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Janis Carter
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Janis Carter (born Janis Elinore Dremann, October 10, 1913 – July 30, 1994) was an American stage and film actress who performed throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s. During the mid-1950s, she began working regularly on television, co-hosting with Bud Collyer the NBC daytime game show Feather Your Nest.[1]
Key Information
Early years
[edit]
Carter was born Janis Elinore Dremann[2] in Cleveland, Ohio.[3] When she started her professional career, Dremann changed her last name to Carter, because people had trouble pronouncing and spelling of Dremann, so she chose her grandmother's maiden name as her new last name.[4]
After initial training as a pianist, Carter changed to singing when she was eight years old. Her elementary and secondary education was provided by schools in East Cleveland, Ohio. After that, she attended Cleveland's Flora Stone Mather College[5] at Western Reserve University, graduating with two degrees – bachelor of arts and bachelor of music. She also participated in dramatics in college.[4]
Career
[edit]_1.jpg)
After graduating from college, Carter headed to New York in an attempt to start a career in opera. Although that goal was unsuccessful, she then worked on Broadway, where she was spotted on stage by Darryl F. Zanuck, who signed her to a movie deal. Her Broadway credits included Du Barry Was a Lady (1939), Virginia (1937),[6] and Panama Hattie (1940).[7]
After moving to Hollywood, she appeared in over 30 films beginning in 1941 for 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, and RKO. She appeared in the films Night Editor (1946) and Framed (1947) with Glenn Ford, and Flying Leathernecks (1951) with John Wayne. After leaving Los Angeles, Carter returned to New York and found work in television in comedies and dramas and as hostess for the quiz show Feather Your Nest opposite Bud Collyer.[8][9] Her last role was in a January 1955 episode of The Elgin Hour.
Personal life and death
[edit]Carter married Carl Prager, a musician and composer, in 1942, but they divorced nine years later. She retired from acting in early 1955, after meeting New York lumber and shipping tycoon Julius Stulman; the couple married in 1956.[3] Carter died in 1994, at age 80, from a heart attack in Durham, North Carolina.[10]
Partial filmography
[edit]- Cadet Girl (1941) - Mary Moore
- Secret Agent of Japan (1942) - Doris Poole
- Who Is Hope Schuyler? (1942) - Vesta Hadden
- I Married an Angel (1942) - Sufi
- Just Off Broadway (1942) - Lillian Hubbard
- Girl Trouble (1942) - Virginia
- Thunder Birds (1942) - Blonde Red Cross Nurse Trainee
- That Other Woman (1942) - Constance Powell
- Lady of Burlesque (1943) - Janine
- Swing Out the Blues (1943) - Dena Marshall
- The Ghost That Walks Alone (1944) - Enid Turner
- The Girl in the Case (a.k.a. The Silver Key) (1944) - Myra Warner
- The Mark of the Whistler (a.k.a. The Marked Man) (1944) - Patricia Henley
- One Mysterious Night (1944) - Dorothy Anderson
- The Missing Juror (1944) - Alice Hill
- Together Again (1944) - Miss Thorn (uncredited)
- The Power of the Whistler (1945) - Jean Lang
- A Thousand and One Nights (1945) - Harem Girl (uncredited)
- The Fighting Guardsman (1946) - Christine Roualt
- One Way to Love (1946) - Josie Hart
- The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946) - Carla Winter
- Night Editor (a.k.a. The Trespasser) (1946) - Jill Merrill
- Framed (1947) - Paula Craig
- I Love Trouble (1948) - Ligia Caprillo aka Jane Breeger aka Janie Joy
- Her Wonderful Lie (1948)
- Slightly French (1949) - Louisa Gayle
- Addio Mimí! (1949) - Jeanette
- Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) - Peggy Donato
- I Married a Communist (a.k.a. The Woman on Pier 13) (1949) - Christine Norman
- And Baby Makes Three (1950) - Wanda York
- A Woman of Distinction (1950) - Teddy Evans
- The Woman on Pier 13 (1950) - Christine Norman
- Santa Fe (1951) - Judith Chandler
- My Forbidden Past (1951) - Corinne Lucas
- Flying Leathernecks (1951) - Joan Kirby
- The Half-Breed (1952) - Helen Dowling
- The Sergeant and the Spy (1953) (in German)
- Double Profile (1954) (in German)
References
[edit]- ^ "Janis Carter; Actress Hosted TV Quiz Show", obituary, Los Angeles Times, August 4, 1994, p. A16. ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Ann Arbor, Michigan; subscription access through the University of North Carolina Library at Chapel Hill.
