Mary Jane Frehse (July 18, 1915 – September 6, 1985),
Professional life
Jane, age six, and her 12-year-old sister Ruth formed a singing
vaudeville act known as
The Frazee Sisters.
[ The New York Times Biography of Jane Frazee] The act broke up in 1940, when Jane landed a leading role in the
B film Melody and Moonlight (1940)
for Republic Pictures. Shortly after the film's release she was signed by Universal Pictures and was featured in
Buck Privates, the high-grossing 1941
comedy film/World War II film starring
Bud Abbott and
Lou Costello. The strong impression she made in that film elevated her to leading-lady roles in Universal's popular "B" musicals, usually appearing opposite
Robert Paige. She left Universal in late 1942, when she married actor-director
Glenn Tryon, who was 16 years her senior. The actress was still very much in demand and returned to Republic for more musicals. She also appeared frequently in budget features for Columbia Pictures.
After World War II, most of the larger Hollywood studios curtailed their lower-budget productions and produced fewer features. This affected scores of actors, who sought refuge at the smaller studios that had been making low-budget features all along. Thus, Jane Frazee found steady if unprestigious work at Monogram Pictures and Lippert Pictures, in addition to her Republic duties. This led to the even lower-budgeted and faster-paced field of westerns, and television (including the early adventure series Adventures of Superman).
The actress ended her screen career co-starring in produced by Warner Brothers. These were the popular Joe McDoakes comedies starring George O'Hanlon. The 10-minute shorts were domestic sketches noted for their wild comic exaggeration, and Frazee (who appeared without billing) earned her laughs with excellent comedy timing. The series lapsed in 1956.
Personal life and death
On May 28, 1942, Frazee married associate producer Glenn Tryon in Yuma, Arizona.
They were divorced on April 16, 1947, in Las Vegas, Nevada,
and had one son, Timothy. On April 24, 1948, Frazee married Whitey Christensen, a screen double for Roy Rogers, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Frazee died of pneumonia at the Flagship Health Center in Newport Beach, California in 1985, aged 70.
Filmography
Billed with sister Ruth as The Frazee Sisters
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Captain Blue Blood (1935)
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Study and Understudy (1936)
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Up in Lights (1938)
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Rollin' in Rhythm (1939)
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Pharmacy Frolics (1939)
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Arcade Varieties (1939)
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Swing Styles (1939)
Films
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Melody and Moonlight (1940)
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Music in the Morgan Manner (1941) (as Herself)
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Buck Privates (1941)
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Angels with Broken Wings (1941)
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San Antonio Rose (1941)
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Sing Another Chorus (1941)
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Moonlight in Hawaii (1941)
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Hellzapoppin' (1941)
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Don't Get Personal (1942)
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What's Cookin'? (1942)
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Almost Married (1942)
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Moonlight Masquerade (1942)
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Get Hep to Love (1942)
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Moonlight in Havana (1942)
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When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942)
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Hi'ya, Chum (1943)
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Keep 'Em Slugging (1943) (in footage from Hi'ya, Chum)
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Rhythm of the Islands (1943)
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Beautiful but Broke (1944)
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Cowboy Canteen (1944)
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Rosie the Riveter (1944)
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Swing in the Saddle (1944)
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Kansas City Kitty (1944)
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She's a Sweetheart (1944)
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Practically Yours (1944)
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The Big Bonanza (1944)
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Ten Cents a Dance (1945)
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Swingin' on a Rainbow (1945)
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George White's Scandals (1945)
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A Guy Could Change (1946)
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Calendar Girl (1947)
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Springtime in the Sierras (1947)
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On the Old Spanish Trail (1947)
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The Gay Ranchero (1948)
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Under California Stars (1948)
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Incident (1948)
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Grand Canyon Trail (1948)
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Last of the Wild Horses (1948)
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Rhythm Inn (1951)
Joe McDoakes short subjects
Jane Frazee co-starred as Joe's wife Alice, without screen credit:
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So You Want to Be Your Own Boss (1954)
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So You Want to Go to a Nightclub (1954)
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So You're Taking in a Roomer (1954)
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So You Want to Know Your Relatives (1954)
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So You Don't Trust Your Wife (1955)
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So You Want to Be a Gladiator (1955)
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So You Want a Model Railroad (1955)
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So You Think the Grass is Greener (1956)
External links
