Ella Raines, born Ella Wallace Raines on August 6, 1920, in Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, was an American film and television actress active from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s.

She was described as "sultry" and "mysterious," with striking green eyes, and she frequently appeared in crime pictures and film noir, but also in drama, comedy, Westerns, thrillers, and romance.

Her early life involved studying drama at the University of Washington, where she was spotted by director Howard Hawks, leading to her rapid rise to stardom.

Ella Raines made her film debut in "Corvette K-225" (1943), produced by Hawks, and quickly followed it with roles in "Cry 'Havoc'" (1943), "Phantom Lady" (1944), and "Hail the Conquering Hero" (1944).

She starred alongside notable actors such as John Wayne in "Tall in the Saddle" (1944), Charles Laughton in "The Suspect" (1944), and Burt Lancaster in "Brute Force" (1947). Her career included a mix of film noir and other genres, with her later films not achieving the same success as her earlier works.

Ella Raines had her own TV series, "Janet Dean, Registered Nurse" (1954-1955), and briefly pursued a recording career. She married U.S. Air Force triple-ace fighter pilot Robin Olds in 1947, and they had two children together before divorcing in 1976.

Ella Raines passed away on May 30, 1988, in Sherman Oaks, California, from throat cancer.