).

She then concentrated on Broadway and nightclubs. In 1965, she divorced band leader Harry James, whom she had wed in 1943. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. She cared more for her family than stardom.

Betty Grable died at age 56 of lung cancer on July 2, 1973 in Santa Monica, California, five days before Veronica Lake's death. She was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery.

The woman&#39;s vision is deep-reaching, the man&#39;s far-reaching. With the
man the world is his heart, with the woman the heart is her world.

You&#39;re better off betting on a horse than betting on a man. A horse
may not be able to hold you tight, but he doesn&#39;t wanna wander from the
stable at night.

There are two reasons why I am successful in show business and I am
standing on both of them.

It&#39;s loud, it&#39;s cheap, it&#39;s gaudy. It&#39;s like everything I&#39;ve ever done - I LOVE IT!

I&#39;m strictly an enlisted man&#39;s girl.

I&#39;m a song-and-dance girl. I can act enough to get by. But that&#39;s the
limit of my talents.

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it
was discovered that they could give orders better from there.

[on <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0269647/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Alice Faye</a>] Alice is a darling. Everybody loves her.

[on <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000054/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Marilyn Monroe</a>] It may sound peculiar to say so, because she is no longer with us, but we were very close. Once when we were doing that picture <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0045891/?ref_=nmqu_qu">How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)</a> together, I got a call on the set: my younger daughter had had a fall. I ran home and the one person to call was Marilyn. She did an awful lot to boost things up for movies when everything was at a low state; there&#39;ll never be anyone like her for looks, for attitude, for all of it.

[Concerning her and other stars&#39; status as World War II pin-up queens] A lot of these kids don&#39;t have any women in their life to fight for - I guess what you would call us girls is kind of their inspiration. It is a grave responsibility.

[on the <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000840/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Lucille Ball</a>-<a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000789/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Desi Arnaz</a> relationship] She was everything to him. It was always Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. She was his life.

[on her 11/19/37 marriage] I want to be Mrs. <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0001067/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Jackie Coogan</a> for life. [NOTE: They divorced three months later]

[asked if her status as a new mother threatened her image] I never thought of it. If they don&#39;t like it, the devil with &#39;em. Fact is, I&#39;ve more fan mail since, especially from servicemen telling me about their wives and babies.

[in 1942] Maybe it&#39;s a wholesome quality or an American girl quality. People write to me as if I were a sister or friend.

Quotes

Betty Grable

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