Editing Rosalind Russell

{{short description|American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter and singer (1907–1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Rosalind Russell
| image              = Studio publicity Rosalind Russell.jpg
| caption            = Russell in 1955
| birth_name         = Catherine Rosalind Russell<ref name="biodata">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vp7i1FSO4g8C&pg=PA134|title=Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell|first=Bernard F.|last=Dick|year=2009|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1604731392|via=Google Books}}</ref>
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1907|6|4}}
| birth_place        = [[Waterbury, Connecticut]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1976|11|28|1907|6|4}}
| death_place        = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| other_names        = C.A. McKnight
| alma_mater         = {{ubl| [[Rosemont College]]| [[Marymount College, Tarrytown|Marymount College]]| [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]]}}
| education          =
| known_for          = {{hlist|''[[His Girl Friday]]''|''[[Auntie Mame (film)|Auntie Mame]]''|''[[Sister Kenny]]''|''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]''|''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]''|''[[A Majority of One (film)|A Majority of One]]''}}
| resting_place      = [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|Frederick Brisson|1941}}
| children           = 1
| awards             = [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical]]<br>[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| years active       = 1929–1972
| party              = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|[[model (person)|model]]|comedian|screenwriter|singer}}
}}

'''Catherine Rosalind Russell''' (June 4, 1907{{spnd}}November 28, 1976) was an American actress, [[model (person)|model]], comedian, screenwriter, and singer,<ref name="WVobit">Obituary ''[[Variety Obituaries|Variety]]'', December 1, 1976, p. 79.</ref> known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the [[Howard Hawks]] screwball comedy ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (1940), opposite [[Cary Grant]], as well as for her portrayals of Mame Dennis in the [[Auntie Mame (play)|1956 stage]] and [[Auntie Mame (film)|1958 film]] adaptations of ''[[Auntie Mame]]'', and [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]] in ''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]'' (1962). A noted comedienne,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rosalind Russell: Biography|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/167490%7C135102/rosalind-russell#biography|website=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=March 12, 2015}}</ref> she received various accolades, including five [[Golden Globe Awards]] and a [[Tony Award]], in addition to nominations for four [[Academy Awards]] and a [[BAFTA Award]]. Russell has been honored with a [[Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award]] in 1973 and [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]] in 1975.

In addition to her comedic roles, Russell was known for playing dramatic characters, often wealthy, dignified, and stylish women. She was one of the few actresses of her time to portray women in professional roles such as judges, reporters, and psychiatrists.<ref>{{cite book|last=Basinger|first=Jeanine|title=A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930–1960|year=1993|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|location=Hanover|isbn=0-8195-6291-2|page=178|edition=Reprinted.}}</ref> Russell's career spanned from the 1930s to the 1970s and she attributed this longevity to the fact that, although she had many glamorous roles, she never became a [[sex symbol]].<ref>"Rosalind Russell Dies, Fought 15-Year Battle", ''[[Reading Eagle]]'', November 29, 1976, p. 34</ref>

==Early years==
Catherine Rosalind Russell was one of seven children born in [[Waterbury, Connecticut]], to James Edward, a lawyer,<ref>1910 United States Federal Census</ref> and Clara A. Russell (née McKnight),<ref>[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/celeb/russell.htm Rosalind Russell genealogy site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202105504/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/celeb/russell.htm |date=December 2, 2007 }}; accessed April 9, 2014.</ref> a teacher. The Russells were an Irish-American, Catholic family.<ref name="cozad">{{cite book|last=Cozad|first=W. Lee|title=More Magnificent Mountain Movies: The Silverscreen Years, 1940–2004|year=2006|isbn=0-9723372-2-9|page=145|publisher=Sunstroke Media }}</ref> She was named after [[Rosalind (1890 ship)|a ship]] on which her parents had traveled.<ref name="cozad"/> Russell attended Catholic schools, including the women's-only [[Rosemont College]] in Rosemont, Pennsylvania and [[Marymount College, Tarrytown|Marymount College]] in [[Tarrytown, New York]]. She then attended the [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]] in New York City. Her parents thought Russell was studying to become a teacher and were unaware that she was planning to become an actress.<ref name="showgirl">"Show Girls Get Training in Colleges", ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'', December 3, 1930, p. 24</ref> Upon graduation from the performing arts school, Russell acted in [[Summer stock theatre|summer stock]] and joined a repertory company in Boston.

