Janis Paige

Joyous scene-stealer 'Janis Paige' (qv) started out playing rather bland film ingénues, but never seemed to be comfortable in those roles--she had too much snap, crackle and pop to be confined in such a formulaic way.Born Donna Mae Tjaden in 1922 in Tacoma, Washington, she was singing in public from age 5 in local amateur shows. She moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school and earned a job as a singer at the Hollywood Canteen during the war years. The Canteen, which was a studio-sponsored gathering spot for servicemen, is where she was spotted by a Warner Brothers talent scout, who saw potential in her and signed her up. She began co-starring in secondary musicals that often paired her with either 'Dennis Morgan' (qv) or 'Jack Carson' (qv). Later she was relegated to rugged adventures and dramas that just seemed out of her element. Following her role in the forgettable _Two Gals and a Guy (1951)_ (qv), she decided to leave the Hollywood scene. She took to the Broadway boards and scored a huge hit with the 1951 comedy-mystery play "Remains to Be Seen", co-starring 'Jackie Cooper' (qv). She also toured successfully as a cabaret singer, performing everywhere from New York to Miami to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Definitive stardom came in 1954 with the feisty role of Babe in Broadway's "The Pajama Game" opposite 'John Raitt' (qv). Her old Warner Bros. rival 'Doris Day' (qv), however, was a bigger name and went on to play the role on film (_The Pajama Game (1957)_ (qv)) with Raitt. After a six-year hiatus, Janis returned to films in tongue-and-cheek support, all but stealing _Silk Stockings (1957)_ (qv) from co-stars 'Fred Astaire' (qv) and 'Cyd Charisse' (qv). She then grabbed her share of laughs in a flashy role with the comedy _Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)_ (qv) opposite Ms. Day. Janis carried on in summer stock, playing such indomitable roles as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun", Margo Channing in "Applause", Mama Rose in "Gypsy" and Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls". From the mid-'50s on, Janis also tapped into TV with such series as _It's Always Jan (1955)_ (qv), _Lanigan's Rabbi (1976)_ (qv) and _Trapper John, M.D. (1979)_ (qv). In the 1990s, among other TV appearances, she had recurring roles on the daytime serials _General Hospital (1963)_ (qv) and _Santa Barbara (1984)_ (qv). Married three times, she was the widow of Disney composer 'Ray Gilbert' (qv), who wrote the classic children's song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net