Person Biography:
Jane Kean was a talented and vivacious entertainer who enjoyed a career spanning over six decades. Born on April 10, 1923, in Hartford, Connecticut, she began her career in show business at a young age. Her mother, a strong influence, encouraged her and her sister Betty to pursue careers in the performing arts.
Kean started her professional career on the stage, making her debut in the musical "Hi Ya, Gentlemen!" at the Colonial Theatre in Boston. She then transitioned to film, appearing in the Republic musical "Sailors on Leave" (1941) and the musical "Flying with Music" (1942). Her breakthrough role came in the Broadway musical "Early to Bed" (1943),where she starred alongside Richard Kollmar.
Kean's early success led to her becoming a popular nightclub duo with her sister Betty, known as "Betty & Jane Kean." They performed singing, dancing, and comedy, and also worked together on Broadway in the musicals "Along Fifth Avenue" (1949) and "Ankles Aweigh" (1955).
Kean's career continued to flourish, with appearances on TV variety shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Jackie Gleason Show." She also headlined her own vaudeville act, performing in London's Palladium in 1956.
In the 1960s, Kean was asked to join the cast of "The Honeymooners" as Trixie Norton, a role she played until the show's conclusion. She also appeared in numerous stage productions, including "The Pajama Game," "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?," and "Follies."
Kean's television credits included guest appearances on popular shows such as "The Danny Thomas Show," "The Lucy Show," and "Love, American Style." She also lent her voice to several animated films, including "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" (1962) and "Pete's Dragon" (1977).
Throughout her life, Kean remained active in the entertainment industry, performing on the dinner theatre circuit, at college campuses, and on cruise lines. In 2012, at the age of 89, she appeared in her own one-woman show, "An Evening with Jane Kean."
Kean passed away on November 26, 2013, at the age of 90, due to complications from a stroke. She was married twice, first to Richard Linkroum and then to her manager, Joe Hecht, and did not have any children.
