Many remember the years referred to as Hollywood’s golden age due to the contributions it made to the entertainment industry. Among the people who made this period an acclaimed one are actresses like Janis Paige. Through her career exploits she appeared in her own show It’s Always Janis as well as other works like Remains to Be Seen. Like her colorful career, her love life was quite fascinating as she was married to three different men between 1947 and 1976.
Her first marriage was with Frank Martinelli. After the marriage ended, she tried twice more but the last one ended when Ray Gilbert died in 1976. Since then, she has managed to stay away from marriages instead focusing her attention on a career she retired from in 2001.
Janis Paige was First Married to Frank Martinelli (1947-51)
At the time Janis Paige met Frank Martinelli, she was already an established actress who had many appearances to show for it. Having grown right in front of the audience, many are familiar with her career. On his own, not much is known about Martinelli except that he was a restauranteur.
The marriage lasted for four years before they parted ways in 1951. Like many celebrity marriages, many were curious to know what happened. Reportedly, she accused him of mental cruelty and requested to change her name.
The Entertainer’s Second Marriage was with Arthur Stander (1956-57)
Admittedly, the 102-year-old’s next marriage with Arthur Jan was the shortest. They got married in 1956 and divorced the following year. You may wonder how the two met; this remains unclear but we may not be wrong to assume that it was in the course of their careers seeing that Jan was a television writer and the creator of her TV show, It’s Always Jan.
Despite their shared passion as entertainers and creatives, their marriage did not survive the challenge that many relationships are bound to experience. Thus, the marriage came crashing shortly after.
Her Last Marriage with Ray Gilbert Outlived Him (1962-76)
While failed relationships or marriages are not uncommon among Hollywood relationships, Paige seemed to have started out without any experience. Reportedly, she did not know how to be a woman till when she turned 22. Since then, she has found ways to go for what she wants even if it means going through three marriages.
Following the end of her second marriage, she gave herself four years before taking another shot at marriage again when she tied the knot with Ray Gilbert in 1962.
Gilbert was also a creative whose skills were seen in his music composition and publishing. He is notable for writing the song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah which was used for the film, Song of the South. The song earned him an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Unlike Paige’s previous marriages, this one lasted longer. In fact, the marriage lasted till Gilbert’s death in 1976.
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Is Janis Paige a Mother?
The Caretakers actress is not a mother. Notably, she did not welcome any children during her marriages. While the entertainer never gave reasons why she did not have children, it is not usual for people to make the decision to not have children.
Over the years, we have seen many celebrities as every other person also have fertility challenges with popular cases being Gabrielle Union and Kim Kardashian among many. Regardless of this, Paige focused her attention on her career. Thankfully, it paid off with roles she took in a career that lasted 57 years.
Other Facts About Janis Paige
1. She was Born and Raised in Washington
She was born Donna Mae Tjaden on September 16, 1922, in Tacoma, Washington. Paige grew up as the only child of her parents, Hazel Leah and George S. Tjaden. Through her father, Paige traces her ancestry to Norway, Germany, and England.
Her childhood was quite an eventful one for a girl who grew up in a little town. Notably, she started singing at the age of 5 and honed her skills singing at local amateur shows.
2. Paige Started her Career as a Singer at the Hollywood Canteen…
Looking at her date of birth, one thing that is clear is the fact that her childhood was in the years following World War I. Though a gloomy time, people like Paige found ways to lighten people’s mood, especially the soldiers that had participated or were serving in the armed forces. Understandably, she was hired to work as a singer at the Hollywood canteen.
She put so much into her work that US Army Air Forces pilots chose her as their black widow. This honor prompted her to pose as a pin-up model.
3. …And Made the Way for her Acting Career
While working at the Hollywood canteen, she was scouted by a Warner Bros agent who signed her to the production giant. At first she appeared in low budget musicals before moving to movies. However, she felt out place and left Hollywood.
As expected she moved to Broadway to expand her career. She had more success with performances in Remains To Be Seen, and The Pajama Game.
Years later, she returned to Hollywood and continued taking movie roles. She remained active till 2001 when she retired from entertainment.
4. The Multi-talented entertainer Once Lost her Voice
Apparently, Paige’s decision to retire from an active career had a lot to do with personal challenges including the loss of her voice in 2001. Admittedly, she noticed cracks in her voice which was said to be a result of skin growing off her vocal cords.
This development will push through several health practitioners and institutions in order to get it corrected. After several attempts, she was finally helped to regain her talking and singing voice by Bruce Exkstut, a voice teacher.
5. She Accused Alfred Bloomingdale of Attempted Rape
Considering that Janis is one of the oldest surviving actresses of Hollywood Golden age, one would think she did not experience some of the dangers associated with the industry. It turns out that she had an experience that affected her.
According to the now retired actress, she was almost raped by Alfred Bloomingdale when she was just starting out as an actress. However, she did not come out to share her experiences till many decades had passed.
One would wonder why she kept hush hush anout such an incident. It turns out that she also wants to speak about sexual exploition and harrassment that actresses suffer from movie makers like Harvey Weinstein and Bloomingdale. Also, she wanted to add her name to the ‘Me Too’ campaign which promotes speaking out against exploitation.
