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Jane Withers

Jane Withers

Actor · Died August 7, 2021, aged 95 · Atlanta, Georgia, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jane Withers (April 12, 1926 – August 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and singer. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress at the age of 3, Withers was a Young Artist Award–Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award honoree, best known for being one of the most popular child film stars of the 1930s and early 1940s, as well as for her portrayal of "Josephine the Plumber" in a series of TV commercials for Comet cleanser in the 1960s and early 1970s, and probably best known for playing the obnoxious Joy Smythe in the film Bright Eyes, where she paired with Shirley Temple.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 12, 1926
Died
August 7, 2021 (aged 95)
From
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on Motif · 61 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 11% in 30 days

What are Jane Withers' films like?

Across their 8 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
23%
Society
23%
Survival
13%
Self
4%
Power
4%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Warm
3
Hopeful
2
Melancholic
2
Joyful
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jane Withers' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 16 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Jane Withers' titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

61 credits, 16 with a Motif page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame II(2002)

    as Gargoyle Laverne (voice)

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1996)

    as Additional Laverne Dialogue (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Alma Sobel · as Marge Allen

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Hart to Hart (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Gladys

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • ABC Weekend Specials (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • All Together Now (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    as Helen Drummond

  • The Munsters(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · as Fanny Pike

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Captain Newman, M.D.(1963)

    as Lt. Grace Blodgett

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Edith Swinney

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Right Approach (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    as Liz Fargo

  • Pete and Gladys (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Heart Is a Rebel(1958)

    as Grace

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Armored Attack! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    as as Clavdia Kurin

  • Giant(1956)

    as Vashti Synthe

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty Hamilton · as Sue Ann Baines

  • Danger Street(1947)

    as Pat Marvin

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Affairs of Geraldine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    as Geraldine Cooper

  • Peeks at Hollywood (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    Actor

  • Faces in the Fog (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mary Elliott

  • My Best Gal (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    as Kitty O'Hara

  • The North Star(1943)

    as Clavdia Kurin

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Johnny Doughboy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Ann Winters / Penny Ryan

  • The Mad Martindales (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Kathy Martindale

  • Young America (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Jane Campbell

  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • Small Town Deb (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    Writer · as Patricia Randall

  • A Very Young Lady (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Kitty Russell

  • Her First Beau (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Penelope 'Penny' Wood

  • Golden Hoofs (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Jane Drake

  • Youth Will Be Served (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Eadie-May

  • The Girl from Avenue A (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jane

  • Shooting High (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jane Pritchard

  • High School (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jane Wallace

  • Pack Up Your Troubles(1939)

    as Colette

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Chicken Wagon Family (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Addie Fippany

  • Boy Friend (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sally Murphy

  • The Arizona Wildcat (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mary Jane Patterson

  • Always in Trouble (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Geraldine "Jerry" Darlington

  • Keep Smiling (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Jane Rand

  • Rascals (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Gypsy

  • Checkers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Checkers

  • 45 Fathers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Judy

  • Wild and Woolly (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Arnette Flynn

  • Angel's Holiday (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as June 'Angel' Everett

  • The Holy Terror (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Corky

  • Can This Be Dixie? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Peg Gurgle

  • Pepper (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Pepper Jolly

  • Little Miss Nobody (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Judy Devlin

  • Gentle Julia (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Florence Atwater

  • Paddy O'Day (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Paddy O'Day

  • This Is the Life (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Geraldine Revier

  • The Farmer Takes a Wife(1935)

    as Della

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Ginger (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Ginger

  • The Good Fairy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Girl in Orphanage (uncredited)

  • Bright Eyes(1934)

    as Joy Smythe

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Imitation of Life(1934)

    as Peola's Frontrow Classmate (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Buddy's Garage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    as Cookie (voice) (uncredited)

  • Buddy's Day Out (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    as Cookie / Elmer (voice) (uncredited)

  • Mary Stevens, M.D.(1933)

    as Little Girl in Lobby (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Zoo in Budapest (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    as Little Girl at Zoo (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 61 titles from 1933 to 2002; peak year 2002.

Biggest box office

Giant (1956)

$33M worldwide

Highest rated

Giant (1956)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

19332002

Peak 2002 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting61 of 61: 60 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thWriting1 of 61: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1930s27 · acting1940s18 · 18 acting · 1 crew1950s4 · acting1960s5 · acting1970s4 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Jane Withers' films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 16 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

The Heart Is a Rebel (1958)

69th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Giant (1956)

Midcredits 95th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jane Withers work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jane Withers' Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Edwin J. Burke shares the most, 2.

Writers

Composers

Producers