Editing Rosalind Russell (section)

==Career==
===Early career===
Russell began her career as a fashion model and was in many Broadway shows. Against parental objections, she took a job with a stock company for seven months at Saranac Lake, New York, and then Hartford, Connecticut.<ref name="showgirl"/> Afterwards, she moved to Boston, where she acted for a year with a theater group run by [[Edward E. Clive]]. Later, she appeared in a revue in New York (''[[The Garrick Gaieties]]''). There, she took voice lessons and had a brief career in opera, which was cut short because she had difficulty reaching high notes.<ref name="showgirl"/>

In the early 1930s, Russell went to Los Angeles, where she was hired as a contract player for [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]]. When she first arrived on the lot, she was ignored by most of the crew and later told the press she felt terrible and humiliated at Universal, which affected her self-confidence.<ref name="stand">"Take the Stand, Rosalind Russell" by Ed Sullivan, ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'', July 14, 1939, p. 27</ref> Unhappy with Universal's leadership, and second-class studio status at the time, Russell set her sights on [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], and was able to get out of her Universal contract on her own terms. When MGM first approached her for a screen test, Russell was wary, remembering her experience at Universal. However, when she met MGM's [[Benny Thau]] and Ben Piazza, she was surprised; they were "the soul of understanding".<ref name="stand" /> Her screen test was directed by [[Harold S. Bucquet]], and she later recalled that she was hired because of a closeup he took of her.<ref name="stand" />

[[File:RozRussell&NormaShearer.jpg|right|thumb|In ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]'' (1939) with [[Norma Shearer]] ]]
[[File:Lionel Barrymore 61st birthday 1939.jpg|right|thumb|Lionel Barrymore's 61st birthday in 1939, standing: [[Mickey Rooney]], [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Louis B. Mayer]], [[William Powell]], [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], seated: [[Norma Shearer]], [[Lionel Barrymore]], and Rosalind Russell]]
Under contract to MGM, Russell debuted in ''[[Evelyn Prentice]]'' (1934). Although the role was small, she received good notices, with one critic saying that she was "convincing as the woman scorned".<ref>"William Powell, Myrna Loy Score on Capitol Screen", ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]'', November 19, 1934, p. 12</ref> She starred in many comedies such as ''[[Forsaking All Others]]'' (1934) and ''[[Four's a Crowd]]'' (1938), as well as dramas, including ''[[Craig's Wife (1936 film)|Craig's Wife]]'' (1936) (the second of three film adaptations of the [[Craig's Wife|play of the same name]]; [[Joan Crawford]] starred in the third) and ''[[The Citadel (1938 film)|The Citadel]]'' (1938). Russell was acclaimed when she co-starred with [[Robert Young (actor)|Robert Young]] in the MGM drama ''[[West Point of the Air]]'' (1935). One critic wrote: "Rosalind Russell as the 'other woman' in the story gives an intelligent and deft handling to her scenes with Young."<ref>"Amusements", ''The Daily Times: Rochester and Beaver'', August 11, 1935, p. 9</ref> She quickly rose to fame, and by 1935, was seen as a replacement for actress [[Myrna Loy]], as she took many roles for which Loy was initially set.<ref>"For Your Amusement" by Miriam Bell, ''[[The Miami News]]'', October 30, 1935, p. 11</ref>

In her first years in Hollywood, Russell was characterized, both in her personal life and film career, as a sophisticated "lady". This dissatisfied Russell, who said in a 1936 interview:

<blockquote>Being typed as a lady is the greatest misfortune possible to a motion picture actress. It limits your characterizations, confines you to play feminine sops and menaces and the public never highly approves of either. An impeccably dressed lady is always viewed with suspicion in real life and when you strut onto the screen with beautiful clothes and charming manners, the most naive of theatergoers senses immediately that you are in a position to do the hero no good. I earnestly want to get away from this. First, because I want to improve my career and professional life and, secondly because I am tired of being a clothes horse – a sort of hothouse orchid in a stand of wild flowers.<ref name="sock">"Rosalind Russell Yearns To Be Socked on Her Chin", ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'', March 3, 1936, p. 16</ref></blockquote>

