Lois January

infobox actress

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birthdate=birth date|1913|10|5
birthplace=McAllen, Texas
deathdate=death date and age|2006|8|7|1913|10|5
deathplace=Los Angeles, California
occupation=Film, television actress

Lois January (October 5, 1913 – August 7, 2006) was an American actress who performed small roles in several B-movies during the 1930s. She was born in McAllen, Texas. Her first credited role was in 1933, in the film "UM-PA".

A youthful beauty, she is probably best remembered 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" and also as the woman holding the cat who causes Toto to run out of the hot air balloon at the end of the film. However, she had many roles during her Hollywood acting career. 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 Cabellero". While on 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".

Her career slowed in the way of starring roles by the mid-1940s, but she continued to act. 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. She died in Los Angeles, California of Alzheimer's on August 7th, 2006.

External links

*imdb|0418363
*amg name|2:35238
* [http://www.b-westerns.com/ladies17.htm B-western heroines, Lois January]