==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>

==Personal life==
On October 25, 1941, Russell married Danish-American producer Frederick Brisson (1912–1984), son of actor [[Carl Brisson]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 10, 1941|title=People|magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]|page=51|issn=0024-3019}}</ref> [[Cary Grant]] was responsible for the couple having met and was the best man at Frederick and Rosalind's wedding. Brisson had been traveling from England to the United States by ship in 1939, and ''The Women'' was playing on an endless loop during the voyage. After hearing the audio for the film day after day while traveling, Brisson decided he had better sit down and watch the whole film. He became so enamored with Russell's performance as Sylvia Fowler that he turned to his friends and proclaimed: "I'm either gonna kill that girl, or I'm gonna marry her."<ref name="auto">{{cite book|title=Life Is a Banquet|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeisbanquet00russ|url-access=registration|last=Russell|first=Rosalind|author2=Chase, Chris |year=1977|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=978-0-394-42134-6|oclc=3017310}}</ref>

Brisson stayed with Cary Grant in his guest house while Grant was filming ''His Girl Friday''. Upon hearing that Grant was making the movie with Russell, Brisson asked his friend if he could meet her.<ref name="auto"/> Cary Grant then spent weeks greeting Russell each morning on set with the question "Have you met Freddie Brisson?" in an effort to pique the actress's curiosity. One night, when Russell opened her door to let Grant in before they went dancing, as they often did, she found him standing next to a stranger. Grant sheepishly explained that the odd fellow was Freddie Brisson, the man whom he had mentioned so often, and they set off for dinner, with Freddie in tow.

Russell and Brisson were married for 35 years, until her death. They had one child in 1943, a son, Carl Lance Brisson.<ref name="biodata"/><ref name=sarvady>{{cite book|last1=Sarvady|first1=Andrea|last2=Miller|first2=Frank|title=Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era|year=2006|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=0-8118-5248-2|page=169}}</ref>

Russell was a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] who supported [[Richard Nixon 1960 presidential campaign|Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential campaign]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=txM4Y1NO3u8C&dq=rosalind+russell+republican&pg=PA355|title=Freedom of Communications: The joint appearances of Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon and other 1960 campaign presentations|first=United States Congress Senate Committee on|last=Commerce|date=July 5, 1961|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Russell was a devout [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in [[Beverly Hills, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goodshepherdbh.org/a-city-on-a-hill/our-history/|title=Our History |website=Church of the Good Shepherd}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Betty Ford and Rosalind Russell (1976-05-11)(1).jpg|thumb|left|Six months before her death, Russell meets with First Lady [[Betty Ford]] (herself a breast cancer survivor) at the [[White House]] on May 11, 1976]]
[[File:Rosalind Russell Grave.JPG|thumb|150px|Grave of Rosalind Russell at Holy Cross Cemetery]]

Russell died of breast cancer on November 28, 1976.<ref name=sarvady /> She was survived by her husband and her son. She is buried in [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery]] in Culver City, California.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dick|first=Bernard F. |title=Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell|year=2006|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=1-57806-890-8|page=256}}</ref>

Russell has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in the 1700 block of Vine Street.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/rosalind-russell/|title=Rosalind Russell|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

Her autobiography ''Life Is a Banquet,'' written with [[Chris Chase]], was published a year after her death. The foreword (written by her husband) states that Russell had a mental breakdown in 1943. She did not act in films in 1944. Details are scant, but the book indicates that health problems and the deaths of a sister and a brother were major factors leading to her breakdown.<ref>{{cite book |title=Life Is a Banquet
|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeisbanquet00russ
|url-access=registration
|last=Russell |first=Rosalind |author2=Chase, Chris |year=1977 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=978-0-394-42134-6 |oclc=3017310 }}</ref> Russell had rheumatoid arthritis, and an arthritis research center at the [[University of California, San Francisco]] bears her name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rheumatology.ucsf.edu/russellengleman-research-center|title=Russell/Engleman Research Center|website=[[UCSF]]}}</ref>

In 2009, the documentary film ''Life Is a Banquet: The Life of Rosalind Russell'', narrated by [[Kathleen Turner]], was shown at film festivals across the U.S. and on some PBS stations.
{{-}}

