The Uninvited's Gail Russell - Hollywood's Most Reluctant Star
Russell was labelled 'The Hedy Lamarr of Santa Monica', but her life was anything but beautiful.
Gail Russell’s ethereal beauty enhances the already otherworldly dimension to The Uninvited (1944). For the whole time that she’s on screen, Russell’s Stella Meredith is captivating. Her eyes rightly captivate the heart of Ray Milland’s Rick, but are equally compelling to Rick’s sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey), who also seems to want to protect the curiously vulnerable girl. But it’s this degree of vulnerability latent in the young star that ensured that life off screen was as much of a drama as off screen, and a torment for Russell.
She had planned to be a commercial artist, for she was as creative as she was beautiful, but her mother Gladys had other ideas. Moving the family from Chicago to Los Angeles, Gladys persuaded Gail to exchange her pencils and paints for a studio contract. Gail was a painfully shy child, and even at 18, with a contract from Paramount Pictures under her belt, acting instructors were needed to bring her out of her shell.
She made her film debut in Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour in 1943, and had a small part in Lady in the Dark that same year, but it was The Uninvited in 1944 that her star really felt it was in ascendence. Unfortunately it was also when her sensitive nature collided with what was expected from an industry that expected you to be as hard as nails. The girl was frequently in tears on set, and with no experience in film production, it fell to her director and co-stars to support her through her difficulties. Ray Milland, who was cast as her romantic lead would often have to take her aside and work on her lines, because she had tremendous difficulty remembering them. It was a difficult time for the young actress, which was presumably why she turned to the comfort of the bottle to get through the filming process. It was a habit that would ultimately cost her life.
The Uninvited was a massive success, and Russell found herself in demand. Paramount had found its next young star. There was Our Hearts Were Young and Gay in 1944, another big success, Salty O'Rourke with Alan Ladd in 1945 and Our Hearts Were Growing Up in 1946 with Diana Lynn - all of which kept her in the public eye. There was also a loan-out to Republic Pictures for Angel and the Badman in 1947. John Wayne produced and acted in the latter film, and recognised the vulnerability of the young star, always seeking to look out for her and make sure she was not overwhelmed, in the most paternal manner. According to sources, Russell developed feelings for the Western film legend, but Wayne dealt with this sensitivity, putting her right without damaging her delicate psyche.
Whatever feelings she had for Wayne, she seemed to recover from this, marrying actor Guy Madison in August 1949. The couple ultimately separated in 1953, and by then Russell was heavily under the influence of alcohol and her star was fading. In 1953, she was arrested for drink-driving and was charged with drunkenness in 1954. She made a comeback in the western Seven Men from Now with Randolph Scott, and her performance was lauded, but her legal troubles and drinking were muddying the waters, and the triumphant comeback was lukewarm.
It seems highly unfair that Gail Russell, the luminous Stella Meredith of The Uninvited, died of alcoholism at the age of just 36. Aspiration of stomach contents was listed as an additional cause, and she was found to be malnourished at the time of her death. She had so much to give, but could never quite conquer a psyche that was never quite comfortable in the spotlight. Her final film was The Silent Call in 1961
Sources
https://www.jwaynefan.com/russell.html
https://chrisenss.com/the-tragic-life-of-gail-russell/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Russell
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Quote of the Week:
“We cast away priceless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed upon illusion, and put to death by reality.”
― Judy Garland