Betty Hutton Estate

Welcome to the official website for the estate of actress Betty Hutton. This is the only web destination authorized and maintained by her estate. It is the site where you can find items pertaining to Betty that no one else has. It is also the site where individuals, organizations, and businesses can make inquiries into the use of Miss Hutton's name and/or likeness for special projects and advertising. For instance, her estate is the place where you will need to secure final permission to use her songs in such things as movie projects. Check first with the applicable record company for availability.

Please direct all E-mail inquiries to:

BettyHuttonEstate@dc.rr.com

Drop us a line...

This site was first published to the internet on March 1, 2010. We wanted the site up and ready on Betty's birthday, February 26, but sadly we were unable to meet that symbolic deadline. As time goes by, we will add more and more information and files. Please be patient! If you have anything you would personally like to share with our viewers, please E-mail us that information. Also, we welcome your questions and comments. We hope you enjoy the official site of the Betty Hutton Estate!

You can forward mail to us at our snail-mail address P.O. Box 3124 - Palm Springs, CA 92263

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Betty's Autobiography Is Finally Here!

Covers of "Backstage You Can Have: My Own Story" by Betty Hutton

Betty Hutton was the top grossing female star at Paramount during much of the 1940s. At the top of her career, she was one of the most celebrated actresses in Hollywood, starring in such movies as "Annie Get Your Gun" and "The Greatest Show On Earth". Without warning, her career and world collapsed virtually overnight. Betty's tumultuous childhood came back to haunt her, and along with it, an addiction to prescription pills that almost ended her life. Betty disappeared from the public eye, until in 1974, when she was discovered living with and caring for priests in a Catholic rectory in Rhode Island. Interest in her and her life returned to the forefront. She began writing this book in 1970, as a means to explain the chain of events that led to her downfall. Sadly, she never finished writing it. After her death in 2007, the Betty Hutton Estate picked up where she left off, and has finally completed her book. Almost 40 years after it was first started, Betty's real story is ready to be told! Includes 70 photos... The book is for sale here, directly from us. It is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and a host of other on-line retailers.

Executor, Carl Bruno (left), of the Betty Hutton Estate and co-author of "Backstage You Can Have" and co-author Michael Mayer speak at a book signing held at the Rancho Mirage, Ca. library on November 17, 2009.

Turner Classic Movie's Robert Osborne introduces Betty's book on TCM after the showing of The Fleet's In.

FROM THE BOOK

Betty's heartfelt introduction to her autobiography, "Backstage You Can Have: My Own Story"

There is never ample time to drink in the love you feel from an audience at the end of a performance. Inevitably, the show must end, and it always ends abruptly. Backstage, I stand rooted in place, and stare in silence as the massive stage curtain begins to fall. It appears out of nowhere, as if magically descending right out of heaven. Understandably, there will be more nights exactly like this, but for right now; I must accept the unavoidable end to this one. After everyone has left, peace and quiet are finally restored to the theater. This is the time turmoil begins to creep back into my soul.

The dream world I lived in, what I fought so hard for is no longer a dream. It is a reality, and it has happened to me. I have made it. The fear should be gone. All the loneliness and hunger should be over. From here on out, my world should be filled with only beauty from the soft pink and blue stage lights as they stream down upon me. They should envelop and surround me forever, but they don't. They can't.

I make my way around the corner of the curtain, and gaze down at all of the vacated seats. I have a burning need to reach out to the audience, to reassure myself they were indeed real. I bend over to touch the theater seats and find they are still warm. A program bearing my likeness has been thrust to the floor. My once captive audience is now gone and all is silent, only warm seats remain to validate their existence. The love that poured from my heart into the heart of everyone who sat out there in the dark has been extinguished, just like the dazzling stage lights. It was the only gift I had to give. The applause has stopped, and now I am left alone and lost in the empty darkness of the theater. This marks the return of an inside terror; a fear only God in all his infinite mercy can help me to contain.

