Dorothy Janis (born Dorothy Penelope Jones, February 19, 1912 – March 10, 2010) was an American actress.

Early life

Born as Dorothy Penelope Jones in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, her short film career began when she was visiting a cousin, who was working on a film for

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at once and she was asked to make a

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

. Janis went on to make six films: five silents and one

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

Film career

Janis' only talkie film was ''Lummox'' (1930) based on the Fannie Hurst novel. This film, released by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, now only exists as a single nitrate print at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. Janis was best known for playing opposite

Ramon Novarro José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...

in the MGM film ''

The Pagan ''The Pagan'' is a 1929 silent/ part talking romantic drama filmed in Tahiti and produced and distributed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Both director W.S. Van Dyke and cinematographer Clyde De Vinna had previously visited Tahiti in 1928 to film ''Whi ...

'' (1929), for which MGM publicity portrayed her as half-

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

. ''The Pagan'', directed by W. S. Van Dyke, was a part-sound film, with music and

sound effects A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...

only, and featured "Pagan Love Song" on the soundtrack.

Retirement, marriage, and later life

Janis retired in 1930 and married bandleader

Wayne King Harold Wayne King (February 16, 1901 – July 16, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader with a long association with both NBC and CBS. He was referred to as "the Waltz King" because much of his most popular music involved wa ...

in 1932. The vice president of the

Music Corporation of America MCA Inc. (originally an initialism for Music Corporation of America) was an American media conglomerate founded in 1924. Originally a talent agency with artists in the music business as clients, the company became a major force in the film ind ...

, W. H. Stein, was best man. Janis and King were married for 53 years, until King's death in 1985. She lived in

Paradise Valley, Arizona Paradise Valley is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb of Phoenix, the state's largest city. It is Arizona's wealthiest municipality. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, expensive real estate, ...

from 2004 up until her death on March 10, 2010 at the age of 98. She had a son, Wayne, and a daughter, Penny Pape. She was interred in the All Saints Episcopal Church Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona.

Selected filmography

* ''

Camille of the Barbary Coast ''Camille of the Barbary Coast'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Hugh Dierker that starred Mae Busch, Owen Moore, and Fritzi Brunette Fritzi Brunette (born Florence Brunet; May 27, 1890 – September 28, 1943) was an American ...

'' (1925) *''

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and ...

'' (

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

, 1928) *'' Fleetwing'' (

, 1928) *''

The Overland Telegraph ''The Overland Telegraph'' is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by John Waters and written by Harry Sinclair Drago, George C. Hull and Edward J. Meagher. The film stars Tim McCoy, Dorothy Janis, Frank Rice, Lawford Davidson, Clare ...

'' (

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

. 1929) *''

'' (MGM, 1929) *'' Lummox'' (

, 1930)

References

External links

*
Dorothy Janis
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Janis, Dorothy 1912 births 2010 deaths Actresses from Texas American silent film actresses People from Dallas People from Paradise Valley, Arizona 20th-century American actresses American film actresses Actresses from Arizona 21st-century American women