Janis Paige

Biography: American singer/actress Janis Paige was singing in public from age 5 in local amateur shows. Journeying from her native Washington to Los Angeles after high school, Paige secured a job as vocalist at the Hollywood Canteen, a studio-sponsored gathering spot for servicemen. It was only logical, then, that her first feature film upon being signed by Warner Bros. would be Hollywood Canteen (1944). A few musicals aside, Paige didn't get to sing much in her subsequent films, appearing mostly as ingenues and second leads. She left for Broadway in 1950, where she scored a hit in the popular comedy-mystery Remains to Be Seen, in which she costarred with then-husband Jackie Cooper. A few seasons later, Paige enjoyed her biggest hit in the Tony-Winning musical comedy The Pajama Game. Back in Hollywood, Paige watched as her stage roles went to bigger actresses (the star of the filmization of Pajama Game was her old rival at Warners, Doris Day), but she managed to secure one memorable movieAmerican singer/actress Janis Paige was singing in public from age 5 in local amateur shows. Journeying from her native Washington to Los Angeles after high school, Paige secured a job as vocalist at the Hollywood Canteen, a studio-sponsored gathering spot for servicemen. It was only logical, then, that her first feature film upon being signed by Warner Bros. would be Hollywood Canteen (1944). A few musicals aside, Paige didn't get to sing much in her subsequent films, appearing mostly as ingenues and second leads. She left for Broadway in 1950, where she scored a hit in the popular comedy-mystery Remains to Be Seen, in which she costarred with then-husband Jackie Cooper. A few seasons later, Paige enjoyed her biggest hit in the Tony-Winning musical comedy The Pajama Game. Back in Hollywood, Paige watched as her stage roles went to bigger actresses (the star of the filmization of Pajama Game was her old rival at Warners, Doris Day), but she managed to secure one memorable movie role as an Esther Williams-like aquatic movie star in 1957's Silk Stockings. Janis was permitted one strong number, "Stereophonic Sound," with costar Fred Astaire, and copped most of the film's laughs as she slapped herself in the head to get the water out of her ears during interviews. The actress was a fixture of television from the early '50s onward, starring in the sitcom It's Always Jan and featured in recurring roles on such series as Eight is Enough, Trapper John MD, and Lanigan's Rabbi. Perhaps her most conspicuous prime-time TV role was as the waitress who conducted a brief affair with Archie Bunker on All in the Family. Daytime TV fans have been treated to Paige's talents on such serials as General Hospital, Capitol, and Santa Barbara, while devotees of summer stock theatre will remember the actress as star of straw-hat productions of Gypsy and Pajama Game in the '60s. As busy off-camera as on, Janis Paige was the founder of the Sunset Plaza Civic Association; and after the death of her composer husband Ray Gilbert (who penned "Zip-i-dee-Doo-Dah"), Paige was placed in charge of Gilbert's Ipanema Music Company. Expand

Janis Paige's Scores

  • TV
Average career score: 43
Highest Metascore: 43 The Love Boat: Season 1
Lowest Metascore: 43 The Love Boat: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Negative: 0 out of 1
1 tv review
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd General Hospital: Season 43 Apr 1, 2005 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 42 Apr 1, 2004 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 41 Apr 1, 2003 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 40 Apr 1, 2002 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 39 Jan 2, 2002 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 38 Jan 2, 2001 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 37 Jan 3, 2000 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 36 Jan 4, 1999 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 35 Jan 2, 1998 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 34 Mar 4, 1997 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 33 Jan 4, 1996 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 32 Nov 7, 1995 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 31 Apr 22, 1994 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd General Hospital: Season 30 Mar 31, 1993 Iona Huntington (1989) tbd
tbd Santa Barbara: Season 9 Jul 30, 1992 Minx Lockridge tbd
tbd Santa Barbara: Season 8 Jul 30, 1991 Minx Lockridge tbd
tbd Santa Barbara: Season 7 Jul 30, 1990 Minx Lockridge / Belinda Bradley tbd
tbd Mission: Impossible (1988): Season 1 Oct 23, 1988 Victoria Foster tbd
tbd Santa Barbara: Season 1 Jul 30, 1984 Minx Lockridge tbd
tbd Night Court: Season 1 Jan 4, 1984 Eleanor Brandon tbd
tbd St. Elsewhere: Season 1 Oct 26, 1982 Actor tbd
tbd Happy Days: Season 8 Nov 11, 1980 Waitress tbd
tbd Eight is Enough: Season 4 Sep 5, 1979 Auntie V. / Aunt Vivian / Vivian tbd
tbd All in the Family: Season 9 Sep 24, 1978 Denise tbd
tbd The Rockford Files (1974): Season 5 Sep 22, 1978 Marilyn tbd
tbd Charlie's Angels (1977): Season 3 Sep 13, 1978 Janis Paige / Joan tbd
tbd Alice (1985): Season 2 Oct 2, 1977 Photographer's Wife tbd
43 The Love Boat: Season 1 Sep 24, 1977 Phyllis Morrison tbd
tbd Eight is Enough: Season 2 Sep 14, 1977 Auntie V / Auntie V. / Aunt Vivian tbd
tbd Eight is Enough: Season 1 Mar 15, 1977 Auntie V / Actor tbd