Gail Russell and the Tragic Side of Classic Hollywood Stardom

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#classicmovies #classichollywood #classicmoviestars #1940s
This is a segment from one of my longer videos about the 1944 film THE UNINVITED. I re edited this short biography on the life of classic Hollywood actress Gail Russell because I felt it could stand alone.
If you'd like to watch the full video you can click here ➡️ • The Birth of the Moder...
🍿Gail Russell Films
Angel and the Badman
• Angel and The Badman (...
Moonrise
⭐️This one is so good! Gail Russell costars with Dane Clark in the story of a man haunted by the deeds of his father and on the run for murder.
• Video
🌙The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
*If you've never seen this one, please go check it out.
Gail Russell plays a woman haunted by the prediction of her death given to her by a washed up fake mentalist played by Edward G. Robinson.
I know you're intrigued!
archive.org/details/night-has...
📚There's precious little information on Gail ,but if you want to know more I suggest reading
Fallen Star: A Biography of Gail Russell by Steven Glenn Ochoa ➡️ amzn.to/3C5eEiQ
💿 You can buy THE UNINVITED on DVD/Blu-Ray here amzn.to/46ypGtG
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6 янв 2024

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@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

This is a segment from one of my longer videos about the 1944 film THE UNINVITED. I re edited this short biography on the life of classic Hollywood actress Gail Russell because I felt it could stand alone. If you'd like to watch the full video you can click here ➡ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YVYUscMibu4.htmlsi=iYruru_Cg0NoKzBM

@glw2088 6 месяцев назад

this was very moving. thank you

@Porsche996driver 3 месяца назад

Well done. Someone not achieving their “potential” is always disappointing. But this is truly tragic. We still recognize the same signs of being an alcoholic today.

@jod6cindy 6 месяцев назад

Three actresses with gorgeous eyes - Gail Russell, Peggie Castle, and Barbara Payton - all struggled with the disease of alcoholism, and suffered sad and lonely deaths. It's important they're not forgotten.

@DMovieman 6 месяцев назад

"And in a cascading list of misfortunes, the role exploited her weakness, and what looked like acting was actually her emotional truth in those moments." Wow! This hit hard, and it reminds me of the experiences of Shelley Duvall in The Shining and Isabelle Adjani in Possession. 🙏🙏🙏

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Yes, Shelley Duvall! Those stories from the set of The Shining are terrible. I'm not familiar with Isabelle Adjani's experience on Possession. I'm hesitant to look it up because I don't want to be outraged this morning.

@michaelhamilton1523 6 месяцев назад

Interesting that one of the toughest men in Hollywood was able to show her such sensitivity.

@Porsche996driver 3 месяца назад

Real tough guys are comfortable with their manhood. No one could question Wayne on that. As alcoholics we just can’t really trust anyone. Very sad.

@PhinClio 6 месяцев назад

I never miss an opportunity to plug the wonderful Southern Gothic rural noir MOONRISE. Russell is wonderful in it, but it also features a fabulous expressionistic opening sequences and a great supporting performance by Rex Ingram (among many other virtues).

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

It's beautiful. Director Frank Borzage was a master that kind of gets forgotten today. Moonrise was one of his best.

@bak-mariterry5180 6 месяцев назад

@@CinemaCities1978 Just put MOONRISE on to watch later. Gail, a very sad story.

@4Topwood 6 месяцев назад

I'm also a big fan of Moonrise. When I think of Gail Russell, it's that film I remember her in.

@rittdalton8749 6 месяцев назад

Poor sweetheart! I had no idea about her background, struggles, horrible advice to "drink it away", and her untimely death. Thank you, Cinema Cities, for educating all of us "wonderful people out there in the dark..." Very well-done piece. Gail Russell occupies two places in my film library: "Moonrise", and "Night Has a Thousand Eyes". Such a powerful, yet simple, display of cinematic magic in the former when Dane Clark clutches her and whispers "Gilly...Gilly".

