Janis Paige (born as
Donna Mae Tjaden, September 16, 1922,
Tacoma, Washington) is an American film,
musical theatre and television actress. She began singing in public from the age of five in local amateur shows. She then moved to
Los Angeles after graduating from
high school and then got a job as a singer at the
Hollywood Canteen during
World War II.
The Canteen, which was a studio-sponsored gathering spot for servicemen, is where
Warner Bros. saw her potential and signed her up. She began her film career co-starring in secondary musicals, often paired with either
Dennis Morgan or
Jack Carson. She later was relegated to rugged adventures and dramas in which she was out of her element. Following her role in the forgettable
Two Gals and a Guy released in 1951, she decided to leave the Hollywood scene.