She was one of the last survivors from Hollywood’s golden age: Janis Paige died at the age of 101.
Janis Paige is dead. The actress and singer died of natural causes in her home in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 2, 2024). The Broadway and Hollywood veteran was 101 years old.
Janis Paige began singing as a child, and after high school she moved from Tacoma, Washington to Los Angeles. She wanted to be an opera singer, but was discovered for film. In LA, she sang an opera aria in the Hollywood Canteen, a nightclub for soldiers. When she came off the stage, she says a talent scout was waiting for her. She made her debut in the famous musical “Bathing Venus” (1944) with Esther Williams (1921-2013).
Career in the shadow of Doris Day
Despite numerous roles, Janis Paige never made the big breakthrough in Hollywood. She played the lead role in “Magic Nights in Rio” in 1948, but was overshadowed by film debutante Doris Day (1922-2019). Paige then moved to Broadway. There she became a star with the lead role in the musical “The Pajama Game”. But when the show was made into a film under the name “Picnic in Pajamas”, her part went to – Doris Day.
Janis Paige subsequently commuted between Broadway, Hollywood and television. On the big screen she danced in “Silk Stockings” with Fred Astaire (1899-1987), and on the small screen she had a sitcom tailored to her, “It’s Always Jan”. But it only ran for one season. After that she continued filming continuously; according to the IMDb database, her career in film and television included 104 appearances.
Contribution to the MeToo debate
In 2017, Janis Paige made headlines again. As part of the MeToo movement, she wrote an article in which she revealed that the US entrepreneur Alfred Bloomingdale (1916-1982) almost raped her when she was 22 years old.
Janis Paige was married three times, all of which remained childless.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
