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Rosalind Russell




Russell was one of seven siblings born to a Waterbury, Connecticut Irish-American Catholic family. She attended Catholic schools before attending the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts in New York City .

She was not named after Shakespeare 's heroine, but rather after a ship her parents had travelled on.


CAREER


She became known for her roles in such films as '' The Women '', '' Night Must Fall '', '' The Citadel '', '' His Girl Friday '', '' Mourning Becomes Electra '', '' Sister Kenny '', '' Auntie Mame '' and '' Picnic '', among others.

When asked what role was most closely identified with her, she replied that strangers who spotted her still called out, "Hey, Auntie Mame!"

Russell scored a big hit on Broadway starring in '' Wonderful Town '' in 1953 . The play was a musical version of her successful film of a decade earlier, '' My Sister Eileen ''. Russell reprised her starring role in the musical version in 1958 in a television special.


MARRIAGES


She married Danish -American producer Frederick Brisson on October 25 , 1941 . Her father-in-law was the successful Danish actor Carl Brisson. Frederick and Rosalind Brisson had one child, a son, Lance.


ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, LATER LIFE


Russell was nominated four times for the Academy Award For Best Actress :

Russell was the logical choice for reprising her role as "Auntie Mame" when its Broadway musical adaptation '' Mame '' was set for production in 1966.

She claimed to have turned it down since she preferred to move on to different roles. In reality, she didn't want to burden the public with her escalating health problems, which now included Rheumatoid Arthritis .

Russell died after a long battle with Breast Cancer in 1976 at the age of 69, although initially her age was misreported because she had shaved a few years off her true age. She was survived by her husband, and her son, Lance Brisson.

She is buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Culver City, California .

Rosalind Russell has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 1708 Vine Street. Her autobiography, written with Chris Chase, entitled Life is a Banquet was published a year after her untimely death.


FILMOGRAPHY

  • ''Evelyn Prentice'' ( 1934 )

  • ''The President Vanishes'' ( 1934 )

  • ''Forsaking All Others'' ( 1934 )

  • ''The Night Is Young'' ( 1935 )

  • ''The Casino Murder Case'' ( 1935 )

  • ''West Point of the Air'' ( 1935 )

  • ''Reckless'' ( 1935 )

  • ''China Seas'' ( 1935 )

  • ''Rendezvous'' ( 1935 )

  • ''It Had to Happen'' ( 1936 )

  • ''Under Two Flags'' ( 1936 )

  • ''Trouble for Two'' ( 1936 )

  • ''Craig's Wife'' ( 1936 )

  • ''The Candid Camera Story (Very Candid) of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1937 Convention'' ( 1937 ) (short subject)

  • '' Night Must Fall '' ( 1937 )

  • ''Live, Love and Learn'' ( 1937 )

  • ''Man-Proof'' ( 1938 )

  • ''Four's a Crowd'' ( 1938 )

  • '' The Citadel '' ( 1938 )

  • ''Fast and Loose'' ( 1939 )

  • ''March of Time: The Movies Move On'' ( 1939 ) (short subject)

  • '' The Women '' ( 1939 )

  • '' His Girl Friday '' ( 1940 )

  • ''No Time for Comedy'' ( 1940 )

  • ''Hired Wife'' ( 1940 )

  • ''This Thing Called Love'' ( 1940 )

  • ''You Can't Fool a Camera'' ( 1941 ) (short subject)

  • ''They Met in Bombay'' ( 1941 )

  • ''The Feminine Touch'' ( 1941 )

  • ''Design for Scandal'' ( 1941 )

  • ''Take a Letter, Darling'' ( 1942 )

  • '' My Sister Eileen '' ( 1942 )

  • ''Flight for Freedom'' ( 1943 )

  • ''What a Woman!'' ( 1943 )

  • ''Screen Snapshots: 25th Anniversary'' ( 1945 ) (short subject)

  • ''Roughly Speaking'' ( 1945 )

  • ''She Wouldn't Say Yes'' ( 1945 )

  • '' Sister Kenny '' ( 1946 )

  • ''The Guilt of Janet Ames'' ( 1947 )

  • ''Screen Snapshots: Famous Hollywood Mothers'' ( 1947 ) (short subject)

  • '' Mourning Becomes Electra '' ( 1947 )

  • ''The Velvet Touch'' ( 1948 )

  • ''Tell It to the Judge'' ( 1949 )

  • ''A Woman of Distinction'' ( 1950 )

  • ''Never Wave at a WAC'' ( 1952 )

  • ''The Girl Rush'' ( 1955 )

  • '' Picnic '' ( 1955 )

  • '' Auntie Mame '' ( 1958 )

  • ''A Majority of One'' ( 1961 )

  • ''Five Finger Exercise'' ( 1962 )

  • '''' ( 1962 )

  • '' The Trouble With Angels '' ( 1966 )

  • ''Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad'' ( 1967 )

  • ''Rosie!'' ( 1967 )

  • ''Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows'' ( 1968 )

  • '' Mrs. Pollifax - Spy '' ( 1971 )



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