Rogue Of The Range (1936) - Lois January 2

Lois January (October 5, 1913 – August 7, 2006) was an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

and singer who performed small roles in several

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

s during the 1930s.

Early life

Born in

McAllen, Texas McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

, as Laura Lois January, she "was prodded into show business by her mother, whom Lois described as '"pushy.'" Her father,

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

, competed at the

1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 29 August to 3 September 1904, as part of an extended s ...

. January attended Virgil Junior High School and the Marlborough School for girls. She also studied dance at the

Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts The Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded in 1915 by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in Los Angeles, California, helped many perfect their dancing talents and became the first dance academy in the United States to produce a professiona ...

and acted in stage productions in Los Angeles.

Career

January's first credited role was in 1933, in the

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

''UM-PA''. Her most famous role, however, is probably as the

Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of the La ...

manicurist in '' The Wizard of Oz'' who sings to Dorothy that "we can make a dimpled smile out of a frown". Although the character was unnamed, many fans believe it to be an incarnation of novel character

Jellia Jamb Jellia Jamb is a fictional character from the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), as the head maid who works in the royal palace of the Emerald ...

. During the 1930s she played in numerous

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

as the heroine, usually opposite

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western (genre), Western films. Early lif ...

, Bob Steele,

Tim McCoy Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he ap ...

and Bob Baker, among others. In 1935 she starred opposite

Reb Russell Ewell Albert "Reb" Russell (March 12, 1889 – September 30, 1973) was an American Major League Baseball player for the Chicago White Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Career MLB Russell was drafted by the White Sox as a pitcher in 1912. In his ...

in ''

Arizona Bad Man ''Arizona Bad Man'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and starring Reb Russell, Lois January and Edmund Cobb.Rainey p.349 Cast * Reb Russell as Steve Donovan * Lois January as Lucy Dunston * Slim Whitaker as Black Bart D ...

'', and in 1936 she starred with Brown in ''

Rogue of the Range ''Rogue of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and starring Johnny Mack Brown and Lois January. The picture is also known as ''Spider and the Fly'' in the United Kingdom. Cast *Johnny Mack Brown as Dan Doran *L ...

'', and alongside Tim McCoy in ''

Border Caballero ''Border Caballero'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. Plot Undercover lawman Tim Ross is working his way across the country as a sharpshooter in a medicine show. He runs into a former colleague working undercover to ...

''. While under contract with

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

she continued to play heroine roles in westerns, and in 1937 she starred opposite Bob Baker in ''

Courage of the West ''Courage of the West'' was a 1937 "B" movie directed by Joseph H. Lewis in which Bob Baker made his debut as a singing cowboy. Production The film was the first production that Joseph H. Lewis directed. 75 non-union cowboys were hired in S ...

''. The reissuing of the 1935

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...

'' The Pace That Kills'' (under the title ''Cocaine Fiends'') would eventually lend January even more exposure, however limited. January's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

credits include ''High Kickers'' (1941) and ''Yokel Boy'' (1939) alongside

Judy Canova Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983),Although one source gives her birth date as November 20, 1916, (DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland ...

and

Buddy Ebsen Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr., April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS ...

.. By the mid-1940s, her starring roles had waned but she continued to act in non-starring parts. In 1942 she was the "poster girl" for

Chesterfield cigarettes Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Altria and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA. History A blend of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, Chesterfields were int ...

. From 1960 through 1987 she played numerous small roles on television, to include roles on ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chronicl ...

'', ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' and ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...

''. Her last acting role was in 1987, on the television movie ''Double Agent''. During the 1980s she attended several western film festivals.

Personal life

In April 1937, January married theatrical agent Abraham Meyer. They were divorced August 9, 1940. She later married radio producer Bill Gernnant.

Filmography

*''

Double Agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...

'' (1987) as a Dowager *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (1961) as Mrs. Dean *'' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) as Emerald City woman with cat *

Life Returns ''Life Returns'' is an American film directed by Eugene Frenke. The film stars Onslow Stevens, George P. Breakston and Lois Wilson with a plot that involves a doctor who is convinced that the dead can be brought back to life gets the chance to p ...

(1938) as Nurse *

Lightnin' Crandall ''Lightnin' Crandall'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Charles F. Royal. The film stars Bob Steele, Lois January, Charles King, Earl Dwire, Ernie Adams and Frank LaRue. The film was released on March 2 ...

(1937) as Sheila Shannon *''

Bar-Z Bad Men ''Bar-Z Bad Men'' is a 1937 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Johnny Mack Brown. Plot When reckless and boisterous Jim Waters (Johnny Mack Brown) is faced with a jail term for what he calls harmless fu ...

'' (1937) as Beth Harvey *''

The Red Rope ''The Red Rope'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and written by George H. Plympton. The film stars Bob Steele, Lois January, Forrest Taylor, Charles King, Karl Hackett and Bobby Nelson. The film was released on July 1 ...

'' (1937) as Betty Duncan *''

The Trusted Outlaw ''The Trusted Outlaw'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury, written by George H. Plympton and Fred Myton, and starring Bob Steele, Lois January, Joan Barclay, Earl Dwire, Charles King and Richard Cramer. It was rel ...

'' (1937) as Molly *''

The Roaming Cowboy ''The Roaming Cowboy'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Fred Scott, Al St. John, Lois January, Forrest Taylor, Roger Williams, Richard Cramer, Buddy Cox and Art Miles. The fi ...