- ^ Room, Adrian (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins (5th ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-7864-5763-2. Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Vallance, Tom (5 August 1994). "Obituary: Janis Carter". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Sings 'Easter tidings'". The Post-Standard. April 7, 1946. p. 31. Retrieved June 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rose, William Ganson (August 27, 1990). Cleveland: The Making of a City. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8733-8428-5 – via Google Books.
- ^ "("Janis Carter" search results)". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ Morehouse, Ward. "Broadway After Dark." New York Sun, 14 February 1941. (Janis Joyce replacing Carter, "who's gone to Hollywood.")
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (2008). "Movies - The New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
- ^ "Janis Carter, 80, Actress and TV Host". The New York Times. 1994-08-02. Archived from the original on 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
External links
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Janis Carter
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Childhood and family
Janis Carter was born Janis Elinore Dremann on October 10, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1][3] She grew up in the Cleveland area, where she developed an early interest in music.[4] This change marked the beginning of her musical pursuits, influenced by the cultural environment of her hometown, and laid the groundwork for her later formal studies in music.Education and early interests
Carter attended Flora Stone Mather College, the women's coordinate institution of Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University), in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] She graduated in 1935 with bachelor's degrees in English (BA) and music (BM).[5] Her music degree reflected intensive training as both a pianist and vocalist.[5] Carter's vocal pursuits included aspirations for an opera career, for which she later auditioned at the Metropolitan Opera, though without success.[2] She also sang in church choirs, honing her skills in a supportive musical environment.[1] These experiences underscored her early commitment to performance arts prior to professional endeavors. Following graduation, Carter took on various jobs to support herself, including working as a saleswoman at Bloomingdale's department store in New York City.[1] She also wrote radio scripts for the crime drama series "Gangbusters," applying her English degree to creative writing in broadcasting.[1]Career
Stage and Broadway work
After graduating from Western Reserve University with degrees in English and music, Janis Carter, born Janis Dremann, relocated to New York City in the mid-1930s to pursue a career in opera.[1] Despite her training, she failed an audition at the Metropolitan Opera, prompting a shift toward other performance avenues.[6] To support herself, she took on various jobs, including waitressing, singing in church choirs, working as a saleswoman at Bloomingdale's, and writing radio scripts for the crime series Gangbusters.[1] Carter's entry into professional entertainment came through modeling and singing gigs, which opened doors to stage opportunities. She became one of the original ten Powers Girls at John Robert Powers' modeling agency, posing for commercial photographers and artists, which helped her build visibility in New York's entertainment circles.[6] These experiences facilitated her transition from vocal performance to acting, as her poise and presence in modeling assignments caught the eye of theater producers seeking ensemble talent for musicals.[5] Her Broadway debut occurred in 1937 with the short-lived musical Virginia, where she performed in the ensemble at the Center Theatre. Carter followed this with chorus roles as a singing girl in Cole Porter's Du Barry Was a Lady (1939–1940) at the 46th Street Theatre, sharing the stage with stars Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr, which earned her critical notice for her vibrant supporting presence.[1][7] She continued in similar fashion in Panama Hattie (1940–1942), another Porter musical produced by Buddy DeSylva, again as a singing girl alongside Merman, further solidifying her reputation in Broadway's chorus lines and understudy positions.[6][8] These roles, often involving understudy duties, highlighted her versatility and helped producers recognize her potential beyond ensemble work.Film roles