I don't want this entire book to be about my fears. I would really like to show you some of the happiness I experienced; some of the love I had in my life. Yet, how can I tell you about love, when the only love ever shown to me was love wrought with pain? Painful love came to me at an early age. By the time I could differentiate between painful love and happy contented love, it was too late. Unfortunately, it was the same painful love I received that I eventually imparted to others. There was much happiness that came my way; I was just too blind to recognize it for what it was. From an early age, I became conditioned to believe applause from an audience was a true and sustainable love for me. Entertaining an audience is what I was born to do. I should never have strayed beyond that concept of love as I saw it; I would only hurt everyone in my path.

I have been unable to tell my story in its entirety until now. For years, I have struggled with the ability to organize my thoughts and feelings on paper. Even now, the words that flow onto these pages emerge as painful memories from some dark place within me. As I attempt to write them down, I first speak them to myself. I choke on every single word as they rise up in my throat. My fear of rejection has always been so powerful, I feel helpless in front of this stupid sheet of paper. I am very angry about that. Feeling helpless is not a feeling I like, but it is definitely a fact of my life. So I make myself sit down and write, this is all I have to offer you now, and I owe all of you so very much. Writing this book is the least I can do in an attempt to answer a few of the many questions you have been asking for so many years, and to help you to understand.

My career is long over. These days I rarely see anyone, except for the few people who remain close in my life; the ones I depend upon. On the rare occasion I stray from this pattern, and the moment I confide in anyone else my unhappiness, or let them feel my pain, they run. Who the hell wants to be around a troubled Betty Hutton? Everyone wants to see the Betty Hutton who gave them so much pleasure up there on the silver screen all those many years ago. That Betty, I assure you, is long gone. She is empty, forgotten, and out of style. The image I had built up around myself has come back to haunt me. I can't live up to that image. There is no way out. So in my own little way, I stand very still and continue to go quietly mad. Thank God for those people around me who don't require me to be anything more than simply Betty. Only with their help, through my trust in God, and the ripening of years have I been able to forgive and forget.

In order to complete the monumental task of writing this book, I need a large chunk of confidence to descend and plant itself right on my shoulders. I only hope to hell my book doesn't end up sounding as confused as I am. That is my current fear as I write this. Fear has always been a part of everything I have done. Fear can keep you from making choices. When you do make choices, fear can cause you to make really bad ones. I guess I could say now without reservation, fear turned me into my own worst enemy. You see, fear caused me to alienate myself from the people and the things that I loved most in this world. I have tried all my life to conquer my fears. Conquering them is all important to me now. It only makes sense, because of who Betty Hutton was; people have always turned to me for insight. If I fail, it means the advice I have given so freely to others will have been empty and meaningless.

The more I write, the more confident I become. Comfort with putting my feelings down on paper is brand new to me, it's almost addicting. Like everything else in my life, I'm becoming compulsive about it. This time, I hope the compulsion works toward some sort of constructive end. This is almost like psychoanalysis, only with me as the analyst. My gut feeling is I'm finally on the right road. As these words flow from my heart for your eyes to see, I hope it will give you some insight into the life and soul of a frightened girl. A girl called me.

Betty Hutton

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Our NEWEST Book!

The Betty Hutton Scrapbook: A Tribute to Hollywood's Blonde Bombshell

Betty Hutton Scrapbook by The Betty Hutton Estate | Make Your Own Book

The above preview shows only a few of the 120 pages that are to be found within The Betty Hutton Scrapbook: A Tribute to Hollywood's Blonde Bombshell.

This new coffee-table photo book was published by the Betty Hutton Estate in September of 2009. The hardbound book sports 120 sleek pages of both B&W and color photos; many never before seen. The book is divided into 6 sections. The first section begins with Betty's early life and career, accompanied by story text. The second section is Those Fantastic Glamour Shots, followed by Betty On Stage, With Celebrities, The Movies, and Post Hollywood Days. It is the ONLY book of its kind anywhere on Betty Hutton! At present, the book is available only from us here at The Betty Hutton Estate. The 8 x 10 hardcover book is printed in The United States of America. $69.95 plus shipping.

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Watch this video clip...

from It Had To Be You, A Musical Evening with Betty Hutton, starring Crystal Poppell as Betty Hutton. This was a show to benefit For The Children, a Coachella Valley non-profit organization we are members of that assists and mentors foster and adoptive children and their families in and around Palm Springs. The show was taped at the performance on May 17, 2009 at the Riviera Resort in Palm Springs, California. The show was presented by The Betty Hutton Estate.

