Renowned actress and dancer, Janis Paige, recognized for her fiery red hair and significant roles in both Hollywood movies and Broadway shows, died at the age of 101. Paige, who had shared the stage with famed personalities like Fred Astaire and Bob Hope and maintained her career into her 90s, died due to natural causes at her Los Angeles, California home on June 2. This information was confirmed by her long-term friend, Stuart Lampert, on Monday.
Paige’s professional accomplishments featured lead roles on Broadway in the mystery-comedy “Remains to be Seen” with Jackie Cooper and the popular musical “The Pajama Game” with John Raitt. Her filmography includes “Bachelor in Paradise,” a comedy starring Bob Hope, the Doris Day comedy “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” and “Follow the Boys.”
In 2018, Paige publicly shared her encounter with sexual assault by the late department-store heir Alfred Bloomingdale when she was 22, joining the #MeToo movement. Bloomingdale died in 1982. “I could feel his hands, not only on my breasts, but seemingly everywhere. He was big and strong, and I began to fight, kick, bite and scream,” Paige wrote, further stating, “At 95, time is not on my side, and neither is silence. I simply want to add my name and say, ‘Me too.’”
Paige began her Hollywood journey after performing an operatic aria for servicemen at the Hollywood Canteen during World War II. The next day, she was hired by MGM for a small role in “Bathing Beauty,” but was soon dismissed. Warner Bros. signed her the same day and cast her in “Hollywood Canteen,” starting her contract at $150 per week. Paige later mentioned that her weekly earnings exceeded what her mother used to earn in a month during the Great Depression.
Her contract with Warner Bros. concluded in 1949 when television started to rival the film industry. Paige then transitioned her skills to Broadway, starring in “Remains to Be Seen” and as Babe in the original production of “The Pajama Game.” She also teamed up with Fred Astaire in “Silk Stockings” after being spotted by MGM producer Arthur Freed during her nightclub act.
In 2003, Paige returned to the stage after a lengthy break, inaugurating a show named “The Third Act” in San Francisco, California. She also made guest appearances on various TV shows, including “It’s Always Jan,” “Flamingo Road,” and “All in the Family.” In a 1976 episode, she portrayed a diner waitress attempting to lure Archie Bunker into infidelity against his wife, Edith.
In 2020, Paige released her autobiography, “Reading Between the Lines: A Memoir,” which explored her relationships with numerous Hollywood luminaries.
Born as Donna May Tjaden, Paige was raised in Tacoma, Washington. After two short-lived marriages, she wed songwriter Ray Gilbert in 1962. Gilbert, known for the Oscar-winning song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” died in 1976. Paige then took over the management of his music company.
