Jane Kean (April 10, 1923 – November 26, 2013) was an American actress and singer whose career in show business spanned seven decades and included appearing in

nightclubs A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...

, on recordings, and in radio, television, Broadway and films. Among her most famous roles were as Trixie Norton on ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMont Televisio ...

'', and as the voice of Belle in the perennial favorite '' Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol''."For Her, 'Honeymooners' Never Over : Musical: Jane Kean, who performs on college and cruise circuits, is best remembered as Trixie in the latter-day cast of the TV classic..."
''Los Angeles Times'', May 4, 1991. Retrieved November 29, 2013.

Career

Kean and her older sister Betty Kean, formed a comedy duo that worked the

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

circuit throughout the 1940s/50s, and the two appeared on Broadway as sisters in the short-lived 1955 musical, '' Ankles Aweigh''. Jane Kean was the sister-in-law of actor Lew Parker, best known as Lou Marie, the father of

Marlo Thomas Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her Children's television series, children's franc ...

's character, Ann Marie, on '' That Girl''. She was also the sister-in-law of Jim Backus, with whom she co-starred in '' Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol''. Parker and Backus were two of Betty Kean's husbands. She studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. She appeared in starring roles on Broadway in the 1950s in '' Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?'', in which she succeeded Jayne Mansfield. Other credits include

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...

's 1943 Broadway musical ''Early to Bed'', '' Call Me Mister'' (in which she succeeded Betty Garrett), ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

'', and ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical theatre, musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lil ...

'' (succeeding Kaye Ballard). She had a featured role in '' Take Me Along'' which starred

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

, who would remember her a few years later when casting his weekly hour television program. She co-starred with Charlotte Rae in the 2002 Los Angeles production of the

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musical theatre, musicals, whi ...

musical '' 70, Girls, 70'' at the El Portal Theatre. Television audiences remember Kean for her role of Trixie Norton in a series of hour-long ''Honeymooners'' episodes—in color and with music—on ''

'' from 1966 to 1970. She succeeded Joyce Randolph, who had played the role in earlier sketches and on the 1955–56 sitcom ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It f ...

'', but Kean went on to play the role for many more years than her predecessor. Other credits included appearances on '' The Phil Silvers Show'', '' Make Room for Daddy'', ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...

'', ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'', ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'', '' The Facts of Life'' and ''

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

''. Her feature films include the character of Miss Taylor in

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's live-action musical with animation '' Pete's Dragon'' and voiced the character Belle in the 1962 television special '' Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol'', which continues to be shown every year. She was profiled in the 2011 documentary ''Troupers'', which aired on PBS. Her last film, '' Abner, The Invisible Dog'', in which she played "Aunt Ida", was completed in 2013. In 2003, she wrote a memoir, ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Honeymooners ... I Had a Life''. She appeared in The Phil Silvers Show (Sergeant Bilko) episode Doberman, Missing Heir.

Personal life

Kean was married to director and producer Dick Linkroum from 1962 to 1969 and to actor/producer Joe Hecht from 1970 until his death in 2005. Kean had no children.

Death

Kean died on November 26, 2013, at age 90, at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

of a hemorrhagic stroke after falling off a building from a high height.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kean, Jane 1923 births 2013 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American musical theatre actresses Actresses from Hartford, Connecticut Accidental deaths from falls 21st-century American women