Jane Dulo

Jane Dulo, born Bernice Dewlow on October 13, 1917, in Baltimore, Maryland, was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, and decades of television work. She died on May 22, 1994, following heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 76.

Dulo was the elder of two daughters born to Lawrence Dewlow, a Latvian immigrant, and Nettie Lurie, who was of Lithuanian descent. The family was Jewish. She began performing in vaudeville at the age of ten, adopting Dulo as her stage name. As her career developed, a New York agent directed her to perform under the name Jane Dillon, which she used in nightclub engagements in Baltimore and New York. That name was abandoned when a radio commentator named Jane Dillon, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, threatened legal action after Dulo appeared under that name in Philadelphia. She returned permanently to the Dulo surname.

Her Broadway credit came in 1945 with the musical Are You With It?, which had its Philadelphia tryout before reaching New York. The production marked her sole appearance on the Broadway stage.

Television became the primary arena for Dulo's subsequent career. In 1964 she joined The Jack Benny Program in a recurring role as Benny's cook. She also held a recurring role as nurse Molly on McHale's Navy from 1962 to 1965, and beginning in the fourth season of Get Smart she recurred as the mother of Agent 99. Among the many other series on which she appeared were Hey Jeannie!, The Phil Silvers Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, My Three Sons, Leave It to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, Medical Center, The Odd Couple, That Girl, Welcome Back Kotter, The Golden Girls, Emergency!, and Gimme a Break!.

Dulo never married. She was survived by her sister, Shirley Gordon.