7 Iconic Pinup Girls Who Made Jaws Drop All Over America — And Beyond

Betty Grable

1 of 12

Betty Grable exits a car, showing off her "million-dollar legs." At the height of her fame, she literally insured her legs for a million dollars.LIFE/Facebook

2 of 12

Ironically, the most famous pinup photo of Betty Grable was taken from the back — because she was visibly pregnant at the time. Wikimedia Commons

3 of 12

At one point during the late 1940s, Grable was named the highest-paid star in Hollywood.Facebook/Betty Grable

4 of 12

Though Grable remains iconic as a pinup model, she was also a beloved actress who won hearts while starring in technicolor musicals.Insomnia Cured Here/Wikimedia Commons

5 of 12

At the height of her fame, Grable earned about $300,000 per year — which would be considered impressive even today.Lily Dare/Flickr

6 of 12

In reference to her famous legs, Grable once said, "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them."John Irving/Flickr

7 of 12

Betty Grable visits the Marines at New River, North Carolina in 1942. USMC Archives/Wikimedia Commons

8 of 12

During World War II, Grable was so popular with American servicemen that her image was used on bomber planes.Robert Sullivan/Flickr

9 of 12

For her part, Grable enjoyed her role in boosting wartime morale — and she even auctioned off her nylons at war bond rallies.Kristine/Flickr

10 of 12

Even when she was relaxing, Grable always managed to look effortlessly glamorous.John Irving/Flickr

11 of 12

Though Grable's fame had declined by the 1950s, she continued working onstage and in nightclubs in the 1960s and early 1970s.Colorized Images/Flickr

12 of 12

Remaining active until just a few months before her death at age 56 due to lung cancer, Grable is remembered not only for her good looks and talent but also for her hard work.Facebook/Betty Grable

Betty Grable

View Gallery

Without question, Betty Grable was one of the most popular pinup girls of the World War II era. Known as the "girl with the million-dollar legs," Grable once literally insured her legs for a million dollars.

However, her most iconic photo was taken from the back — because she was visibly pregnant at the time. As Grable donned a swimsuit for the 1943 picture, some photographers initially worried that her baby bump would be too obvious for a pinup model. But they couldn't have been more wrong.

American soldiers showed up in droves to get their hands on the pinup photo, and it was rumored that even some German and Japanese soldiers secretly purchased it as well.

But before the fame and fortune, she was born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri on December 18, 1916. Her mother was a stereotypical "showbiz mom" who pushed her daughter into Hollywood when she was just 13 years old.

Though Grable started out with small roles, she would go on to become the highest-paid star in Hollywood in the late 1940s. Thanks to her popularity in technicolor musicals, Grable earned an estimated $300,000 per year.

Bettmann/Getty ImagesBetty Grable left a leg imprint in front of Hollywood's Chinese Theatre in 1943.

Of course, Grable's fame also came from her popularity as a pinup model. Not only did American servicemen vote her as their favorite pinup girl, they also used her image on their bomber planes. For her part, Grable seemed to enjoy the role she played in boosting wartime morale. She even auctioned off her nylons at war bond rallies.

By the mid-1950s, Grable's fame declined as conventional musicals fell out of fashion. Around the same time, a new star was already shining: Marilyn Monroe. Ironically, one of Grable's last major movie roles was alongside Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Grable primarily focused on stage and nightclub work, remaining active up until a few months before her death. Diagnosed with lung cancer, Grable sadly succumbed to the disease in 1973. She was just 56 years old.