Jane Russell as Mamie Stover in Publicity Photos for in “The Revolt of Mamie Stover” (1956)

The Revolt of Mamie Stover is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Buddy Adler from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm, based on the 1951 novel of the same name by William Bradford Huie.

In the film, Jane Russell stars in the title role as Mamie Stover, a tough and ambitious woman who leaves San Francisco for Honolulu in the early 1940s in search of a better life. Hers performance as Mamie showcases her strong screen presence and signature sultry charisma. The story follows Mamie as she rises from being a nightclub hostess to a wealthy businesswoman during World War II, all while navigating romance, prejudice, and her own personal ambitions. The film explores themes of class, independence, and the evolving role of women.

The role of Mamie Stover originally was intended for Marilyn Monroe, but Marilyn was on “strike” with Fox over contact negotiations and was turning down many roles offered to her. The role eventually was offered to Jane Russell, whose confirmation was reported in November 1955.

In the novel, Mamie Stover was described as a blonde, resembling actress Lizabeth Scott. However, producer Buddy Adler believed audiences would be thrown if Russell, one of the more famous brunettes in Hollywood, went blonde so he had Jane become a redhead. Russell wore a long red wig, but dyed her short natural black hair red along with her eyebrows.

Russell’s dresses and costumes in The Revolt of Mamie Stover were designed by the renowned Hollywood costume designer William Travilla, who was also famous for his collaborations with Marilyn Monroe. Mamie Stover’s wardrobe reflects her journey from a woman forced out of San Francisco to a successful, financially independent, albeit controversial, figure in Honolulu. The costumes aimed to highlight Russell’s iconic figure and the character’s audacious personality, while still adhering to the censorship of the time.

In its list of the 100 top box-office hits of 1956, Variety Weekly (January 2, 1957 issue) ranked The Revolt of Mamie Stover at #44 for the year in box office rentals earning $2 million, most assuredly earning more in ticket sales. The June 18, 1956 issue of Time reported the film at #3 as one of “the most popular and successful movies in the U.S. last month, according to the tradesheet Variety” coming in behind Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit.