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Ella Raines

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Ella Raines
Circa 1940
Born
Ella Wallace Raines

(1920-08-06)August 6, 1920
DiedMay 30, 1988(1988-05-30)(aged 67)
Alma materUniversity of Washington
Years active1943–57, 1984
Spouses
Kenneth Trout
(m.1942;div.1945)
(m.1947;div.1976)
Children2

Ella Wallace Raines(August 6, 1920[citation needed]– May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress active from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s. Described as "sultry" and "mysterious", the green-eyed star[1]appeared frequently incrime picturesandfilm noir,but also in drama, comedy,Westerns,thrillers, and romance.

Among the leading men she starred with wereJohn Wayne,Charles Laughton,William Powell,Randolph Scott,Franchot Tone,Brian Donlevy,andBurt Lancaster.When film roles dwindled she turned to television. Her second marriage was toRobin Olds,aU.S. Air Forcetriple-acefighter pilot andCommandant of Cadets of the United States Air Force Academy.

Raines appeared as apin-up girlin the June 2 and June 16, 1944, issues of theG.I.magazineYank,and on the cover ofLife magazinetwice, in 1944 for her work inPhantom Lady,and in 1947 forBrute Force.

Early life

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Born inSnoqualmie Falls, Washingtonto logging engineer Ernest N. Raines and his wife Bird Zachary,[1][2][3]Raines studieddramaat theUniversity of Washingtonand was appearing in a play there when she was seen by directorHoward Hawks.She achieved stardom almost overnight in Hollywood when she was made the sole contract star[1]of a $1-million new production company Hawks had formed in 1943 with actorCharles Boyer,B-H Productions. She made her film debut inCorvette K-225(1943), which Hawks produced.

Acting career

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Film

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Raines on the cover ofLifemagazine (February 28, 1944)

Immediately following her debut inCorvette K-225oppositeRandolph Scott,Raines was cast in the all-female war filmCry "Havoc"(also 1943). She starred in thefilm noirPhantom LadywithFranchot Tone,[4]thePreston SturgescomedyHail the Conquering Hero,and theJohn WaynewesternTall in the Saddle(all 1944).

Still in 1944 she appeared in the unusualEdwardiannoirThe SuspectoppositeCharles Laughton,then starred in films such as the romantic suspenseThe Strange Affair of Uncle Harry(1945) withGeraldine FitzgeraldandGeorge Sanders,thethrillerThe Web(1947) withEdmond O'Brien,and the prison dramaBrute Force(1947) withBurt Lancaster.Some regard all of these as noirs.

Also in 1947 she starred in the comedyThe Senator Was IndiscreetwithWilliam Powell.In 1949 she starred oppositeBrian Donlevyin the noirishImpact,then took the lead role originally intended forJean Wallacein the noirA Dangerous Profession,as Wallace had made a suicide attempt following her divorce from Franchot Tone. None of her later pictures were as successful as her earlier movies and her film career began to decline.

Following some years in television, her final film role was starring as the female lead in a British-made thrillerThe Man in the Roadin 1956. Apart from a single television appearance in the 1980s, she retired from acting altogether the following year.

Television

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In 1954 and 1955 she starred in thetelevision seriesJanet Dean, Registered Nurse.She also appeared in such television series asRobert Montgomery Presents,Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents,Lights Out,Pulitzer Prize PlayhouseandThe Christophers.[5]

After a nearly three decade hiatus, Raines' final appearance as an actress was in a guest role in the crime drama seriesMatt Houstonin 1984.

Personal life

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Pin-upphoto of Raines for the Aug. 17, 1945 issue ofYank, the Army Weekly

On August 11, 1942,[6]a few days after her graduation from the University of Washington, Raines married her high school sweetheart, United States Army Air Forces Major Kenneth William Trout. The couple divorced December 18, 1945.[7]

On February 6, 1947,[8]Raines married thendouble-aceWorld War II fighter pilotRobin Olds,[9]who went on to become a triple-ace during the Vietnam War, was eventually promoted to United States Air Force brigadier general, and served as commandant of theUnited States Air Force Academyfrom 1967 to 1971. The couple had two daughters, Christina and Susan.[10]She also suffered two miscarriages and a stillbirth.[11]They separated in 1975 and divorced in 1976.

