Jane Isbell (May 1, 1927 – October 19, 1981) was an American actress who appeared in smaller roles in some major films produced during Hollywood's Golden Era in the 1930s-1940s.

Biography

She was born Clarita Jane Isbell in Meridian, Mississippi, the daughter of Theodore Clark Isbell and Elizabeth (Gully) Isbell. Her father was a Vaudeville performer, her mother a granddaughter of Chief Justice

George Washington Stone George Washington Stone (October 24, 1811 – March 11, 1894) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1856 to 1864, and then again from 1876 to 1884; and was then Chief Justice of that court ...

(1811–1894) of the Alabama Supreme Court. Clark Isbell's great-great-grandfather was a colorful Revolutionary War soldier who once saved the life of

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. Clark Isbell's father was also a cousin of Alabama Governor William J. Samford. The Isbells moved to Los Angeles when Jane was an infant. The elder of two sisters, she began modeling and appearing as an extra in films when only four years old. In 1932, she made her first Mickey McGuire comedy starring Mickey Rooney and would eventually make five films in the Mickey McGuire series, similar to the

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...

films. She grew up with child stars for playmates and was among those tested for the role of Bonnie Butler in ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

''. She and

Ann Gillis Alma Mabel Conner (February 12, 1927 – January 31, 2018), known professionally as Ann Gillis, was an American actress, best known for her film roles as a child actress. She performed the voice of Faline (as young adult) in the 1942 Dis ...

were best friends, working in several films together, usually with Gillis the featured player and Isbell an extra, stand-in or understudy. She was Gillis' understudy and stand-in for long shots on both ''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and print syndication#Comic strip syndication, syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James ...

'' and ''

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...

'', appearing as an extra in some scenes. She wrote her first article at age twelve, a piece published in ''Screen Book'' magazine (April 1939) about Mickey Rooney. She worked with him again in 1944 in ''

National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. The novel tells the story of a teenaged girl who wins a horse racing compet ...

''. In 1943 she played the role of Jane in ''

The Youngest Profession ''The Youngest Profession'' is a 1943 film directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Virginia Weidler, Edward Arnold, John Carroll, Scotty Beckett, and Agnes Moorehead. Based on a short story series and book written by Lillian Day, it contains ...

'', with the screenplay co-written by her cousin Jan Isbell Fortune. She graduated high school in 1944, Franklin High School in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with special dramatic coaching, and studied art and journalism under John Morley. She appeared on several magazine covers, more often from her modeling work than acting, such as the cover of the '' Farm Journal and Farmer's Wife'' magazine in 1944. She also appeared in ''The Robert King Hollywood Hair Design Book'' (1948). She married 11-29-1947 (Las Vegas) Lt. Jack Marvin Althouse, an investment banker and former Navy lieutenant (12 Apr 1919 – 12 Sept 2000). Her parents had kept her true age a secret, so newspaper articles at the time of her marriage claimed she was only seventeen years old although nearly twenty. These press statements ignored an earlier columnist who had leaked in the Los Angeles ''Evening Herald-Express'' that she would turn 18 on Apr. 31, 1945. Various newspaper articles mentioned that she was a cousin of ballplayers

Frank Isbell William Frank Isbell (August 21, 1875 – July 15, 1941) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman, and outfielder in the 1910s. Career Born in Delevan, New York, Isbell was nicknamed Bald Eagle due to his receding hai ...

of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and

Cecil Isbell Cecil Frank Isbell (July 11, 1915 – June 23, 1985) was an American football quarterback and coach. He played 5 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, leading them to the NFL Championship in 1939 NFL Champion ...

. Several internet databases, including the IMDB and Flixster, have confused her with Frank Isbell's niece Jane who was born in Sedgwick, Kansas, September 12, 1927, and who also died in Los Angeles, unmarried, but was never an actress.The Internet Movie Database; Flixster.com.; http://www.torrentreactor.net; http://moviekids.info/mk/talent/display.php?id=13929&fd=A; https://www.flixster.com/celebrity/jane-isbell/ Jane Isbell's biggest roles were in forgettable B-movies, but as an extra she appeared in some of Hollywood's biggest successes, such as ''National Velvet'' (starring Elizabeth Taylor), ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

'' (starring Gary Cooper), '' The Women'' (Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell), ''

Broadway Rhythm ''Broadway Rhythm'' (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor musical film, produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It was originally announced as ''Broadway Melody of 1944'' to follow MGM's ''Broadway Melody'' films of 1929, ...

'', ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1944 American comedy mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles a ...

'' (William Powell and Myrna Loy), ''

'', and ''

''. Frequently seen in the same frame with Hollywood's top stars, her face often appears in movie stills from a number of famous feature films. In Billy Wilder's ''

The Major and the Minor ''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. It was the first American film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay credited to Wilder and Charles Brackett is "suggested by" the 192 ...

'', she was one of the wallflower girls doing

Veronica Lake Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in films noir with Alan Ladd durin ...

imitations, often called the funniest scene in this classic comedy.

Filmography

*'' Luxury Liner'' (1948) *''

Betty Co-Ed ''Betty Co-Ed'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film starring Jean Porter, directed by Arthur Dreifuss and produced by Sam Katzman. Plot Vaudeville is in Joanne Leeds's blood, but when she applies for admission at prestigious Upton College, s ...

'' (1946) as Mrs. Leeds *''

'' (1945) *''

Pride of the Marines ''Pride of the Marines'' is a 1945 American biographical war film starring John Garfield and Eleanor Parker. It tells the story of U.S. Marine Al Schmid in World War II, his heroic stand against a Japanese attack during the Battle of Guad ...

'' (1945) *''

Thrill of a Romance ''Thrill of a Romance'' (also known as ''Thrill of a New Romance'') is an American Technicolor romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by Tommy D ...

'' (1945) as Giggling Girl *'' Mom and Dad'' (1945) as Mary Lou Gardner *''

'' (1944) as Schoolgirl Jane *''

'' (1944) as Co-ed in Drugstore *''

Bathing Beauty ''Bathing Beauty'' is a 1944 American Musical film, musical romantic comedy film directed by George Sidney, and starring Red Skelton and Esther Williams. Although this was not Williams' screen debut, it was her first Technicolor musical. The f ...

'' (1944) as Western Union Girl *'' Junior Jive Bombers'' (1944) *''

'' (1943) as Jane *'' Nobody's Darling'' (1943) *''

'' (1942) *''

'' (1941) as Gracie's sister *'' Reaching for the Sun'' (1941) as Amos' Child *'' I'm Still Alive'' (1940) as Mrs. Cady's Daughter *'' The Women'' (1939) as Edith Potter's daughter *'' Woman Doctor'' (1939) *''

'' (1938) as Annie (stand-in) *''

'' (1938) as Becky Thatcher (stand-in)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Isbell, Jane 1927 births 1981 deaths People from Meridian, Mississippi Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Mississippi American film actresses Andrew Jackson 20th-century American actresses