==Work / Acting / Voice Credits==
===Film===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="3"|1934
|''[[Evelyn Prentice]]''
|Mrs. Nancy Harrison
|
|-
|''[[The President Vanishes (film)|The President Vanishes]]''
| Sally Voorman
|
|-
|''[[Forsaking All Others]]''
|Eleanor
|
|-
| rowspan="6"|1935
|''[[The Night Is Young]]''
| Countess Zarika Rafay
|
|-
|''[[The Casino Murder Case (film)|The Casino Murder Case]]''
| Doris
|
|-
|''[[West Point of the Air]]''
| Dare Marshall
|
|-
|''[[Reckless (1935 film)|Reckless]]''
|Jo
|
|-
|''[[China Seas (film)|China Seas]]''
|Sybil Barclay
|
|-
|''[[Rendezvous (1935 film)|Rendezvous]]''
|Joel Carter
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1936
|''[[It Had to Happen]]''
|Beatrice Newnes
|
|-
|''[[Under Two Flags (1936 film)|Under Two Flags]]''
|Lady Venetia Cunningham
|
|-
|''[[Trouble for Two]]''
|Miss Vandeleur
|
|-
|''[[Craig's Wife (1936 film)|Craig's Wife]]''
|Harriet Craig
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1937
|''[[Night Must Fall (1937 film)|Night Must Fall]]''
|Olivia Grayne
|
|-
|''[[Live, Love and Learn]]''
| Julie Stoddard
|
|-
| rowspan="3"|1938
|''[[Man-Proof]]''
|Elizabeth Kent
|
|-
|''[[Four's a Crowd]]''
|Jean Christy
|
|-
|''[[The Citadel (1938 film)|The Citadel]]''
|Christine Barlow
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1939
|''[[Fast and Loose (1939 film)|Fast and Loose]]''
|Garda Sloane
|
|-
|''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]''
|Sylvia Fowler
|
|-
| rowspan="4"|1940
|''[[His Girl Friday]]''
|Hildy Johnson
|
|-
|''[[Hired Wife]]''
|Kendal Browning
|
|-
|''[[No Time for Comedy]]''
| Linda Esterbrook
|
|-
|''[[This Thing Called Love (1940 film)|This Thing Called Love]]''
|Ann Winters
|
|-
| rowspan="3"|1941
|''[[They Met in Bombay]]''
|Anya Von Duren
|
|-
|''[[The Feminine Touch (1941 film)|The Feminine Touch]]''
|Julie Hathaway
|
|-
|''[[Design for Scandal]]''
|Judge Cornelia C. Porter
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1942
|''[[Take a Letter, Darling]]''
| A.M. MacGregor
|
|-
|''[[My Sister Eileen (1942 film)|My Sister Eileen]]''
|Ruth Sherwood
|Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| rowspan="2"|1943
|''[[Flight for Freedom]]''
|Tonie Carter
|
|-
|''[[What a Woman!]]''
| Carol Ainsley
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1945
|''[[Roughly Speaking (film)|Roughly Speaking]]''
|Louise Randall Pierson
|
|-
|''[[She Wouldn't Say Yes]]''
|Dr. Susan A. Lane
|
|-
|1946
|''[[Sister Kenny]]''
|Elizabeth Kenny
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]<br />Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|1947
|''[[The Guilt of Janet Ames]]''
|Janet Ames
|
|-
|''[[Mourning Becomes Electra (film)|Mourning Becomes Electra]]''
|Lavinia Mannon
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]<br />Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
|1948
|''[[The Velvet Touch]]''
|Valerie Stanton
|
|-
|1949
|''[[Tell It to the Judge]]''
|Marsha Meredith
|
|-
|1950
|''[[A Woman of Distinction]]''
|Susan Manning Middlecott
|
|-
|1953
|''[[Never Wave at a WAC]]''
|Jo McBain
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1955
|''[[The Girl Rush]]''
|Kim Halliday
|
|-
|''[[Picnic (1955 film)|Picnic]]''
|Miss Rosemary Sydney
|
|-
|1958
|''[[Auntie Mame (film)|Auntie Mame]]''
|Mame Dennis
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]<br />[[Laurel Awards|Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance]]<br />Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]<br />Nominated - [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress]]
|-
|1961
|''[[A Majority of One (film)|A Majority of One]]''
|Mrs. Bertha Jacoby
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|1962
|''[[Five Finger Exercise]]''
|Louise Harington
|
|-
|''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]''
|[[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose Hovick]]
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]<br />[[Laurel Awards|Laurel Award for Top Female Musical Performance]] (5th place)
|-
|1966
|''[[The Trouble with Angels (film)|The Trouble with Angels]]''
|Mother Superior
|[[Laurel Awards|Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance]] (4th place)
|-
|rowspan="2"|1967
|''[[Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad (film)|Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad]]''
|Madame Rosepettle
|
|-
|''[[Rosie!]]''
|Rosie Lord
|
|-
|1968
|''[[Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows]]''
|Mother Superior
|
|-
|1971
|''[[Mrs. Pollifax-Spy]]''
|Mrs. Emily Pollifax
|Also screenwriter, credited as "C. A. McKnight"<br>Last film role
|-
|}