@Chiller11 6 месяцев назад

For some reason Gail Russell’s story seems an even more tragic combination of great beauty, emotional uncertainty and ugly exploitation than the hundreds of other similar stories of young women in the Hollywood system. Perhaps because one could more easily detect the anxiety and vulnerability in her eyes or body language. I’m not certain why I am more touched by her struggles and early death than by say Marylin Monroe or Judy Garland. Those were equally tragic.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Gail Russell has always haunted me. I think it's because, as you said, her anxiety and vulnerability are palpable through the screen. She didn't want any of it. She would've been a million times happier doing anything else. I wish she had been able to.

@paulkitt-er9dr 6 месяцев назад

Another sad story of a talented lady pushed into a career she didn't really want. I have not seen the uninvited but it is now definitely on my list. This story reminds me of other actresses who suffered similar fates Elizabeth Hartman ,Maggie McNamara ,Frances Farmer the movie industry was tough on sensitive personalities.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Maggie McNamara's very brief career in Hollywood broke her. I always loved her in Three Coins in the Fountain.

@lbbotpn5429 6 месяцев назад

It's amazing the proportion of the eight million stories that end in tragedy, but of them all, I feel this one the most. As an introvert, I really identify with not wanting the spotlight and just wanting to be left alone. GR had real talent and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to experience it, but it bothers me that the cost was so high.

@asukalangley6494 6 месяцев назад

Nice work on the video! Gail's story is yet another tragic story among thousands. It's sad she couldn't walk away and may she rest in peace.

@iainmelville9411 6 месяцев назад

I love “The Uninvited “ - I know that I’ve mentioned that before. Did not know anything about Gails life, I did not know what happened to her, didn’t know how tragic it all turned out. Even with all the tragedy and sadness, I am still grateful to you for telling her story. More people should know that once Gail Russel was alive and deserved better than she got. Love your work Cinema Cities.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

"More people should know that once Gail Russel was alive and deserved better than she got." Very well said.

@iainmelville9411 6 месяцев назад

@@CinemaCities1978 Thank You 😊

@alanbehrens4231 6 месяцев назад

My favorite RU-vid channel. Such a sad story. Barbara Payton had a sad demise too, also due to alcoholism. Keep them coming Sydney.

@sarahalbers5555 6 месяцев назад

Add in Anna May Wong.

@skcyclist 6 месяцев назад

Enjoyed the video very much. Incredible coincidences leading to her discovery. I can relate to her shyness and stage fright. I too used alcohol to quell my anxieties. In college, I drank before public speaking. I eventually overcame my alcoholic tendencies and no longer drink, but had I faced her circumstances, it may have been worse. May she rest in peace.

@sarahalbers5555 6 месяцев назад

Glad to hear you came out on the other side. Well done!

@caryblack5985 6 месяцев назад

A extremely sad story. How success led to tragedy for a young woman. It makes a sorrowful ending that was unknown to the audience who were entranced by Gail Russell, the film Uninvited and the the song Stella by Starlight. The composer Victor Young should be remembered as he was a great talent. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Young

@AngelsBerry-et5qn 6 месяцев назад

A very sensitive telling of a very tragic story. I feel for that poor girl. RIP Gail Russell.

@linphillips8331 6 месяцев назад

I've often thought that beauty can be a curse. Everybody wants to be beautiful, but beauty can garner unwanted and unsought attention and is furthermore fleeting. If Gail Russell had been average-looking, she would have been left alone to pursue her creative ambitions.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Very true.

@Gertyutz 6 месяцев назад

The old studio system was also a curse. It broke up in the 1960's.

@aldiboronti 6 месяцев назад

That's a beautiful eulogy to Ms Russell.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

thank you.

