Actress. She was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable, her mother began training her to perform at a young age, teaching her to dance, play the saxophone and sing. A family vacation to Hollywood, California when she was twelve resulted in a longer stay with enrollment in various Hollywood schools for formal training. Her persistent mother was able to land her a screen test resulting in appearing in the movie, "Happy Days." Upon the studio discovering her real age, the contract was voided. Undaunted by this, Betty Grable was presented at the casting offices of Samuel Goldwyn Productions and was on her way with a contract; at the age of 13, she was playing a chorus girl in a Hollywood film. From 1937 to 1939, she was married to child star Jackie Coogan; his career success helped hers by landing her a major role in the film, "Down Argentine Way." After signing a longterm, multi-film contract with 20th Century-Fox, several musical/comedy movies followed, including "Coney Island" and "Sweet Rosie O'Grady." She sang and danced her way to become the most recognized film figure during the war years. From the movies to television, Betty Grable appeared on many television shows during the later 1950s including the "Shower of Stars," the "Jack Benny Show" and the "Lucy Desi Comedy Hour." It was Betty Grable's famous pin-up pose which cemented her stardom during World War II. She became the secret weapon and moral booster of the United States Military. Her picture appeared worldwide, in military barracks, soldiers' lockers, the fuselage of bombers, trucks, tanks and posters selling war bonds. She made many appearances at the Bette Davis Sponsored Hollywood Canteen helping to entertain servicemen. In 1943, she married band leader, Harry James and during their twenty-two-year marriage, they had two daughters. With musicals waning in the mid-1950s, she concentrated on a stage career and appearances in nightclubs. She opened New York City, New York's Latin Quarter and starred in many shows in Las Vegas, Nevada. She opened at the Dunes Hotel in a production of "Guys and Dolls," which eventually became a road show. After being a co-host at the Academy Awards in 1972, she experienced trouble breathing and was rushed to a hospital. A heavy smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Without health insurance, she continued to work to pay her hospital bills using a wig to cover her balding head from the chemotherapy. Time and time again, she was hospitalized at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica as the disease continued to spread; she died on the last admission at the age of 56. The funeral was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills. From her 1942 film "Springtime in the Rockies," the song "I Had the Craziest Dream" was played during her funeral on the church organ. During the war years, she was the highest paid performer in films and earned over five million dollars in her career, yet upon her death, she had many outstanding debts, from hospital bills to taxes. Her Nevada home was sold to the nearby Tropicana Hotel at auction. A note was left in her empty safety deposit box, "Sorry, there's nothing more." She was in the top ten in box office rankings from 1941 to 1951, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6525 Hollywood Boulevard and credited with 62 films.