Hollywood Legend Passes, Leaves Behind Enduring Legacy

Clear Facts

• Janis Paige, renowned Hollywood and Broadway actress, has passed away at 101 years of age.
• Paige enjoyed a remarkable career in film and theatre, working with industry greats like Fred Astaire, Bob Hope, and Doris Day.
• Famous for her roles in “The Pajama Game” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” Paige also used her influence to champion the #MeToo movement, sharing an assault she experienced at the age of 22.

Janis Paige, a Hollywood and Broadway star who delighted audiences in musicals and comedies, has died. The actress, who once had the honor of dancing with Fred Astaire and touring with Bob Hope, passed away at the age of 101.

Her death was due to natural causes and was announced by her close friend, Stuart Lampert. Paige died in her Los Angeles home.

Paige’s Broadway appearances featured prominent roles alongside Jackie Cooper in the mystery-comedy “Remains to be Seen,” and with John Raitt in the widely acclaimed musical “The Pajama Game.”

Alongside her theatre roles, Paige shone in numerous films, including the Bob Hope comedy, “Bachelor in Paradise,” and the Doris Day comedy “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.”

The actress publicly supported women’s rights in 2018, joining the #MeToo movement and revealing an assault she faced in her early years.

Paige’s path to fame began during wartime when she performed an operatic aria for servicemen at the Hollywood Canteen. Her talent was quickly recognized, and MGM hired her for a small role in “Bathing Beauty” the following day.

She soon signed a contract with Warner Bros., initiating her fruitful career in Hollywood.

Reflecting on her early days in the film industry, she said, “I earned more per week than my mother had made in a month during the Great Depression.”

After her contract with Warner Bros. expired in 1949, Paige brought her talent to Broadway. Despite the burgeoning influence of television, she found success in theatre, starring in productions such as “Remains to Be Seen” and “The Pajama Game.”

Throughout the years, Paige remained a vigorous performer. After a long hiatus, she revisited her career in entertainment in May 2003. At 80 years old, she returned to the stage for a show titled “The Third Act” at San Francisco’s Plush Room.

Away from the stage, Paige’s life was characterized by fascinating personal relationships and a deep commitment to her craft. She was briefly married to San Francisco restaurateur Frank Martinelli and writer-producer Arthur Stander. Her longest marriage was to songwriter Ray Gilbert, who won an Oscar for the song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Da” from Disney’s “Song of the South.”

Paige’s autobiography, “Reading Between the Lines: A Memoir,” published in 2020, offers insights into her interactions with industry legends like Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, David Niven, Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, and Lucille Ball.

As we remember Janis Paige, we pay homage to an actress who truly symbolized the spirit of Hollywood and Broadway, leaving behind an enduring legacy.

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