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Betty Hutton Poster created for her estate after her death in 2007

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See one fan's tribute, an entire Betty Hutton room!

See how one Betty Hutton fan has decided to pay tribute to The Blonde Bombshell. This San Franciscan has his entire TV room filled with Betty memorabilia.

Garth Geary first met Betty Hutton years back at the Hollywood Bowl where she was performing. Actually, he got past the security guards by saying he was the son of Miss Hutton and wanted to congratulate his mom on her great show! After being escorted backstage to her dressing room were a curious Betty was waiting for her "son's" arrival, she grabbed hold of Garth and said, "Welcome to the family, kid"!

Betty Hutton with Garth Geary backstage at the Hollywood Bowl.

We're glad to see that "Backstage You Can Have: My Own Story" has a place of honor right up front with all of Garth's other fine collectables!

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Video Clip of Memorial Service...

held for Betty Hutton at St. Theresa church in Palm Springs on March 23, 2007. A.C. Lyles, long-time Hutton friend and Paramount Studio exec. gave the eulogy. This video clip is small and of less than desirable quality, but it is all here!

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This is the last photo ever taken of Betty Hutton, January 2007.

Betty's star, as it appears today on Hollywood Blvd. in LA.

Flowers adorned Betty's Hollywood star hours after her death was officially announced by her estate.

Headstone at Betty's gravesite, adorned with "pennies from heaven" left by adoring fans - Cathedral City, California

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Betty was known as the "Blonde Bombshell" because of her bombastic style and personality. Betty Hutton died at home in Palm Springs, Ca. on March 11, 2007 at the age of 86.

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A Rise To Stardom

The Making of Hollywood's "Blonde Bombshell"

There are plenty female stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age who can be given top rankings for being superb beauties and memorable actresses; but there were only a few great entertainers who were in the same league with Betty Hutton. Betty had a dynamic energy that transferred well onto stage and screen and did much to calm and entertain war-weary audiences during the 1940's. Betty is well remembered today for her assertive and humorous novelty tunes that showcased her explosive energy, still, her film roles endure as her most permanent legacy. Because of her high spirits, she became known as the "Blonde Bombshell". Her reign at the top of the film world was a brief 11 years (1942-1952). During that time, she made 20 major feature films. At her peak, she was viewed as a national treasure; one of the most beloved stars and biggest box office attractions on the silver screen. Moviegoers in 1950 named her the year’s Best Actress in a Photoplay magazine poll. Variety even named her 1952's number one female box office attraction. Yet, one year later, her career in film was all but over. Due to a dispute with studio bosses over not allowing her second husband to direct her next film, Betty and Paramount abruptly ended their long and extremely prosperous relationship. Hutton continued to work in radio, appeared several times a year in Las Vegas nightclubs, and eventually tried her luck on the new medium of television; still her career never regained its momentum.

An original musical TV spectacular written especially for Betty, Satins and Spurs (1954), was not well received; despite being one of the first television programs televised nationally by NBC in color. In 1959, Betty took a chance by financially backing her own television sitcom, The Betty Hutton Show. The show lasted for only one season. Fortunately, her greatest performances are forever captured on film and continue to delight movie buffs throughout the world today.

Betty was born Betty June Thornburg on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek Michigan. Her father, a railroad worker, abandoned the family shortly after Betty was born. In order to support her two daughters, mother Mabel began to bootleg; running several successful speakeasies during the Prohibition Era. When she was only three, Betty and her older sister, Marion, began singing for the patrons. Their family situation was made even worse by the Great Depression and by Mabel’s growing dependence on alcohol. Trouble with police kept the family on the move. Eventually they ended up in Detroit, virtually penniless, before Mrs. Thornburg became employed for a brief time at an auto assembly plant.

Hutton continued singing wherever she could to assist her family financially. By the age of 15, she decided it was time to go to New York and give the big city a try. Told that she'd never make it on the stage, she headed home. After returning to Detroit, at age 16, Betty finally got her big break. It appeared she was on her way to a successful career as a band vocalist when orchestra leader Vincent Lopez spotted the teenager singing in a Detroit nightclub and signed her for $65 a week.