Russell approached director [[Frank Lloyd]] for help changing her image, but instead, Lloyd cast her as a wealthy aristocrat in ''[[Under Two Flags (1936 film)|Under Two Flags]]'' (1936).<ref name="sock"/> She was then cast as catty gossip Sylvia Fowler in the comedy ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]'' (1939), directed by [[George Cukor]]. The film was a major hit, boosting Russell's career and establishing her reputation as a comedienne.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

[[File:hgf3.jpg|thumb|left|With [[Cary Grant]] and [[Ralph Bellamy]] in ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (1940)]]
Russell continued to display her talent for comedy in the classic [[screwball comedy]] ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (1940), directed by [[Howard Hawks]]. In the film, a reworking of Ben Hecht's story ''The Front Page'', Russell plays quick-witted ace reporter Hildy Johnson, who was also the ex-wife of her newspaper editor Walter Burns ([[Cary Grant]]). Russell had been, as she put it, "Everyone's fifteenth choice" for the role of Hildy in the film. Before her being cast, Howard Hawks had asked [[Katharine Hepburn]], [[Irene Dunne]], [[Claudette Colbert]], [[Jean Arthur]], [[Margaret Sullavan]], and [[Ginger Rogers]] if they would like to play the brash, fast-talking reporter in his film. All of them refused.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/206/his-girl-friday#articles-reviews|title=His Girl Friday (1940)|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=January 11, 2014|archive-date=June 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610001808/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/206/His-Girl-Friday/articles.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Russell found out about this while riding on a train to New York, when she read an article in ''The New York Times'' stating that she had been cast in the film and listing all the actresses who had turned down the part.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}
{{-}}

===Later career===
In the early 1940s, Russell starred in the [[Romantic comedy|rom-coms]] ''[[The Feminine Touch (1941 film)|The Feminine Touch]]'' (1941) and ''[[Take a Letter, Darling]]'' (1942). In [[Alexander Hall]]'s comedy film ''[[My Sister Eileen (1942 film)|My Sister Eileen]]'' (1942), she played older sister Ruth Sherwood. She received her first [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Award]] nomination for ''My Sister Eileen''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosalind Russell - Awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751426/awards/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> She then starred in  ''[[Sister Kenny]]'' (1946), portraying real-life [[Nursing management#Charge nurse|Sister]] [[Elizabeth Kenny]], an [[Australia|Australian]] bush nurse who fought to help [[polio]] victims. She won her first [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Golden Globe]] and received her second [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Award]] nomination. In ''[[Mourning Becomes Electra (film)|Mourning Becomes Electra]]'' (1947), she plays a young [[New Englanders|New Englander]] who exacts vengeance after the murder of her father. She won her second [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Golden Globe]] and got her third [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Award]] nomination; she was highly favored to win, to the point that Russell actually began to rise from her seat just before the winner's name was called. However, it was [[Loretta Young]], and not Russell, who was named Best Actress, for her performance in ''[[The Farmer's Daughter (1947 film)|The Farmer's Daughter]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Farmer's Daughter |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/345406/the-farmers-daughter#overview |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref> She followed up with the murder mystery ''[[The Velvet Touch]]'' (1948).

[[File:Rosalind-Russell-TIME-1953.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Rosalind Russell in ''[[Wonderful Town]]'', on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (March 30, 1953)]]

Russell scored a big hit on Broadway with her [[Tony Award]]-winning performance in the musical ''[[Wonderful Town]]'' (1953), a musical version of her successful film of a decade earlier, ''My Sister Eileen''. Russell reprised her starring role for a 1958 television special.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

[[File:RozRussellAuntieMame.jpg|thumb|upright|Rosalind Russell (left) and [[Polly Rowles]] in the original Broadway production of ''Auntie Mame'' (1957)]]

