Janis Paige was an actress, singer, and dancer who originated the role of Babe in “The Pajama Game” on Broadway and starred in movies and on television.
- Died: June 2, 2024 (Who else died on June 2?)
- Details of death: Died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 101.
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Janis Paige’s legacy
Paige was one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s golden age, but she didn’t initially plan for a career in the movies. She was studying opera and singing to entertain military troops in Los Angeles during World War II when she was discovered and signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Within days, she was filming her first movie, 1944’s “Bathing Beauty.” Paige moved to Warner Bros. after that film, where she spent years and built the backbone of her career.
Paige appeared in many movies for Warner Bros. in the 1940s and early ‘50s, including “Hollywood Canteen,” “Of Human Bondage,” “Cheyenne,” and “Romance on the High Seas.” But in 1951, she left Hollywood for Broadway, where she debuted in “Remains to Be Seen.” Her crowning achievement on a Broadway stage came in 1954 with “The Pajama Game,” in which she played a factory union leader reluctantly falling in love with the boss. When the show was adapted for the screen in 1957, most of the Broadway cast went with it, but producers insisted on casting one big Hollywood star. Doris Day (1922–2019) won the role of Babe, but Paige insisted she wasn’t at all jealous – and in fact, she had a big movie hit of her own that same year.
Paige was offered a starring role in “Silk Stockings,” in which she would pair with famed dancer Fred Astaire (1899–1987). Initially insecure about her dancing ability, Paige nevertheless took the role. She said Astaire was a patient partner who helped her learn new steps in the choreography they performed to “Stereophonic Sound,” moves that included swinging from a chandelier.
After “Silk Stockings,” Paige continued to appear both in movies and on Broadway. Her films included “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” and “The Caretakers,” while on Broadway, she replaced Angela Lansbury (1925–2022) in “Mame.” She also began building a career on TV, beginning with a starring role in the mid-1950s sitcom, “It’s Always Jan.”
One of Paige’s most memorable TV roles came on “All in the Family,” in which she played waitress Denise in several episodes. Her character had a flirtation with Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor (1924–2001), and they even kissed in an episode that both angered and delighted the show’s fans.
Paige also had a recurring role on “Eight is Enough” as Auntie V, and she appeared in later seasons of “Trapper John, M.D.” as hospital administrator Catherine Hackett. She played Iona Huntington on “General Hospital” in 1989 and 1990, and later in the ‘90s, she played Minx Lockridge in a recurring role on “Santa Barbara.” Her many TV guest appearances included on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Happy Days,” “Night Court,” and “Caroline in the City.”
Paige on the diversity of her career:
“I went from ‘Hollywood Canteen’ into ‘Of Human Bondage,’ for God’s sake. A more dramatic part you couldn’t have. Then they put me in a lot of comedies. Another musical, ‘Romance on the High Seas,’ then back to things like ‘Cheyenne.’ I had a huge variety that Warner Bros. gave me. I was under contract. They seemed to like me, and I could sing, I could dance, but I could also act pretty well. Not great, but I did OK.” —from a 2016 interview for the Miami Herald
Tributes to Janis Paige
Full obituary: The New York Times
