Betty Grable was born
at 3858 Lafayette Ave. in St. Louis and moved to the Forest Park Hotel in 1920. She
entered Clark's Dancing School at age 3 and attended Mary Institute. When only 12 she went
to Hollywood and got her first film role the next year. She acted in 42 films, including Tin
Pan Alley, Moon Over Miami and Coney Island. Because of her
world-renowned swimsuit poster, owned by one out of every five U.S. servicemen in World
War II, her legs were insured for $1,000,000. Betty Grable was Hollywood's top draw in
1943, and was reported to be the highest paid woman in the United States.
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Audrey Birk, a childhood friend, accepted the award on
behalf of Ms. Grable. |