Gail Russell, born Betty Gale Russell on September 21, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American film and television actress known for her ethereal beauty and hauntingly fragile presence on screen.

Her father, George Russell, was initially a musician but later worked for Lockheed Corporation, and her mother, Gladys Barnet Russell, supported her daughter's early interest in art.

Gail Russell moved to the Los Angeles area as a teenager, where her striking looks earned her the nickname "the Hedy Lamarr of Santa Monica." Her beauty caught the attention of Paramount Pictures in 1942, and she signed a long-term contract with the studio at the age of 18.

Her film debut came in 1943 with a small role in "Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour," but it was her role in "The Uninvited" (1944) alongside Ray Milland that truly launched her career.

Throughout her career, Gail Russell starred in several successful films, including "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay" (1944), "Salty O'Rourke" (1945), and "Angel and the Badman" (1947) with John Wayne.

Her personal life, however, was marked by turmoil. She married actor Guy Madison in 1949, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1954.

Her life was tragically cut short by complications from liver failure on August 26, 1961, at the age of 36. She is buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.