December 18
Born Today:
Betty Grable
Hollywood musical star and WWII pin-up girl, Betty Grable (1916-1973) made nearly 45 films in the 1930s and 1940s. She was one of the original Goldwyn Girls, a group of performing female dancers inserted into MGM musicals, and the group included other rising stars such as Lucille Ball, Jane Wyman, and Paulette Goddard. Grable retired from making films in 1955 after starring in gems such as Mother Wore Tights (1947) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). She continued honing her dancing skills in Las Vegas shows and you can enjoy one of her last, remarkable appearances by searching - Steppin’ Out With My Baby - TV (1972), performed in her mid-50s.
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Dance Premiere: Marius Petipa (1818-1910) and Lev Ivanov’s (1834-1901) original Nutcracker ballet premiered on December 18, 1892 at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.