Jane Bryan

JANE BRAYAN

American actress.

One of the failed stars of the past (Zita Johann, Sidney Fox, and others) who were in the spotlight in the 1930s but then disappeared from movie screens.

Jane Bryan was born on June 11, 1918, in Hollywood.

She began her acting career in a B picture, but her talent was noticed by the famous Bette Davis and she rushed to make her protégé. Together they played in four films. In addition, her frequent partners on the set were Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan and Edward J. Robinson.

Her film career lasted only four years, but during that time she managed to appear in such films as The Clockwork Woman (1937), Kid Galahad (1937), A Simple Murder Case (1938), Sisters (1938), Every Morning I Die (1939), The Old Maid (1939) and others.

Warner Bros. wanted to make Jane one of Hollywood's leading actresses, but in 1940 she married the head of the Rexall Drug Company, Justin Dart, and stopped acting. Their marriage lasted until Justin's death in 1984.

Her stepson, Justin Dart, Jr. (1930-2002), was a disability rights activist and consultant in writing the Americans with Disabilities Rights Act in 1990.

Along with her husband and her friend Bette Davis, Jane was actively involved in the promotion of Ronald Reagan first for governor and then president of the United States.

The actress died at her home in Pebble Beach, California, on April 8, 2009, after a long illness. She is survived by her three children, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two brothers.