===Television===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1951
|''[[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars]]''
|Guest
|episode: ''Never Wave at a WAC''
|-
|1953
|''[[What's My Line?]]''
|Mystery Guest
|Air date: January 4, 1953
|-
|1955
|''[[The Loretta Young Show]]''
|Guest Hostess
| episode: ''Week-End in Winnetka''<br />episode: ''Fear Me Not''
|-
|1956
|''[[General Electric Theater]]''
|Cynthia
|episode: ''The Night Goes On''
|-
|1958
|''[[Wonderful Town]]''
|Ruth Sherwood
|TV movie
|-
|1959
|''[[Startime (1959 TV series)|Startime]]''
|Host
|episode: ''The Wonderful World of Entertainment''
|-
|1972
|''[[The Crooked Hearts]]''
|Laurita Dorsey
|TV movie<br>Last appearance in any medium
|-
|}

===Broadway theatre===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Production Dates
! Title
! Role
! Genre
! Notes
|-
|October 16, 1930 – October 1930
|''[[The Garrick Gaieties]]''
|Performer
|Musical revue
|
|-
|April 20, 1931 – April 1931
|''Company's Coming''
|Miss Mallory
|Comedy
|
|-
|February 25, 1953 – July 3, 1954
|''[[Wonderful Town]]''
|Ruth Sherwood
|Musical
|[[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical]]
|-
|October 31, 1956 – June 28, 1958
|''[[Auntie Mame (play)|Auntie Mame]]''
|Auntie Mame
|Comedy
|Nominated - [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]]
|}

===Radio appearances===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Year
! Program
! Episode/Source
|-
|1939 || ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' ||''[[Stage Door]]'' role of Terry <ref name="Old Time Radio">[http://www.radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p4.cgi?ArtistName=Russell,%20Rosalind&ArtistNumber=45028 Russell, Rosalind]. Radiogoldindex.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.</ref>
|-
| 1940|| ''[[The Screen Guild Theater|Screen Guild Players]]'' || ''[[Ninotchka]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Those Were the Days|magazine=Nostalgia Digest|date=Winter 2011|volume=37|issue=1|page=38}}</ref>
|-
| 1941|| [[Lux Radio Theatre]] || ''[[Craig's Wife (1936 film)|Craig's Wife]]''<ref name="Old Time Radio"/>
|-
| 1951|| ''[[Screen Directors Playhouse]]'' || ''[[Take a Letter, Darling]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Radio's Golden Age|magazine=Nostalgia Digest|date=Winter 2014|volume=40|issue=1|pages=40–41}}</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''[[The United States Steel Hour#Theatre Guild on the Air|Theatre Guild on the Air]]'' || ''The Damask Cheek''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kirby|first1=Walter|title=Better Radio Programs for the Week|newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2613413/the_decatur_daily_review/|agency=The Decatur Daily Review|date=December 7, 1952|page=52|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = June 14, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|751426}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* [http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1386 ''Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell'' by Bernard F. Dick]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=591 Photographs and bibliography]
* [http://archives.nypl.org/the/21601 Frederick Brisson papers, 1934–1984 (includes Rosalind Russell papers)], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Rosalind Russell
| list =
{{Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureDrama 1943-1960}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureMusicalComedy 1961-1980}}
{{Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}
{{Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward LifeAchievement 1960–1979}}
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActress 1948–1975}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Film|Television|Theatre}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Rosalind}}
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