Janis Carter

Janis Carter, born Janis Elinore Dremann on October 10, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, was an American stage, film, and television actress whose career spanned from the late 1930s through the mid-1950s. She adopted the surname Carter professionally because audiences found Dremann difficult to pronounce and spell, choosing instead her grandmother's maiden name. Carter died on July 30, 1994, in Durham, North Carolina, from a heart attack at the age of 80.

Carter's early education took place in East Cleveland, Ohio, and she went on to attend Flora Stone Mather College at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where she earned both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of music degree. She also participated in dramatics during her college years. Her musical training began with the piano, though she transitioned to singing at the age of eight.

Following her graduation, Carter traveled to New York with the intention of pursuing a career in opera. When that path proved unsuccessful, she turned to Broadway, appearing in productions between 1937 and 1940. Her stage credits included Virginia (1937), Du Barry Was a Lady (1939), I Married an Angel, and Panama Hattie (1940), the latter two being musicals. It was during her time on Broadway that producer Darryl F. Zanuck spotted her and signed her to a film contract.

Carter subsequently relocated to Hollywood, where she appeared in more than 30 films beginning in 1941, working with studios including 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, and RKO. Among her film appearances were Night Editor (1946) and Framed (1947), both opposite Glenn Ford, and Flying Leathernecks (1951) alongside John Wayne.

After her Hollywood career, Carter returned to New York and worked in television, appearing in comedies and dramas. She also co-hosted the NBC daytime game show Feather Your Nest with Bud Collyer. Her final acting credit was a January 1955 episode of The Elgin Hour.

In 1942, Carter married Carl Prager, a musician and composer; the marriage ended in divorce nine years later. She retired from acting in early 1955 following her meeting with Julius Stulman, a New York lumber and shipping businessman, whom she married in 1956.