Carter arrived in Hollywood in February 1941 after being spotted by Darryl F. Zanuck in the Broadway production of Panama Hattie, leading to her signing a contract with 20th Century-Fox.[1][6] She made her film debut that year in the comedy Cadet Girl, portraying a supporting role in a story about West Point cadets and romance.[1][6] Over the next decade, she appeared in more than 30 B-movies across several studios, including 20th Century-Fox, MGM, Columbia, and RKO, often in secondary parts that highlighted her striking looks and versatile presence.[1][6] Among her notable performances was the role of the manipulative Jill Merrill in the 1946 film noir Night Editor, where she portrayed a seductive socialite entangled in a murder cover-up with a married detective.[6] In 1947's crime drama Framed, Carter played Paula Craig, a cunning barmaid who frames an innocent man for embezzlement in a tense tale of betrayal and revenge.[1][6] She shifted to lighter fare in the 1949 musical comedy Slightly French, appearing as a sophisticated rival in a story about a director transforming a carnival dancer into a faux French star.[6] Her war film role came in 1951's Flying Leathernecks, where she supported John Wayne and Robert Ryan as a wife caught in the personal conflicts of Marine aviators during World War II.[1] Carter's final Hollywood feature was the 1952 Western The Half-Breed, in which she played saloon singer Helen Dowling, delivering her last on-screen musical performance amid a plot of frontier intrigue and racial tensions.[6] Carter's film work spanned genres such as thrillers, comedies, musicals, and war films, with her career peaking in the late 1940s through roles that capitalized on her poise and allure.[1][6] She was frequently typecast as a glamorous supporting actress, often embodying duplicitous seductresses or femme fatales in noir and crime stories, which underscored her transition from stage to screen without achieving leading status.[6]Television appearances and hosting
As film opportunities waned after her final major roles in the early 1950s, Janis Carter transitioned to television in 1953, returning to New York to capitalize on the burgeoning medium's demand for experienced performers in live broadcasts.[9] This shift allowed her to leverage her prior work in radio, where she had written scripts for programs like Gangbusters, honing skills in timing and audience engagement that suited the fast-paced TV format.[9] Her early television efforts included guest appearances in popular anthology series, such as The Elgin Hour (1954), contributing to live dramatic productions that showcased her versatility in both comedy and tension-filled stories. Additional spots followed in series like The Best of Broadway (1954), a musical adaptation showcase, and Center Stage (1954), further establishing her presence in the live TV landscape of the era.[3] Carter's most prominent television role came as co-host of the NBC daytime game show Feather Your Nest, which premiered on October 4, 1954, and ran until July 27, 1956.[1] Paired with emcee Bud Collyer, she served as the elegant assistant, guiding contestants through the program's lighthearted format designed to help newlyweds furnish their homes.[9] In the initial setup, three married couples competed by answering general knowledge questions to earn colored feathers—red for 1,000 points, yellow for 2,000, and green for 3,000—accumulating enough to claim desired household items like furniture or appliances from sponsor prizes.[10] A bonus riddle round offered extra points, and at the end of each episode, participants entered a drawing for a fully furnished house and car, adding excitement to the proceedings.[10] The show evolved in early 1956 to feature two couples and a streamlined bonus structure, emphasizing quick wit and family-oriented appeal.[10] On air, Carter exuded poise and warmth, drawing from her film noir background to deliver charming introductions and empathetic interactions with contestants, which helped the program attract a dedicated daytime audience despite its short run.[5] This hosting stint marked the peak of her active performing career in television, blending her scripting savvy with on-camera charisma amid the medium's rapid expansion, though she made sporadic guest appearances in later anthology dramas before stepping back in the late 1950s.[9]Personal life
Marriages and relationships