@kdkseven 6 месяцев назад

I remember this from the longer video. I enjoyed seeing Gail Russel's story a second time. Her quote about her anxiety in childhood stuck with me, as i had periods of intense anxiety as a child. I was able to get past it mostly, but can totally see how that could become debilitating, and cause other serious problems down the line. Such a shame.

@OuterGalaxyLounge 6 месяцев назад

When I was younger I was not a fan of westerns (I like them now) but the one western I did like a lot was Angel and the Badman and that was largely due to Gail's luminous presence and humanity in that film, and her great chemistry with John Wayne. I'm not a fan of Wayne's politics but I'm glad to hear that at least, according to him, he treated her better than the rest of the scum in Tinseltown.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Wayne really did look after Gail. I read in one biography that after she died he found it very hard to talk about her.

@alejoparedes2388 6 месяцев назад

I didn't know this story, what a tragedy, thanks for sharing it

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

you're welcome

@alexander3699 Месяц назад

Excellent piece on Gail Russell. I’m deeply grateful that after so many years, we can still connect with Gail’s performances and reflect upon her life.

@clintmesle7613 6 месяцев назад

Such a great beauty and such a sad life. If only someone helped her become an artist and got her out of the movie business.

@andrewehunt68 6 месяцев назад

Another brilliant job here! Once again, it's masterfully made, and her story is beautifully told. Thank you for another outstanding video!

@Hogtownboy1 6 месяцев назад

Loved your conttent. Suggestion Peter Gunn is now streaming on Amazon Prime. So many femme fatales.

@MoxieMcMurder 5 месяцев назад

I love The Uninvited, it's rarely given its flowers! Great video, as always.

@theuninvited1944GR 6 месяцев назад

Excellent follow-up to your first tribute to Gail Russell.I wish other tributes to Gail were more accurate in information like yours.Well Done! Loved the accompanying music with "Stella By Starlight" in the background.Thank you for mentioning my biography on Gail,"Fallen Star".I just subscribed to your channel.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

I'm so glad you liked it. It means a lot that the person who literally wrote the book on Gail thinks I did a good job.

@CH-vc2pw Месяц назад

I was introduced to Gail Russel in John Wayne’s Angel and the Badman at five years old. Even at that age I thought she was beyond beautiful. I would soon see The Uninvited, Wake of the Red Witch, El Paso, The Lawless, The Tattered Dress and many more. I believe it was some book that I can’t remember now that had an info on her career and death, which to me was incredibly sad.

@davespiess947 6 месяцев назад

I knew this about Gail Russel, it just makes me so sad for her. Hollywood can be so cruel in so many ways! I loved "Angel and the Bad Man", and I love your channel, I have seen everyone of your videos. Thank You.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for watching ALL my videos. You made my day!!!!!!

@akronkeith 6 месяцев назад

Wow! Great video! I never knew any of this about her!

@neilcoligan8621 5 месяцев назад

Sydney you've really done a great service telling this tale of someone so terribly treated by the system. You are also a deft and literate scripter with a delivery that rivals the big guns.

@CinemaCities1978 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for that compliment. I am often plagued by self-doubt as I make these videos, and you just gave me a wonderful confidence boost.

@neilcoligan8621 5 месяцев назад

I spent most of my 30 year journalism career in broadcasting so I know a thing or two about scripting and delivery.

