Jane Withers, who passed away at 95 years old on August 7th, was one of Hollywood's greats, who deserves more recognition. She began as a child of prodigious talent, and grew to be a lovely and generous lady. She performed on radio, film, stage, and her commercials as "Josephine the Plumber" for Comet cleanser turned out to be one of the longest-running characters on television.
Her gift for mimicry was splendid, such that during the post-production of Disney's animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) when Mary Wickes passed away, Jane stepped in and finished the role of Laverne the gargoyle, mimicking Mary Wickes' voice and reprising the role in the sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002).
We covered Jane Withers' work here in Paddy O'Day (1935) and Bright Eyes (1934). She and actress Ann Blyth were devoted friends. Jane appeared on an episode of This is Your Life in 1959 that paid tribute to Ann, and Ann appeared on an A&E episode of Biography that paid tribute to Jane Withers in 2003.
From my essay on Paddy O'Day, we leave this image of Jane Withers' gift for friendship, her kindliness, and her loyalty to a newcomer on that movie, Rita Hayworth:
5 comments:
If I am crying, the tears are not sad but grateful that such a soul walked among us.
Such people inspire us and give a also a sense of relief to be reminded that gentleness and kindness are powerful influences.
You almost made me cry with this beautiful tribute.
I'll take a pair of the two-tone pumps, please.
And throw in a pair of the red shoes for good measure.
Thank you, Ruth. And I think Veronica Lake and her shoe advertisement would be pleased.
Post a Comment