'40s and '50s screen legend Jane Russell has passed away. The actress died Monday at her home in Santa Maria, Calif. from respiratory heart failure, her family told The Associated Press. She was 89.
Russell starred in Howard Hughes' 'The Outlaw' in 1941. Staying true to her Western roots, her daughter-in-law, Etta Waterfield, told the AP, "She always said I'm going to die in the saddle, I'm not going to sit at home and become an old woman." Until recently, Russell remained active in her church and her foundation, World Adoption International Agency.
She once shared the screen with another famous bombshell, Marilyn Monroe, in 1953's 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.' Russell referred to Marilyn as "a little sister," according to the AP. The actress retired from movies following 1970's 'Darker Than Amber.'
Unable to bear children of her own which may have been due to an abortion in high school, Russell and first husband, NFL quarterback Bob Waterfield, adopted three children together. Their 24-year marriage concluded in divorce in 1968. Just three months after exchanging vows with actor Roger Barrett, he died of a heart attack. She was also widowed by third husband, John Peoples, who died of heart failure in 1999 after a 21-year marriage.
Russell's autobiography "My Paths and Detours," published in 1985, reveals intimate details of her childhood, film career, and love life. Born June 21, 1921, her full name was Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell. She is survived by her three children, six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. A public funeral will take place on March 12.
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