Lois January

Lois January

Birth : 1912-10-05, McAllen, Texas, USA

Death : 2006-08-07

History

Lois January was an American actress who performed small roles in several B-movies during the 1930s. Lois also had a secondary part in the Wizard Of Oz, towards the end of the movie, holding a Siamese cat in her arms. Toto jumps out of the basket of the hot air balloon that was supposed to take him, Dorothy and the Wizard away from the Land of Oz. January's first credited role was in 1933, in the film UM-PA. Her most famous role, however, is probably as the Emerald City manicurist in The Wizard of Oz who sings to Dorothy that "we can make a dimpled smile out of a frown". Although the character was unnamed, many fans believe it to be an incarnation of novel character Jellia Jamb. During the 1930s she played in numerous westerns as the heroine, usually opposite Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Steele, Tim McCoy and Bob Baker, among others. In 1935 she starred opposite Reb Russell in Arizona Badman, and in 1936 she starred with Brown in Rogue of the Range, and alongside Tim McCoy in Border Caballero. While under contract with Universal Pictures she continued to play heroine roles in westerns, and in 1937 she starred opposite Bob Baker in Courage of the West. The reissuing of the 1935 exploitation film The Pace That Kills (under the title Cocaine Fiends) would eventually lend January even more exposure, however limited. January's Broadway credits include High Kickers (1941) and Yokel Boy (1939). By the mid-1940s, her starring roles had waned but she continued to act in non-starring parts. In 1942 she was the "poster girl" for Chesterfield cigarettes. From 1960 through 1987 she played numerous small roles on television, to include roles on My Three Sons and Marcus Welby, M.D. Her last acting role was in 1987, on the television movie Double Agent. During the 1980s she attended several western film festivals.