Janis Carter married musician and composer Carl Prager in 1942, having met him through the New York entertainment circles where she was establishing her stage career and he worked as a musical director.[4] Their marriage, which lasted until their divorce in 1951, offered personal stability during her transition from Broadway to Hollywood films, coinciding with starring roles in productions like Girl Trouble (1942) and enabling her to navigate the demands of early stardom without children from the union.[2] The couple had no children, and the relationship's end marked a period of professional pivot toward television opportunities.[4] Carter's second marriage came in 1956 to Julius Stulman, a prominent New York shipping and lumber tycoon, whom she wed on December 26 in Houston, Texas; this union provided financial security and allowed her to step away from the industry after over two decades.[2] The couple, who also had no children, maintained residences across multiple locations, including a New York penthouse for the opera season, a condominium in Longboat Key, Florida, and an apartment in North Carolina, reflecting a stable and affluent post-career life centered on companionship rather than family expansion.[2]Later years and philanthropy
Carter retired from the entertainment industry in 1955, the year she met Julius Stulman, whom she married the following year, redirecting her energies toward personal pursuits and community service.[5][1] The couple enjoyed an affluent, low-key lifestyle, dividing their time among a condominium on Longboat Key in Florida, an apartment in Durham, North Carolina, and a penthouse in New York City, where Carter spent the opera season.[2][1] Carter became deeply engaged in philanthropy, particularly in the arts, serving as a director of the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, which houses the former Ringling Brothers circus collections.[2] She was also active on the boards of several theater and opera organizations in Florida, including the executive board of the Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Asolo Opera Guild, where she contributed to fundraising and programming efforts that supported regional performing arts.[2][11] These roles allowed her to maintain a connection to the cultural world without returning to performing, reflecting her lifelong passion for music and theater.[5]Death
Circumstances of death
Janis Carter died on July 30, 1994, at the age of 80, from a heart attack at her home in Durham, North Carolina, where she had resided in her later years alongside homes in Longboat Key, Florida, and Manhattan, New York.[1][9][12] She was survived by her husband, Julius Stulman, with whom she had shared her final decades; Carter was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Durham.[1][9][12]Legacy
Janis Carter is recognized as a versatile B-movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s, particularly for her portrayals of seductive socialites and femme fatales in film noir and war dramas, which exemplified the era's glamour roles. Her cool, high-toned composure, often hinting at underlying darker passions, positioned her as an ideal noir performer, with notable turns in thrillers like Framed (1947) and Night Editor (1946). In 1946, she was named "Motion Picture Sweater Girl" by the National Knitted Outerwear Association, highlighting her pin-up appeal and influence on post-war fashion icons. Despite no major industry awards, her work in over 30 films for studios including Columbia and RKO contributed to the B-picture landscape, blending wit and allure in supporting roles.[6][13][9] As an early television host, Carter co-hosted the NBC quiz show Feather Your Nest from 1954 to 1956 alongside Bud Collyer, marking her transition to the medium and influencing the format of daytime game shows aimed at homemakers. Her multifaceted career—from opera aspirations and stage musicals to radio scriptwriting and uncredited TV guest spots—underscored her adaptability across entertainment forms, though documentation remains sparse for her radio contributions and numerous television appearances beyond hosting. Post-retirement, she directed the Ringling Brothers Museum in Florida and served on boards for theater and opera, reflecting a commitment to cultural preservation that extended her influence beyond acting.[9][6][5] Carter's cultural impact endures through representations in film noir anthologies and war genres, such as her role in Flying Leathernecks (1951), which captured the era's patriotic narratives. Modern interest in her legacy persists via vintage media collections and retrospective obituaries that emphasize her journey from modeling and music to Hollywood and broadcasting, often noting her underrecognized versatility. Gaps in historical coverage, including limited records of personal archives and lesser-known radio work, suggest opportunities for further research to illuminate her full contributions.[6][14][6]Filmography
Feature films
Janis Carter appeared in over 30 feature films from 1941 to 1952, predominantly in supporting and leading roles in B-movies, with many credits for studios including Columbia Pictures, RKO, and 20th Century-Fox; several early appearances were uncredited or minor.[3][15] The following table provides a chronological overview of her feature film credits, emphasizing her frequent work in low-budget productions and secondary characters.| Year | Title | Studio | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Cadet Girl | 20th Century Fox | Mary Moore[16] |