'' (1937) as Jeanie *''

'' (1937) as Beth Andrews *''

Moonlight on the Range ''Moonlight on the Range'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Fred Scott, Al St. John, Lois January, Dick Curtis, Frank LaRue and Jimmy Aubrey. The film was released on October 6, ...

'' (1937) as Wanda Brooks *''

'' (1936) as Goldie Harris *''

Lightnin' Bill Carson ''Lightnin' Bill Carson'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. Plot summary A lawman captures the notorious "Pecos Kid", who is tried and hanged for his crimes – then starts to have doubts as to whether the Kid actually ...

'' (1936) as Dolores *''

'' (1936) as Stella amb*''

One Rainy Afternoon ''One Rainy Afternoon'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino, and featuring Hugh Herbert, Roland Young and Erik Rhodes. It also marked the last film appearance by actress ...

'' (1936) as Mr. Pelerin's secretary *''

Flying Hostess ''Flying Hostess'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Murray Roth and starring William Gargan, Judith Barrett and William Hall.Paris p.75 A group of stewardesses undergo their training, and later thwart the hijacking of an airplane. Par ...

'' (1936) as Waitress *''

Easy to Take ''Easy to Take'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Glenn Tryon and written by Virginia Van Upp. The film stars Marsha Hunt, John Howard, Eugene Pallette, Richard Carle, Douglas Scott and Robert Greig. The film was released on November ...

'' (1936) as Annie *''

Night Life of the Gods ''Night Life of the Gods'' (also known as ''Thorne Smith's Night Life of the Gods'') is a 1935 American fantasy film released by Universal Pictures. Based on a 1931 novel by Thorne Smith, the film was directed by Lowell Sherman and starred Alan ...

'' (1935) *''

Stolen Harmony ''Stolen Harmony'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring George Raft, Ben Bernie and Grace Bradley. It is a semi-musical, featuring Big Band numbers. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot ...

'' (1935) as Woman in sextet *''

Society Fever ''Society Fever'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Lois Wilson, Lloyd Hughes and Hedda Hopper.Pitts p.108 The film entered the public domain in 1964, because its copyright was not renewed. Plot ...

'' (1935) as Julie Prouty *''

Skull and Crown ''Skull and Crown'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Elmer Clifton. It was the final film of cast member Molly O'Day. Cast * Rin Tin Tin, Jr. as Rinty *Regis Toomey as Bob Franklin posing as Rocky Morgan *Jack Mulhall as Border Pa ...

'' (1935) as Barbara Franklin *''

'' (1935) as Lucy Dunstan *'' The Pace That Kills'' (1935) as Jane Bradford, also known as Lil *''

The Affair of Susan ''The Affair of Susan'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Zasu Pitts, Hugh O'Connell and Walter Catlett.Lowe p.1968 It is a remake of the 1928 silent film '' Lonesome''. Two lonely people meet at an amusemen ...

'' (1935) as Girl in candy shop *'' Splendor'' (1935) as Lena Limering *''

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ''The Man Who Reclaimed His Head'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Jean Bart and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill, Juanita Quigley, Henry O'Neill and Henry Armetta. T ...

'' (1934) *''

Let's Be Ritzy ''Let's Be Ritzy'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Harry Sauber and Earle Snell. The film stars Lew Ayres, Patricia Ellis, Isabel Jewell, Frank McHugh, Berton Churchill and Robert McWade. The film ...

'' (1934) as Stenographer *''

The Love Captive ''The Love Captive'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Max Marcin and written by Karen DeWolf, adapted from Marcin's play of the same name. The film stars Gloria Stuart, Nils Asther, Paul Kelly, Alan Dinehart, Renee Gadd, and Russ Bro ...

'' (1934) as Girl *''

Uncertain Lady ''Uncertain Lady'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Karl Freund, written by Daniel Evans, Doris Anderson, Edward A. Curtiss, George O'Neil and Don Ryan, and starring Edward Everett Horton, Genevieve Tobin, Paul Cavanagh, Mary Nash, ...

'' (1934) as Maid *''

The Human Side ''The Human Side'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward Buzzell and written by Edward Buzzell, Frank Craven and Ernest Pascal. The film stars Adolphe Menjou, Doris Kenyon, Charlotte Henry, Reginald Owen, Joseph Cawthorn and Betty Law ...

''(1934) as High school girl *'' The Black Cat'' (1934) as Cultist *'' Glamour'' (1934) as Chorus girl *''

Let's Talk It Over ''Let's Talk It Over'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Chester Morris, Mae Clarke and Frank Craven.Dick p.81 Plot summary A sailor rescues a young heiress who is apparently drowning. Little ...

''(1934) as Alice *''

By Candlelight ''By Candlelight'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by James Whale. The film is based on the Austrian play ''Candle Light'' by and Karl Farkas, which was adapted to the English-speaking stage by P. G. Wodehouse. The film stars ...

'' (1933) as Ann

Death

January died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

on August 7, 2006, aged 92.

References

External links

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B-western heroines, Lois January
{{DEFAULTSORT:January, Lois Actresses from Texas American film actresses American television actresses Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from Alzheimer's disease People from McAllen, Texas People from Greater Los Angeles 1913 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women