@allegory6393 6 месяцев назад

Thank you very much for this memorial to the luminous Gail Russell. What a deeply sad, but, alas, horrifically common, Hollywood story! I had no idea of the things she was forced to do and her titanic personal struggles. One can never fight on so many fronts (painful shyness, possibly debilitating social anxiety), especially when there are no significant supports around them, and survive the intense struggle of merely functioning from day to day. So much suffering crammed in such a short life: from being forced and exploited by, what sounds like, a violently ambitious mother to the casting-couch rapes to the pressures of the studio system to the exposure and the gossip that comes with film stardom, and addiction. Her tragic life is one more reason we film buffs should not allow Gail Russell to be forgotten, the other reason being the dream-like quality of her presence, a kind of eloquent and emphatic fragility that is revelatory of a human existential dimension, a fragility that has a philosophical quality to it and that is neither hackneyed nor cheap and false (manufactured for the sole purpose of manipulating viewers' feelings). PS Even seemingly tough people, with traumatic upbringings, whose entire identity was borrowed by whatever life the studio system assigned to them, and who never stopped being grateful to that system -I, obviously, mean Joan Crawford here- and never questioned its brutality (the very brutality that early in their careers was visited upon them too), even they, at some point, were thrown on the scrapheap and had a sad end. Did I say people? I meant women-people.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

This comment brought me to tears. It's awful, but it's also beautiful that such authentic fragility and vulnerability were able to be captured on screen. But Gail really deserved a happier life. I think also, being a highly sensitive person myself, that I always really connected to and picked up on her essence. She's haunted me all my life.

@allegory6393 6 месяцев назад

@@CinemaCities1978 You gave her the eulogy she, I suspect, never had. Bless you for that. Gail Russel was another beautiful soul that should have been cherished and allowed to flourish but was crushed instead. May she never be forgotten.

@CFinch360 6 месяцев назад

I just celebrated 36 years of sobriety, thanks to AA. It was shocking to realize she died at age 36, what a waste.

@walterfechter8080 6 месяцев назад

I've watched "The Uninvited" a few times when I was younger. It's a great story with truly great performances. I had no idea as to how troubled Gail Russell truly was. Wow. 😥

@s_c_d 6 месяцев назад

Really great short video. I have only seen her in THE UNINVITED and in SEVEN MEN FROM NOW but she left a strong impression. I must have missed the THE UNINVITED video this came from, and will dig it out. I'm a somewhat recent follower - started following you a few months back - and really love the channel. Thanks for all of this. Do you have any other favorite classic Hollywood history channels you enjoy? I'd love to hear which ones you're drawn to or find interesting.

@rustynail766 6 месяцев назад

The Uninvited premiered the tune Stella By Starlight which is now a classic standard. Miles Davis recorded several versions of it.

@olekobethepinheadedboy 5 месяцев назад

A superb tribute to Gail. Not many people are familiar with her work or her sad story. Hopefully, that will change. It seems like she's made a powerful impression on a lot of folks who've discovered her.

@justthink5854 2 месяца назад

beautifully written narration

@Porsche996driver 3 месяца назад

Interesting that the old coffee shop building she crashed into is still there on 8424 Beverly on Apple Maps. Kind of a touchstone to history.

@sandrasanders706 5 месяцев назад

What a sad, sad, story😢😢 poor Gail.

@greenybeanyj 4 месяца назад

Love this. You really hit the jackpot with that outro too, never change it haha

@4Topwood 6 месяцев назад

Gail Russell was haunting in the best way and haunted in the worst. I can't think of an actress whose life was more tragic, except for Marvel Rea. The others (Farmer, Garland, Monroe) all wanted the spotlight. She alone shunned it.

@Jay-n262 6 месяцев назад

She went into a psych ward. They didn't have rehabs in Gails day, Elvis had the same problem only with pills.

@1feloniouspunk 6 месяцев назад

"You're gonna be a big movie star! Yeah! You're gonna make it big! You're gonna have everything you ever dreamed of. You'll never be unhappy again!" Thanks for this heart-breaking reality check about the Hollywood system. Funny that John Wayne basically admits to yelling at everyone in his life, save for one poor soul. Nice of him at least to take her under his wing.

@CinemaCities1978 5 месяцев назад

yeah, Wayne was always supportive of her and I read in one his biographies that her death hit him really hard.

@paulditzen2708 6 месяцев назад

I knew I had already seen this!!

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

I think it's more impactful as a stand alone, instead of being the last 1/3 of a larger story.