Known for her traditional family values, Raines was quoted at the height of her Hollywood career extolling them: "I am naturally captivated with the rewards that Hollywood bestows on those who are successful. But I’m going to do my best to see that these [rewards] never disturb the essential values in my life--love of husband, family, home; the things that really count."[1]

Raines admired John Wayne.[12][page needed]

She died fromthroat cancerinSherman Oaks, Californiaon May 30, 1988, aged 67.[13]

Legacy

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Raines has two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame,for her contribution to motion pictures at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard.[5]

Filmography

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Raines andAlan CurtisinPhantom Lady(1944)
Raines andCharles LaughtoninThe Suspect(1944)
Raines andBrian DonlevyinImpact(1949)
Year Title Role Notes
1943 Corvette K-225 Joyce Cartwright
Cry 'Havoc' Connie
1944 Phantom Lady Carol Richman
Hail the Conquering Hero Libby
Tall in the Saddle Arleta 'Arly' Harolday
Enter Arsène Lupin Stacie Kanares
The Suspect Mary
1945 The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry Deborah Brown
1946 The Runaround Penelope 'Annabelle' Hampton
White Tie and Tails Louise Bradford
1947 Time Out of Mind Clarissa 'Rissa' Fortune
The Web Noel Faraday
Brute Force Cora Lister
The Senator Was Indiscreet Poppy McNaughton
1949 The Walking Hills Chris Jackson
Impact Marsha Peters
A Dangerous Profession Lucy Brackett
1950 Singing Guns Nan Morgan
The Second Face Phyllis Holmes
1951 Fighting Coast Guard Louise Ryan
1952 Ride the Man Down Celia Evarts
1956 The Man in the Road Rhona Ellison

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdBecklund, Laurie (June 7, 1988)."Obituaries: Ella Raines; 'Sultry' Star of '40s-Era Films".Los Angeles Times.Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2021.
  2. ^"Ella Raines' Father's Funeral Held Tuesday".The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet.January 4, 1951. p. 24. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  3. ^"Movie Star Ella Raines' Mother Dies".Asheville Citizen-Times.February 2, 1957. p. 5. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. ^Hanson, Helen (2007).Hollywood Heroines: Women in Film Noir.6 Salem Road, London: I.B. Tauris &Co. pp. 20–23.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ab"Ella Raines".Hollywood Walk of Fame.RetrievedJune 19,2016.
  6. ^"Actress Ella Raines May Seek Divorce".Herald and News.Oregon, Klamath Falls. October 17, 1945. p. 10.RetrievedJune 18,2016– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^"Divorce Awarded to Actress Ella Raines".The San Bernardino County Sun.California, San Bernardino. Associated Press. December 19, 1945. p. 2.RetrievedJune 18,2016– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  8. ^"Actress Ella Raines, Major on Honeymoon".The San Bernardino County Sun.California, San Bernardino. Associated Press. February 8, 1947. p. 1.RetrievedJune 18,2016– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  9. ^"Ella Raines Happy In Her Marriage".Statesville Daily Record.North Carolina, Statesville. July 19, 1947. p. 9.RetrievedJune 18,2016– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ^"Ella Raines, a Star of Westerns And Dramas in the 40's, Dies at 67"New York Times,June 9, 1988
  11. ^Olds, Robin (2010).Fighter Pilot: the memoirs of legendary ace Robin Olds.St Martins Griffin. p. 233.ISBN978-0-312-56951-8.
  12. ^John Wayne, The Man Behind the Myth
  13. ^"Throat cancer kills Ella Raines, film star of '40s".Orlando Sentinel.The New York Times. June 8, 1988. Archived fromthe originalon March 11, 2023.RetrievedApril 2,2023.
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