Perhaps her most memorable performance was in the title role of the long-running stage comedy ''[[Auntie Mame#Adaptations|Auntie Mame]]'' (based on a [[Patrick Dennis]] novel) as well as the [[Auntie Mame (film)|1958 film version]], in which she played an eccentric aunt whose orphaned nephew comes to live with her. When asked with which role she was most closely identified, she replied that strangers who spotted her still called out, "Hey, Auntie Mame!". For the film version, she won the [[Laurel Awards|Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance]] and her third [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe]], and received her first [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA]] nomination and fourth [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Award]] nomination. For the stage version, she received a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]]. Patrick Dennis dedicated his second ''Auntie Mame'' novel, ''[[Around the World with Auntie Mame]],'' to "the one and only Rosalind Russell" in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Passafiume|first1=Andrea|title=Pop Culture 101: Auntie Mame|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/615715|website=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=May 28, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031051/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/615715%7C0/Pop-Culture-101-Auntie-Mame.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

She continued to appear in movies through the mid-1960s, including ''[[Picnic (1955 film)|Picnic]]'' (1955), ''[[A Majority of One]]'' (1961), ''[[Five Finger Exercise]]'' (1962), ''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]'' (1962; winning her fifth [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe]]), ''[[The Trouble with Angels (film)|The Trouble with Angels]]'' (1966), and its sequel ''[[Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows]]'' (1968). Russell was the logical choice for reprising her role as Auntie Mame when the musical version ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'' was set for a production on Broadway in 1966, but she declined for health reasons.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

In addition to her acting career, Russell (under the name C.A. McKnight) also wrote the story for the film ''[[The Unguarded Moment (film)|The Unguarded Moment]]'' (1956), a story of sexual harassment starring [[Esther Williams]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stafford|first1=Jeff|title=The Unguarded Moment|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/382074|website=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=May 28, 2017|archive-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311021801/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/382966%7C382074/The-Unguarded-Moment.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Russell used the pen name C.A. McKnight again in 1971, when she was credited as screenwriter for adapting the novel ''[[Emily Pollifax#The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1966)|The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax]]'' into the screenplay for ''[[Mrs. Pollifax-Spy]]'', in which she also starred.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/mrs-pollifax-spy-103120|title=Mrs. Pollifax – Spy (1971) – Leslie Martinson – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|publisher=Allmovie}}</ref> It was Russell's last big screen role.

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable unsortable"
|- align="center"
! Award
! Year
! Category
! Work
! Result
|-
|rowspan=5|[[Academy Awards]]
|[[31st Academy Awards|1943]]
|rowspan=4|[[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|''[[ My Sister Eileen (1942 film)|My Sister Eileen]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[19th Academy Awards|1947]]
|''[[Sister Kenny]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[20th Academy Awards|1948]]
|''[[Mourning Becomes Electra (film)|Mourning Becomes Electra]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[31st Academy Awards|1959]]
|''[[Auntie Mame (film)|Auntie Mame]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[45th Academy Awards|1973]]
|[[Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award]]
|{{n/a}}
|{{honored}}
|-
|[[BAFTA Awards]]
|[[13th British Academy Film Awards|1960]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actress]]
|''[[Auntie Mame (film)|Auntie Mame]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=5|[[Golden Globe Awards]]
|[[4th Golden Globe Awards|1947]]
|rowspan=2|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress]]
|''[[Sister Kenny]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[5th Golden Globe Awards|1948]]
|''[[Mourning Becomes Electra (film)|Mourning Becomes Electra]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[16th Golden Globe Awards|1959]]
|rowspan=3|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
|''[[Auntie Mame (film)|Auntie Mame]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[19th Golden Globe Awards|1962]]
|''[[A Majority of One (film)|A Majority of One]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[20th Golden Globe Awards|1963]]
|''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Tony Awards]]
|[[7th Tony Awards|1953]]
|[[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Actress in a Musical]]
|''[[Wonderful Town]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[11th Tony Awards|1957]]
|[[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Actress in a Play]]
|''[[Auntie Mame (play)|Auntie Mame]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
|1975
|[[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award|Life Achievement Award]]
|{{n/a}}
|{{honored}}
|-
|}

In 1972, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref> She also has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].

Russell is honored at the Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis. Her portrait and a description of her work hang in the lobby, as Congress made a grant in 1979 to establish the research center, in honor of her Congressional appointment to the National Commission on Arthritis.<ref>{{cite web|title= Hometowns to Hollywood|date=July 2019|publisher=Hometowns to Hollywood|url= https://hometownstohollywood.com/connecticut/rosalind-russell/}}</ref>