It’s nice to know that Janis Paige is still with us, at the age of 97.
We all have performers we like and whom we feel should have been bigger stars, and Janis Paige falls into that category for me.
She was at MGM briefly in the early 40s before working for Warner Brothers who never saw her as a potential headliner despite a bright personality and a great singing voice.
Having appeared In films like Romance On The High Seas, One Sunday Afternoon, The Time The Place and the Girl, Janis departed Hollywood in 1951 and started treading the boards.
In 1954, she starred in the Broadway smash hit, The Pajama Game, opposite John Raitt, but in the film version, the role of ‘Babe Williams’ went to Doris Day.
John Raitt, Janis Paige. THE PAJAMA GAME
Alternating between nightclubs and musicals, Janis also had her own TV series, “It’s Always Jan” in 1955, an episode of which is on You Tube. She plays a single mother trying to make a success in show business. It looked fun.
In 1957, MGM finally took notice and gave her a good role in Silk Stockings ( seems a shame they never used her before this, though maybe Dolores Gray got the parts Janis would have been up for.)
She showed she could handle comedy and joined Fred Astaire in the great production number, “Stereophonic Sound”.
Janis had another smallish role in the MGM 1960 film, Please Don’t Eat The Daisies, as a Broadway Star tempting David Niven.
Jack Carson, Janis, Martha Vickers, Dennis Morgan. THE TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL (1946.)
With Wayne Morris in “The House Across the Street.”
Would like to see this film. I know it’s out on a dvd double bill.
Janis took over from Angela Lansbury in MAME on Broadway in 1968.
Janis made many TV appearances, up to 2001 – shows like Wagon Train, Columbo, The Fugitive, The Dick Powell Show, – and was still doing cabaret in 2010 when she was 88.
Janis was married to Disney composer, Ray Gilbert who died in 1976 and left Janis his Ipanema Music Company.
And as of 2020, one can read about Janis’s life and career in a new book, “Reading Between the Lines.” ( details on her Facebook page.)
I love this number Janis does in “Cheyenne”, ( Dennis Morgan looking on.)
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
I haven’t seen a lot of Janice Paige’s work but I was very impressed by her in This Side of the Law when I watched it last summer.
BTW, I like the current color scheme you have here – nice and fresh.
I wish MGM had given her a contract , she was capable of so much more.
I remember This Side of the Law, good thriller.
Saw her in Bachelor’s Paradise with Bob Hope and Lana Turner. She is so sweet and lovable! Best regards.
Opps! ITS Batchelor in Paradise and not as above. Apologies! Best regards.
Haven’t seen Bachelor in Paradise in an age. Janis in a supporting role.
For some reason I’ve not seen much of Janis’s work at Warners except Winter Meeting. Quite a coup for her to take over in Mame when the producers had decided not to take a chance with Judy Garland. One of her biographers wrote of Judy’s bewilderment at being passed over for someone she didn’t consider to be a star.
Must admit I haven’t seen much of her Warner’s films.
Judy would have been a wow as Mame.
The House Across the Street is on the Russian site ok.ru. Just put in the title and date and add ok.ru. It briefly turned up on You Tube last year. I watched the first half then had to go out. By the time I got back it had already been withdrawn! Saw Janis in a mint condition print Fugitive Lady at the BFI. Filmed in Italy it was a weak thriller with Janis as a suspected murderess.
It’s a handy site, ok.ru. Must catch up on some of Janis’s films.
Sorry have just discovered House Across The Street is no longer on ok.ru.
It still is. I’m watching it just now.
Managed to find it through search with Spanish subtitles. Routine but I enjoyed it. FOURTH version of the same plot which began in 1934 with Hi Nellie! What did you think?j
I liked it. Didn’t know the plot was reused but not surprised.
That song from Janis is an absolute delight! I didn’t know it and now I play it as a pick-me-up. And that’s some built on her. Thanks!
It is a great number.