| 1942 | Secret Agent of Japan | 20th Century-Fox | Doris Poole[17] |
| 1942 | Who Is Hope Schuyler? | 20th Century Fox | Vesta Hadden[18] |
| 1942 | I Married an Angel | MGM | Sufi[15] |
| 1942 | Girl Trouble | 20th Century Fox | Virginia[19] |
| 1942 | Thunder Birds | 20th Century Fox | Blonde Red Cross Nurse Trainee[20] |
| 1942 | That Other Woman | 20th Century Fox | Constance Powell[21] |
| 1942 | Just Off Broadway | 20th Century-Fox | Lillian Hubbard[15] |
| 1943 | Lady of Burlesque | United Artists | Janine (minor role)[15] |
| 1943 | Swing Out the Blues | Universal Pictures | Caroline[22] |
| 1944 | The Ghost That Walks Alone | Columbia Pictures | Enid Turner[15] |
| 1944 | Girl in the Case | Columbia Pictures | Myra Warner (supporting role)[15] |
| 1944 | The Mark of the Whistler | Columbia Pictures | Patricia Henley[15] |
| 1944 | Boston Blackie's Appointment with Death | Columbia Pictures | Dorothy Anderson (supporting role)[15] |
| 1944 | The Missing Juror | Columbia Pictures | Alice Hill[23] |
| 1944 | One Mysterious Night | Columbia Pictures | Dorothy Anderson[15] |
| 1945 | The Fighting Guardsman | Columbia Pictures | Christine Roualt[15] |
| 1945 | The Power of the Whistler | Columbia Pictures | Jean Lang[15] |
| 1946 | The Notorious Lone Wolf | Columbia Pictures | Carla Winter (supporting role)[15] |
| 1946 | Night Editor | Columbia Pictures | Jill Merrill[24] |
| 1947 | Framed | Columbia Pictures | Paula Craig |
| 1947 | I Love Trouble | Columbia Pictures | Ligia Caprillo aka Jane Breeger aka Janie Joy[15] |
| 1949 | Her Wonderful Lie | Columbia Pictures | Jeanette (minor role)[15] |
| 1949 | And Baby Makes Three | Columbia Pictures | Wanda York[15] |
| 1949 | Slightly French | Columbia Pictures | Louisa Gayle[15] |
| 1949 | Miss Grant Takes Richmond | Columbia Pictures | Peggy Donato[15] |
| 1949 | The Woman on Pier 13 | RKO | Vivien Gerhardt[25] |
| 1950 | A Woman of Distinction | Columbia Pictures | Rosalind Fulton[26] |
| 1950 | The Iroquois Trail | Columbia Pictures | Myra Hanks[25] |
| 1950 | The Secret Fury | RKO | Ellen Clark[25] |
| 1950 | Saddle Tramp | Universal Pictures | Melissa[25] |
| 1951 | My Forbidden Past | RKO | Corinne Lucas[15] |
| 1951 | Santa Fe | Columbia Pictures | Judith Chandler[15] |
| 1951 | Flying Leathernecks | RKO | Joan Kirby (supporting role)[15] |
| 1952 | The Half-Breed | RKO | Helen Dowling[15] |
Television credits
Janis Carter's television career began in the early 1950s as she shifted focus from film to the expanding medium of broadcast TV, primarily appearing in anthology dramas and musicals before taking on a prominent hosting role. Her work during this period was characterized by guest spots in live productions, reflecting the experimental nature of early network programming. Documentation of her TV credits remains limited, with potential unlisted appearances in other anthology series due to incomplete records from the live broadcast era.[1][9] A key highlight was her role as co-host on the NBC daytime quiz show Feather Your Nest, which aired from 1954 to 1955. In this format, competing couples selected household items they needed and answered trivia questions on topics like home economics and consumer goods to win prizes such as furniture and appliances, emphasizing practical rewards for viewers building nests. Carter collaborated closely with host Bud Collyer, bringing her poised on-camera presence to the proceedings, though the show ran for only one season amid the crowded daytime schedule.[9][10][27] Her acting credits included several anthology and special productions, often in dramatic or musical roles suited to her film noir background. Below is a summary of verified television appearances:| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Suspense (Season 4, Episode 41: "Point Blank") | Unknown | Anthology thriller series on CBS; one confirmed episode amid possible additional uncredited spots from 1949–1954. |
| 1954 | The Best of Broadway (Season 1, Episode 3: "Panama Hattie") | Unknown | CBS musical adaptation; live broadcast of the Cole Porter revue.[28] |
| 1954 | The Sergeant and the Spy | Gizelle | German-language TV movie directed by Roy Rich; romantic drama set in Paris.[29] |
| 1954 | Double Profile (aka Second Face) | Lead (unnamed) | German-language TV movie; suspenseful narrative.[30] |
| 1954–1955 | Feather Your Nest | Hostess | NBC game show; co-hosted with Bud Collyer across the full run.[27] |
| 1955 | The Elgin Hour (Season 1, Episode 9: "Family Meeting") | Rita Forbes | NBC dramatic anthology; her final credited acting role.[31] |