Profile

Lois January

Movies

Double Agent
Dowager
Jason Starr is an international spy. While on a mission there was an altercation and Jason disappears. His boss Vaughn then goes to his twin brother Warren Starbinder, a veterinarian, and asks him to pose as Jason so to complete his mission. Warren agrees to do so but the talk will not be easy since he is not a spy. Warren also cannot tell his wife and family what he's doing which makes it hard for him to explain the peculiar ways he is now behaving.
My Darling Daughters' Anniversary
Nurse
In this sequel, the daughters' anniversary present is the news that their widowed father is about to get remarried.
Three Cheers for the Girls
Brunette in Dressing Room (uncredited)
This short film showcases six production numbers from various Warner Bros. musicals.
Courage of the West
Beth Andrews
Rangers go after bandits holding up Wells Fargo offices.
The Red Rope
Betty Duncan
Brade has hired Rattler Haynes to kill Tom Shaw. But when Shaw intercepts a message between the two, he alters it hoping it will cause the two outlaws to fight each other.
Moonlight on the Range
Wanda Brooks
Tom "Killer" Dane kills Jeff's friend, who then pursues him. Jeff and Dane are look-alike half brothers, which allows Dane to make a raid dressed like Jeff. Jeff is arrested, but before Dane's henchman can organize a lynch mob, Fuzzy breaks him out and Jeff heads after Dane again.
The Trusted Outlaw
Molly Clark
Dan Ward, reformed and last member of an outlaw family, meets Molly Clark in a rocky draw near town. Ted Wells, a henchman for Dan's enemy Jim Swain, attempts to shoot Dan but is outdrawn and killed by the latter. Molly disappears and Dan learns that she and Wells had ridden there together. Sheriff Bob Larimer tells Dan that Molly is in love with Bert Gilmore and tried to have him ambushed. Dan takes a risky job with mine owner Pember of getting the $10,000 payroll through to the mine. Swain suspects that Dan is carrying the payroll, but his gang is unable to stop Dan. Betty Pember disregards Dan's warning that the hills are filled with Swain's men and she starts for town. She is kidnapped by Gilmore and Molly and Dan ride to her rescue.
Bar-Z Bad Men
Beth Harvey
Jim Waters arrives at Ed Parks' ranch to find Parks' cattle herd mysteriously increased. Hamp Harvey has been losing cattle and he suspects Parks. But the culprit is Harvey's foreman Brent who gets his orders from the town's leading citizen Sig Barstell. Barstell wants Harvey's ranch and after trying to frame Harvey by killing Parks, Waters takes over and goes after both the killer and the rustlers.
Lightnin' Crandall
Sheila Shannon
Cowboy with a reputation as the fastest gun in Texas heads to Arizona to leave his past behind, but it keeps catching up to him.
The Roaming Cowboy
Jeannie Morgan
Two cowboys come upon a boy whose father has just been murdered. They promise to help find his killers.
One Rainy Afternoon
Mr. Perelin's Secretary
Suave French actor Philippe Martin provokes a scandal when, in a darkened theater, he mistakes young Monique for his mistress, Yvonne, and tries to kiss her. Charged with assault, the quick-thinking Philippe claims it's French tradition to do as he did, and is let go. To his surprise, Philippe learns that Monique has paid his fine. As the tabloids exploit the situation, Monique dates Philippe, until a photo appears of him kissing Yvonne.
Rogue of the Range
Stella Lamb
Doran and the Sheriff have a scheme to bring in an outlaw gang. Doran is sent to prison so he and the gang leader Mitchell can break out. This gets him into the gang but he is in trouble when it's revealed he is working with the Sheriff.
Lightnin' Bill Carson
Dolores Costello
A lawman captures the notorious "Pecos Kid", who is tried and hanged for his crimes--then starts to have doubts as to whether the Kid actually committed the crimes.
Border Caballero
Goldie Harris
Tex Weaver is working under cover to bring in a gang of bank robbers. When he is killed, Tim Ross, a marksman with Doc Shaw's traveling show, takes over. Posing as a Mexican he lays a trap for the gang.
Skull and Crown
Barbara Franklin
Rin-Tin-Tin brings the killer of his mistress to justice.
The Pace That Kills
Jane Bradford
Drug dealer on the run from the law meets an innocent young girl and her brother, and turns them into “cocaine fiends”.
Society Fever
Julie Prouty
A mother starts to get worried when she finds out that some wealthy friends have been invited to dinner with her somewhat screwball family.
Stolen Harmony
Girl in Sextette (uncredited)
Band leader Jack Conrad is impressed by prison inmate Ray Ferrera on saxophone. Conrad hires Ray to join his band and tour upon his release. Ray hooks up with Jean, a dancer in the show, and the two become a successful dance act. However, when an ex-inmate buddy of Ray's robs the tour bus, Ray is suspected of wrongdoing by Jack and the others in the group. After a gang of thugs hijacks the tour bus, Ray tries to use his street smarts to redeem his reputation.
Arizona Bad Man
Lucy Dunston
The daughter of a notorious cattle thief falls for a stranger at a dance. The stranger is really a lawman who is after her father.
Life Returns
Nurse
A doctor who has spent his career working on ways to revive the dead sees his chance to prove his theory by performing his procedures on a recently deceased dog.
The Human Side
High School Girl (uncredited)
The story of a theatrical producer, his divorced wife and their four children.
Tripping Through the Tropics
Sally
Frank Albertson's father wants his son to marry Lois January, but they really are only friends. Frank watches Lois doing a hooch dance at a secret tropical ritual, and he quickly changes his mind and falls for her fleshy charms.
Let's Talk It Over
Alice
A young sailor saves a woman from drowning. The woman turns out to be a rich heiress; unfortunately for the sailor, she was only pretending to be drowning so that another young man she had her eye on would save her.
Susie's Affairs
Susie's Brunette Roommate
Susie and her pals pretend they're society swells.
School for Romance
Student
Count Romansky is a newspaper columnist who specializes in romance issues. When he loses his job, he opens up a school where he instructs his pretty pupils on affairs of the heart.
By Candlelight
Ann
A beautiful woman mistakes a Prince's butler for the Prince.
Umpa
Nurse
Dialogue and songs are all in rhyme (including one identical song), in the manner of later Columbia film "The Women Haters." Jack Osterman is smitten with a woman on a park bench, and cannot stop saying the word "Umpa" for the rest of the film, which involves his treatment by a doctor and his singing and dancing temptress nurses.
Show Business
Showgirl on Train (uncredited)
The girls and their pet monkey create havoc on board a train carrying a traveling Broadway troupe.
Too Many Women
Girl in White Wool Hat (uncredited)
College baseball player Mickey Daniels can't keep his mind on the game when he's got an eye for the ladies.