@kirksworks 5 месяцев назад

A sad story indeed. I loved The Uninvited, but I have seen none of her other films. Hollywood is strewn with stories of people who destroy themselves or are destroyed by the movie machine. Some stars light shown bright then burned out for various reasons. Jean Harlow, for example. Jean Seberg another, but the story that crushed me the most was the life of Barbara Payton, who I’m sure you know of. Her star had a brilliant flame at the start, but burned out quickly due to her own actions that brought her to one of the most tragic endings in the history of Tinseltown. If you don’t know about her, I wrote a book about her and 5 other actresses. Hollywood v. Beauty and the Synchronicity of the Six. As well as Payton, the life stories of Louise Brooks, Jean Harlow, Hedy Lamar, Jean Seberg and Sondra Locke are all covered in a compressed and easy to read volume. I would love to see you cover Payton’s life story. Your clips and discussions are always top notch.

@CinemaCities1978 5 месяцев назад

Several people have asked me to cover Barbara Payton. I did cover her briefly in the newsletter when I did a feature on the life of Tom Neal. You are right, she is one of the most heartbreaking of all the Hollywood tragedies.

@jamesvokral4934 15 дней назад

Glad to hear John Wayne was decent to her as well as Ray Milland on the great Uninvited movie.

@tombaker4586 6 месяцев назад

Tops ! Greetings from snowy Belgium.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Thank you! Cheers!

@frankmenchaca9993 6 месяцев назад

Please do video of those character actors that seem to be in so many movies. Nat Pendleton, Frank Jenks, William Bancroft, Billie Burke, Marie Windsor, Virginia Bruce. And one on the British colony, C. Aubrey Smith, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mobray, etc.

@4Topwood 6 месяцев назад

No love for John Abbott, Porter Hall or my personal favorite, Richard Gaines? I'm crushed!

@Blakeneyd 3 месяца назад

It would be nice to see her sketches and paintings…

@zetectic7968 6 месяцев назад

Damn pushy parents who want to live vicariously through their children &/or live off the money they generate. It is a tale as old as Hollywood. Years ago I saw the film Frances starring Jessica Lange, another very sad story of Frances Farmer, actually it ended as a horror story.

@CinemaCities1978 6 месяцев назад

Frances is indeed a Hollywood horror story. I remember the first time I saw it: 1.) I was blown away by Jessica Lange, and 2.) I couldn't believe the suffering that woman endured. Even if the film took liberties, it was still pretty bad.

@nickbovi 6 месяцев назад

Its too bad she didn't have a friend or loved one who told her that it was okay if she wanted to walk way from Hollywood, and just do her commercial art thing.

@marymitchell8625 5 месяцев назад

Very sad. She was perfect for The Unimvited, which is still a great ghost story. I've heard a lot about Angel & The Badman but have never seen it. Maybe acting was bad for her, but she did make her cinematic statement, so we remember. For some reason, I think of Montgomery Clift. He had a terrible life but gave us amazing films. How much price should someone pay?

@CinemaCities1978 5 месяцев назад

Monty Clift, Gail Russell and Judy Garland are all people I've always wanted to just hug. I see them and I want to just embrace them tightly. Every since I was a kid I've felt that about those 3.

@marymitchell8625 5 месяцев назад

@@CinemaCities1978 Me too!

@edeltraudbirmingham4331 4 дня назад

@@CinemaCities1978 exactly

@kidmohair8151 6 месяцев назад

to put it bluntly, she was a cash cow for the studios. the men at the top made millions off of her. why should they care about her personal problems? and they didn't.

@ropeburnsrussell 6 месяцев назад

What an awful story. 😢

@CinemaCities1978 5 месяцев назад

heartbreaking

@cosmo9390 2 месяца назад

They should make a biopic about her life. I don't know who in God's name could possibly play her though because women that are this beautiful have all gone extinct.

@justthink5854 2 месяца назад

most of your tragedies aren't. this one sure is