Jane Withers, American actress
Jane Withers (April 12, 1926 – August 7, 2021) was an American actress and children's radio show host. She became one of the most popular child stars in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s, with her films ranking in the top ten list for box-office gross in 1937 and 1938.
She began her entertainment career at the age of three and, during the Golden Age of Radio, hosted her own children's radio program in her home city of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1932, she and her mother moved to Hollywood, where she appeared as an extra in many films until landing her breakthrough role as the spoiled, obnoxious Joy Smythe opposite Shirley Temple's angelic orphan Shirley Blake in the 1934 film Bright Eyes. She made 38 films before retiring at age 21 in 1947. She returned to film and television as a character actor in the 1950s. From 1963 to 1974, she portrayed the character Josephine the Plumber in a series of television commercials for Comet cleanser. In the 1990s and early 2000s, she did voice work for Disney animated films. She was interviewed in numerous documentary retrospectives of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She was also known for her philanthropy and her extensive doll collection.
1926Apr, 12
Jane Withers
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Events on 1926
- 16Mar
Robert H. Goddard
History of Rocketry: Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, Massachusetts. - 4May
1926 United Kingdom general strike
The United Kingdom general strike begins. - 18May
Aimee Semple McPherson
Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears in Venice, California. - 14Jun
League of Nations
Brazil leaves the League of Nations - 20Aug
NHK
Japan's public broadcasting company, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) is established.