Jane Bryan (born Jane O'Brien, June 11, 1918 – April 8, 2009) was an American actress groomed by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

to become one of its leading ladies but she chose to retire from acting in 1940 at age 22, after which she became a philanthropist and arts patron.

Early years

Born in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, Bryan was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James O'Brien. Her father was an attorney. Her first dramatic training came in

Jean Muir Jean Elizabeth Muir ( ; 17 July 1928 – 28 May 1995) was a British fashion designer. Early life and career Jean Muir was born in London, the daughter of Cyril Muir, a draper's floor superintendent, and his wife, Phyllis Coy. Her father ...

's theatrical workshop, where she was discovered by

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

Career

Bryan gained acting experience as an apprentice at the Hollywood Theatre Workshop. Her film debut came in ''

The Case of the Black Cat ''The Case of the Black Cat'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by William C. McGann and an uncredited Alan Crosland, based on the 1935 Perry Mason novel '' The Case of the Caretaker's Cat'' by Erle Stanley Gardner. The film stars Ricardo ...

'' (1936). Her screen career lasted only four years, but she appeared in prominent roles in several memorable films, including ''

Marked Woman ''Marked Woman'' is a 1937 American dramatic crime film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, with featured performances by Lola Lane, Isabel Jewell, Rosalind Marquis, Mayo Methot, Jane Bryan, Eduardo Ciannell ...

'' (1937) with Davis and Humphrey Bogart; ''

Kid Galahad ''Kid Galahad'' is a 1962 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. It was released by United Artists in August 1962 and opened at #9 at the American box office. ''Variety'' ranked it #37 on its list of the top-grossing films of 19 ...

'' (1937) with Edward G. Robinson, Davis, and Bogart; ''

A Slight Case of Murder ''A Slight Case of Murder'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film is based on the 1935 play by Damon Runyon and Howard Lindsay. The offbeat comedy stars Edward G. Robinson spoofing his own gangster image as Remy Marco. ...

'' (1938) with Robinson; '' Each Dawn I Die'' (1939) with James Cagney and George Raft; ''

Invisible Stripes ''Invisible Stripes'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. crime film starring George Raft as a gangster unable to go straight after returning home from prison. The movie was directed by Lloyd Bacon and also features William Holden, Jane Bryan and Humphrey ...

'' (1939) with Raft,

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

, and Bogart; and '' The Old Maid'' (1939) with Davis and

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...

. Bryan's first leading role was in '' We Are Not Alone'' (1939).

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

writer Robbin Coons described her work in that film as "a heart-touching performance in which sincerity and truth are radiant factors."

Marriage

Bryan married businessman and entrepreneur Justin Dart on New Year's Eve, 1939. They were married until his death in 1984. Dart took control of the United Drug Company in 1943, and rebranded the stores under the

Rexall Drug Rexall was a chain of American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1903, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across th ...

name. The Darts were staunch Republicans and helped persuade their personal friend, former California governor Ronald Reagan, to run for

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

in 1980.

Public service

Bryan served on the

United States Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction wit ...

in Washington, D.C. from 1971 to 1976.

Death

Jane Bryan Dart died at her home on April 8, 2009, aged 90, in

Pebble Beach, California Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf cou ...

, following a lengthy illness. She was survived by her three children; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two brothers. She was pre-deceased by her brother Jim O'Brien in 1986. Her stepson Justin Whitlock Dart, Jr., a disability-rights activist, died in 2002.

Filmography

References

External links

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Obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryan, Jane 1918 births 2009 deaths Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses Warner Bros. contract players 20th-century American actresses People from Pebble Beach, California California Republicans 21st-century American women