Elizabeth Russell (actress)

Elizabeth Russell (August 2, 1916 – May 4, 2002) was an American actress. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was best known for her roles in several of producer Val Lewton's low-budget horror films produced at RKO Pictures in the mid-1940s. She was the sister-in-law of Rosalind Russell.

Elizabeth Russell
Russell in the 1950s
Born(1916-08-02)August 2, 1916
DiedMay 4, 2002(2002-05-04) (aged 85)
OccupationActress
Years active1936–1960
Spouse
John Russell
(m. 1937; div. 1942)
Children1

Career

Elizabeth Russell and Béla Lugosi in The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Russell worked as a photographer's model in New York City before she became an actress.[1] When she was chosen for a part in Cat People (1942), Russell was a model who acted part-time. In his book Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career, Edmund G. Bansak wrote, "Although lasting only moments, the economy of Russell's cameo is wondrous and it remains etched in viewers' memories long after the more essential concerns of plot and character have been all but forgotten."[2]

Personal life

Russell married advertising man John Russell in 1937, they had a young son.[3] In 1942, she was already divorced.[4]

Partial filmography

References

  1. Lane, Linda (July 3, 1936). "The Sun Tan Vogue Again Hits Film Capital". The Capital Journal. Oregon, Salem. p. 18. Retrieved November 23, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  2. Bansak, Edmund G. (2003). Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career. McFarland. p. 127. ISBN 9780786417094. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  3. "Lee, Flynn, Bergen". The St. Louis Star and Times. October 8, 1937. p. 23. Retrieved November 23, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Mank, Gregory William (2014). The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema. McFarland. p. 234. ISBN 9780786449552. Retrieved October 11, 2017.


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