Gail Russell

Biography

Gail Russell, born Elizabeth L. Russell on September 21, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American film and television actress. She moved to Los Angeles as a teenager, where her striking beauty caught the attention of Paramount Pictures in 1942. Despite her shyness and lack of experience, she was groomed for stardom and made her film debut in Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943). Russell gained recognition for her roles in notable films such as The Uninvited (1944) and Calcutta (1947), and starred alongside John Wayne in Angel and the Badman (1947). However, her career was severely impacted by alcoholism, which began affecting her work and personal life in the early 1950s. After a five-year hiatus, she returned to acting but struggled with her addiction. Russell passed away on August 26, 1961, at the age of 36, due to liver damage and malnutrition, and is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.