Camera debut

Here’s a photograph from the July 27 1947 edition of the Toronto Daily Star of a famous actress mother and her young daughter.

At the time of this photograph, Betty Grable (1916-1973) was the highest-paid entertainer in the United States. She was famous during the Second World War as a pinup model – her legs were insured for one million dollars – and she was included in the list of the top ten box office stars every year from 1942 to 1951.

Ms. Grable’s film career ended in 1955. She and Henry James, her bandleader husband, divorced in 1965 and she passed away from lung cancer in 1973.

Jessica James, the daughter in this photograph, eventually became Jessica Yahner. She passed away in 2016.