Jane Russell - Movie Star, Pro-life Advocate - RIP

As a kid growing up I was very much aware of Jane Russell & the image that was projected of her by the media. I was also aware that she was an excellent actress. I will be honest & say that my favorite movie of hers was "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". She played her part of Dorothy Shaw perfectly. Her down to earth Dorothy was the perfect foil to Marilyn Monroe's Lorelei Lee. She was also excellent in "The Paleface" & "Son of Paleface"with Bob Hope. I have to admit that I am not sure that I have seen "The Outlaw" in its entirety, but I have seen enough of it on TV to say that the furror over her bust overshadows the excellent job she did in that movie as well. & speaking of her "full figure" like so many young males of the time, I remember he many Playtex Ads she did in the 70s.

But what she most deserves to be remembered for is her pioneer efforts to tell the truth about abortion & the damage it does to a woman. Not surprizingly, the media obits leave the botched abortions & her pro-life stand out (Jane Russell, film siren who sizzled on-screen in 'The Outlaw,' dies at 89), or downplay it (1940s sex symbol Jane Russell dies at 89) for the most part.

I am also happy to see that 1 of the places that memorials are being directed to is Care Net, 1 of several Pro-life Crisis Pregnancy Centers I support.

Silver screen star Jane Russell, abortion sufferer and pro-life advocate, dies at 89

SANTA MARIA, California, March 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Several decades after an abortion left Jane Russell unable to bear children and spurred her to become an outspoken pro-lifer and adoption advocate, the silver screen beauty died yesterday at the age of 89. In lieu of flowers, the family of the born-again Christian actress is asking for donations in her honor to Care Net, a pro-life pregnancy resource center network.
Jane Russell, the brunette bombshell of the films The Tall Men and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, whose image became a popular pinup for World War II servicemen, passed away of respiratory failure at her Santa Monica home Monday.
Leading a wild lifestyle early on, Russell later became, in her words, “a teetotal, mean-spirited, right-wing, narrow-minded, conservative Christian bigot” - but not before an illegal abortion caused her to lose her fertility.
The experience, which she says nearly killed her, led her to become outspoken about abortion, denying that any circumstance - rape or incest included - justified taking the life of an unborn child.
“People should never, ever have an abortion. Don’t talk to me about it being a woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body. The choice is between life and death,” Russell declared in one quotation widely attributed to her.
In another quotation cited by IMDB.com, Russell said that when she found herself pregnant at 18, “The only solution was to find a quack and get an abortion. I had a botched abortion and it was terrible. Afterwards my own doctor said, ‘What butcher did this to you?’ I had to be taken to hospital. I was so ill I nearly died. I’ve never known pain like it.”
Even decades after the procedure was made legal in America, loss of fertility remains a common side effect of abortions: post-abortive women telling their stories through Silent No More Awareness frequently testify to losing the ability to bear children as a consequence of their abortions.
Her struggle conceiving led Russell to adopt three children and to found the World Adoption International Fund in 1955. She also started the ‘Hollywood Christian Group,’ a weekly Bible study she hosted at her house for Christians in the film industry. Russell, who divorced once and was married two more times, is survived by her three children, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
After confirming her death on Monday, her family suggested that donations be made in her name to Care Net Pregnancy & Resource Center at 121 W. Battles, Santa Maria, CA, as well as CASA of Santa Barbara County, a group that helps abused children find a court advocate.
Care Net, which oversees a nationwide network of 1,100 pregnancy centers, specializes in helping women facing unplanned pregnancies by providing practical help as well as emotional support.

________
Here are a couple of her greatest hits from the movies:

Buttons & Bows (Son of Paleface w/ Bob Hope & Roy Rogers)



& from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes:

Bye Bye Baby



Here is her take on Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend (She also shows how well she was able to mimic Marilyn Monroe's Lorelei for the court scene)

One for My Baby (Macao)



She also had a recording theater career as well.

Two Sleepy People



Born to Be Blue