Betty soon began making a name for herself in the entertainment world. During 1939, she appeared in several movie musical shorts and in 1940 she left Lopez for a role in the Broadway musical revue, Two for the Show. Soon after, producer B.G. DeSylva signed her for a part in his Broadway musical, Panama Hattie. When DeSylva took over the production reins at Paramount studios in late 1941, he promised to take Betty along to Hollywood. There she got her first featured role in the movie musical, The Fleet's In (1942), along with Dorothy Lamour, William Holden, and Eddie Bracken. With guidance from Buddy DeSylva, Betty was instantly on her way to a successful film career in Hollywood.

From the early 1940's to the mid 1950's, Betty Hutton was a true Hollywood movie star. Nevertheless, four failed marriages, an inability to manage money, and a reputation for being difficult to work with all eventually took their toll. The final straw for Betty’s short but illustrious career in Hollywood was her disagreement with studio execs that led to walking out on her contract. An unfortunate addiction to prescription drugs quickly descended upon the fallen star.

In the 1970's, with the help of a Rhode Island priest, Betty managed to turn her unhappy personal life around. She went on to earn a college degree from Salve Regina, a Catholic college for women in Newport, Rhode Island. By the late 1980's she was teaching acting to students at Boston's Emerson College.

In 2000, Betty did an hour-long interview for Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Private Screenings: Betty Hutton was an intimate portrait, and marked Betty’s first television interview in 20 years. The show seemed to have a magical effect on everyone who saw it; from her loyal fans to people who had never ever heard of Betty Hutton before. Until the time of her death in 2007, whenever Turner reran Betty’s Private Screenings episode, fan mail poured in from around the country with notes of love and respect for the “Blonde Bombshell”. Betty continued to live in quiet retirement in Palm Springs, California until her death on March 11, 2007 at the age of 86.

Betty shows off the newly released video tape of her movie, "Annie Get Your Gun" - April 4, 2001at home in Palm Springs.

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Here's a really special treat!

Watch this 7 minute video segment from an interview done by Hollywood columnist Mike Connolly in Betty's Los Angeles home in1955. The complete video is 27 minutes in length. Contact us if you have interest in the complete video or have any questions.

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Oh, here's something good for Betty Hutton fans to know about...

Over the years, there has been much confusion over authentic Betty Hutton signatures. We prefer that Betty's fans not get taken by fake signatures at ever increasing prices! When Betty met Father Peter Maguire in the 1970s, Father told Betty never to sign anything. He was actually referring to any legal papers that might get her into more financial trouble. Betty took Father literally and for a long period of time even refused to give out autographs. (She was simply doing as Father had told her...) Even Father Maguire got into the act of signing Betty autographs for awhile. Remember, when Betty was discovered living with priests in a Rhode Island rectory, over 23,000 fan letters poured in from well-wishers. Most letters requested an autograph in return. Cleaning ladies and friends all got into the act of signing photos for fans, since Betty wouldn't. Anyway, to this day, and because of Betty not signing autographs for a long, long while, there are countless non-authentic Betty Hutton signatures floating around on photos everywhere. It is our job to educate you as to what's real and what's not. Below you will find authentic Betty signatures and then some of the fake ones that we have found. Please use EXTREME caution when buying. Even a certificate of authenticity doesn't mean it's real! Educate yourself before buying any autographed item.

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Betty image of the month...

Betty Hutton (left), her mother Mable, and sister Marion. In later years, Betty had an 8x10 of this photo displayed somewhere in her house at all times...

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His Rocking Horse is solid gold!

Betty's song His Rocking Horse Ran Away was so successful, musical team Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen had a special jewelry pin created and presented it to Betty. It was a rocking horse. From it a chain led to a little boy who appeared to be flying off of the horse. You pinned both rocking horse and boy separately from each other so it appeared as if the boy was in flight after having been thrown from the horse. The pin is solid gold and both the horse and boy have diamond eyes.

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Visit our on-line store

Click on the link at the top of this page. It will take you to our on-line store sponsored by PayPal. There you will find one-of-a-kind Betty Hutton items for sale. You can use your PayPal account or a credit card at checkout. Simply add items to your cart and checkout when you are done! Just follow the on-line instructions as you checkout. Thank you...

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Where it all began...