Gail Russell

Black-haired and slim, Gail Russell was an American actress whose screen presence carried a quiet, melancholy beauty. Born Elizabeth Russell in Chicago, Illinois, she grew up painfully shy. As a teenager, her family relocated to Los Angeles, where a Paramount talent scout spotted her at Santa Monica High School. She signed with the studio immediately upon graduation and received extensive coaching, soon appearing in major roles in prestigious Paramount films.

Despite her success, Russell struggled with intense stage fright, which she tried to control with alcohol. Legal troubles, especially drunk driving charges, hurt her reputation and her career began to fade. John Wayne befriended her and cast her in a few of his productions, though rumors of an affair with him were apparently unjust. She married actor Guy Madison in 1949; they divorced in 1954, though she kept his legal name, Moseley. Her drinking increasingly affected her work, her looks, and her personal life.

She died alone in 1961 at age 36 from chronic alcoholism, an extremely fatty liver, and terminal aspiration of stomach contents. In her apartment, empty liquor bottles surrounded her. She is remembered as a doe-eyed beauty who brought innocence and vulnerability to the screen. She was straight.