Biography for
Betty Jane Watson More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Birth Name

Mini Biography

Cousin of Jean Stapleton. Daughter of James R. Watson and Elizabeth Jane Stapleton Watson. Attended Lincoln Junior High School, Rockford, Illinois. Studied voice at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, Illinois. She made her Broadway debut in 1944 when she succeeded 'Joan Roberts' in the role of Laurey in "Oklahoma!". She toured in the role from 1944 to 1946, then played it in London in 1947. Other New York musical roles include leading roles in "Toplitzky of Notre Dame" (1946-47), and three shows in 1948: "Sleepy Hollow," the revue "Hilarities," and "As The Girls Go." She took over for Mary Hatcher during the run of "Texas, Li'l Darlin'" (1949), and took over for Martha Raye as Annie during a 1958 NYC City Center revival of "Annie Get Your Gun". She substituted (May 1961) for Lucille Ball as Wildcat Jackson in "Wildcat" and later succeeded Miss Ball in the same role; she also appeared on Broadway in the Noel Coward musical "Sail Away" (1961). She starred in summer stock theatrical productions of such musicals as "South Pacific" (1955), "The Pajama Game" (1958), and "Annie Get Your Gun" (1961). She also was a popular night club performer. She made numerous television guest appearances during the 1950s and 1960s.

Spouse

	You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.
	With our Resume service you can add photos and build a complete resume to help you achieve the best possible presentation on the IMDb. Click here to add your resume and/or your photos to IMDb.

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z