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Janet Gaynor (I) (1906–1984)

Actress | Soundtrack

Janet Gaynor was born Laura Gainor on October 6, 1906, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a child, she & her parents moved to San Francisco, California, where she graduated from high school in 1923. She then moved to Los Angeles where she enrolled in a secretarial school. She got a job at a shoe store for the princely sum of $18 per week... See full bio »

Born:

Laura Augusta Gainor
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died:

(age 77) in Palm Springs, California, USA
Still of Janet Gaynor and Dean Jagger in Bernardine Still of Janet Gaynor and George O'Brien in Sunrise
33 photos | 91 news articles »

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Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideActress (62 titles)
1981 The Love Boat (TV series)
Violet Hooper
– Frugal Pair, The/Doc's Dismissal/The Girl Next Door (1981) … Violet Hooper
 
1959 G.E. True Theater (TV series)
Martha Allen
– The Flying Wife (1959) … Martha Allen
 
1957 Bernardine
Mrs. Ruth Wilson
 
1954 Lux Video Theatre (TV series)
Eleanor
– Two Dozen Roses (1954) … Eleanor
 
1953 Medallion Theatre (TV series)
– Dear Cynthia (1953)
 
1938 The Young in Heart
George-Anne Carleton
 
1938 Three Loves Has Nancy
Nancy Briggs
 
1937 A Star Is Born
Esther Victoria Blodgett, aka Vicki Lester
 
1936 Ladies in Love
Martha Kerenye
 
1936 Small Town Girl
Katherine 'Kay' Brannan
 
1935 The Farmer Takes a Wife
Molly Larkins
 
1935 One More Spring
Elizabeth Cheney
 
1934 Servants' Entrance
Hedda Nilsson aka Helga Brand
 
1934 Change of Heart
Catherine Furness
 
1934 Carolina
Joanna Tate
 
1933 Paddy the Next Best Thing
Paddy Adair
 
1933 Adorable
Princess Marie Christine, aka Mitzi
 
1933 State Fair
Margy Frake
 
1932 Tess of the Storm Country
Tess Howland
 
1932 The First Year
Grace Livingston
 
1931 Delicious
Heather Gordon
 
1931 Merely Mary Ann
Mary Ann
 
1931 Daddy Long Legs
Judy Abbott
 
1931 The Man Who Came Back
Angie Randolph
 
1930 High Society Blues
Eleanor Divine
 
1929 Sunnyside Up
Molly Carr
 
1929 Christina
Christina
 
1929 Lucky Star
Mary Tucker
 
1928 4 Devils
Marion
 
1928 Street Angel
Angela
 
1927 Sunrise
The Wife
 
1927 Two Girls Wanted
Marianna Wright
 
1927 The Horse Trader (short) (uncredited)
 
1927 7th Heaven
Diane
 
1926 The Stolen Ranch (uncredited)
 
1926 45 Minutes from Hollywood (short)
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
 
1926 Lazy Lightning (uncredited)
 
1926 Martin of the Mounted (short) (uncredited)
 
1926 The Return of Peter Grimm
Catherine
 
1926 The Midnight Kiss
Mildred Hastings
 
1926 The Blue Eagle
Rose Kelly
 
1926 Pep of the Lazy J (short)
June Adams (uncredited)
 
1926 The Man in the Saddle (uncredited)
 
1926 The Fire Barrier (short)
Mildred King
 
1926 The Shamrock Handicap
Lady Sheila O'Hara
 
1926 Fade Away Foster (short) (uncredited)
 
1926 Skinner's Dress Suit
Party Guest (uncredited)
 
1926 Oh What a Nurse! (uncredited)
 
1926 The Johnstown Flood
Anna Burger
 
1926 The Beautiful Cheat
Undetermined Minor Role (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
 
1926 A Punch in the Nose (short)
Bathing Beauty (uncredited)
 
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Slave Girl (uncredited)
 
1925 Flaming Flappers (short)
One of the Co-Eds (uncredited)
 
1925 The Crook Buster (short) (uncredited)
 
1925 The Plastic Age
Co-ed (uncredited)
 
1925 The Teaser (uncredited)
 
1925 The Burning Trail (uncredited)
 
1925 Dangerous Innocence (uncredited)
 
1925 The Haunted Honeymoon (short) (uncredited)
 
1924 All Wet (short) (uncredited)
 
1924 Young Ideas (uncredited)
 
1924 Cupid's Rustler (uncredited)
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (6 titles)
1990 Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (performer: "Wah! Hoo!")
 
1937 A Star Is Born (performer: "Wah! Hoo!" - uncredited)
 
1933 State Fair (performer: "Romantic" 1933 - uncredited)
 
1931 Delicious (performer: "SOMEBODY FROM SOMEWHERE", "KATINKITSHA")
 
1929 Sunnyside Up (performer: " I'M A DREAMER AREN'T WE ALL?", "SUNNY SIDE UP", "IF I HAD A TALKING PICTURE OF YOU")
 
1929 Happy Days (performer: "We'll Build a Little World of Our Own")
 
Show ShowSelf (13 titles)
1980 Hollywood (TV mini-series documentary)
Herself
– End of an Era (1980) … Herself
– The Man with the Megaphone (1980) … Herself
 
1978 The 50th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Herself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role
 
1972 This Is Your Life (TV series)
Herself
– Mary Martin (1972) … Herself
 
1971 The 43rd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Director
 
1969 Hollywood: The Selznick Years (TV documentary)
Herself (also archive footage)
 
1960 Hedda Hopper's Hollywood (TV documentary)
Herself
 
1957 The 29th Annual Academy Awards (TV special documentary)
Herself - Presenter: Best Picture
 
1954 Person to Person (TV series documentary)
Herself
– Episode #2.6 (1954) … Herself
 
1953 The 25th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Herself - Presenter: Best Actor
 
1941 Meet the Stars #2: Baby Stars (documentary short)
Herself
 
1934 La ciudad de cartón
Herself
 
1929 Happy Days
Herself
 
1926 WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1926 (short)
Herself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (9 titles)
1999-2001 Biography (TV series documentary)
 
1994 A Century of Cinema (documentary)
Herself
 
1975 Brother Can You Spare a Dime (documentary)
 
1975 Hooray for Hollywood (documentary)
Herself
 
1974 Fred Astaire Salutes the Fox Musicals (TV movie)
Herself
 
1965 Hollywood My Home Town (documentary)
Herself
 
1940 Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (documentary short)
 
1939 Land of Liberty
 
1937 Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 1 (documentary short)
Herself
 
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Personal Details

Publicity Listings:

3 Print Biographies  | 53 Magazine Cover Photos  | See more »

Height:

5' (1.52 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[on receiving the first Best Actress Oscar] Naturally, I was thrilled, but being the first year, the Academy Awards had no background or tradition, and it naturally didn't mean what it does now. Had I known then what it would come to mean in the next few years, I'm sure I'd have been overwhelmed. At the time, I think I was more thrilled over meeting Douglas Fairbanks. See more »

Trivia:

As of 2013 Gaynor is the third-youngest actress to have won the Best Actress Academy Award, winning the Oscar at the age of 22, behind only Jennifer Lawrence (also 22) and Marlee Matlin (21). See more »

Nickname:

Lolly See more »

Star Sign:

Libra