Ella Wallace Raines (August 6, 1920 – May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress.

Early life

Raines was born Ella Wallace Raines on August 6, 1920, in Fall City, Washington. She studied

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...

and was appearing in a play there when she was seen by director

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is ...

. She became the first actress signed to the new production company he had formed with the actor Charles Boyer, B-H Productions, and made her film debut in '' Corvette K-225'' (1943) which Hawks produced.

Acting career

Immediately following her role in ''Corvette K-225'', Raines was cast in the all-female war film '' Cry "Havoc"'' (also 1943). She starred in the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

'' Phantom Lady'', the Preston Sturges comedy ''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, Bill ...

'', and the John Wayne western '' Tall in the Saddle'' (all 1944). She appeared in films such as '' The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry'' (1945) with Geraldine Fitzgerald and George Sanders, and the thriller '' The Web'' (1947). With the exception of ''

Brute Force Brute Force or brute force may refer to: Techniques * Brute force method or proof by exhaustion, a method of mathematical proof * Brute-force attack, a cryptanalytic attack * Brute-force search, a computer problem-solving technique People * Brut ...

'' (1947), in which Raines appeared with

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

, none of her later films were nearly as successful as her earlier movies and her career began to decline. In 1949, she took the role originally intended for Jean Wallace in A Dangerous Profession, as Wallace had made a suicide attempt following her divorce from Franchot Tone. Ella-Raines-LIFE-1944

In 1954 and 1955 she starred in the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

'' Janet Dean, Registered Nurse''. She also appeared in such television series as '' Robert Montgomery Presents'', ''

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents ''Douglas Fairbanks Presents'' is a 1953-1956 syndicated half-hour dramatic anthology series. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was the host, and he sometimes starred in episodes. It was also known as ''Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents''. A total of 117 episod ...

'', ''

Lights Out Lights Out may refer to: Events and times * Institutional, and thence colloquial, term for bedtime *Lights Out (event), an event in the UK on 4 August 2014 to commemorate the start of World War I * Lights Out Hong Kong, a campaign to protest air ...

'', '' Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' and '' The Christophers''. After a main role in a British-made thriller ('' The Man in the Road'') in 1956, she retired from acting the following year, but made one further screen appearance with a guest role in the series '' Matt Houston'' in 1984. Raines appeared on the cover of ''

Life magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

'' twice, once for ''Brute Force'' in 1947 and, in 1944, for her work in ''Phantom Lady''. Also in 1944, she appeared as a pin-up girl in the June 2 and June 16 issue of the G.I. magazine '' Yank''. Raines has two stars on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

for her contribution to motion pictures at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard.

Personal life

On August 11, 1942, a few days after her graduation from the University of Washington, Raines married her high school sweetheart,

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Major Kenneth William Trout. The couple divorced December 18, 1945. On February 6, 1947, Raines married triple-ace fighter pilot

Robin Olds Robin Olds (July 14, 1922 – June 14, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). He was a " triple ace", with a combined total of 17 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. Q ...

, who was eventually promoted to

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

; the couple had three children, one of whom was stillborn. She also had two miscarriages which she blamed on the unsanitary conditions of serving abroad in Africa. They separated in 1975 and divorced in 1976. Ella Raines

She died from throat cancer in

Sherman Oaks, California Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than ...

in 1988, aged 67.

Filmography

References

External links

* * *
Screen Sirens - Ella Raines photo gallery

Movie Maidens - brief biography and more photographs of Ella Raines

Ella Raines
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raines, Ella 1920 births 1988 deaths People from King County, Washington 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Washington (state) Republicans California Republicans University of Washington School of Drama alumni Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from esophageal cancer Actresses from Washington (state)