Dorothy Janis

Dorothy Janis (February 19, 1912 – March 10, 2010) was an American silent film actress. Born as Dorothy Penelope Jones in Dallas, Texas, her short film career began when she was visiting a cousin, who was working on a film for Fox Film Corporation in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at once and she was asked to make a screen test. Janis went on to make five films: four silents and one talkie. The one talkie was Lummox (1930) based on the Fannie Hurst novel. This film, released by United Artists, only exists as a single nitrate print at the British Film Institute. Janis was best known for playing opposite Ramon Novarro in the MGM film The Pagan (1929), for which MGM publicity portrayed her as half-Cherokee. The Pagan, directed by W. S. Van...