Dorothy Janis

 Dorothy Janis (February 19, 1912 – March 10, 2010)

Born as Dorothy Penelope Jones in Dallas, Texas, her short film career began when she was visiting a cousin, who was working on a film for Fox Film Corporation in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at once and she was asked to make a screen test. Janis went on to make six films: five silents and one talkie. The one talkie was Lummox (1930) based on the Fannie Hurst novel. This film, released by United Artists, now only exists as a single nitrate print at the British Film Institute. Janis was best known for playing opposite Ramon Novarro in the MGM film The Pagan (1929), for which MGM publicity portrayed her as half-Cherokee. The Pagan, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, was a part-sound film, with music and sound effects only, and featured "Pagan Love Song" on the soundtrack. Janis retired in 1930 and married bandleader Wayne King in 1932. The marriage lasted until King's death in 1985, they had two children. She lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona from 2004 up until her death on March 10, 2010 at the age of 98.