Mary Jane Croft was a diminutive, blond character comedienne who gained recognition for her strident voice and nervous manner, making her an ideal foil to Lucille Ball's antics on TV. She initially appeared on "I Love Lucy" (1951) as "Betty Ramsay" and "Evelyn Bigsby", and later became a regular cast member on "The Lucy Show" (1962) and "Here's Lucy" (1968) as "Mary Jane Lewis".
Born in Muncie, Indiana, Mary Jane began her show business career on the stage with the civic theatre in her hometown. She later acted with the Guild Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, and joined the local radio station WLW, embarking on a lengthy career as a radio actress.
Mary Jane's marriage to fellow actor Jack Zoller led her to move to Los Angeles in 1939. During the 1940s and 1950s, she became one of the most in-demand voice actresses, along with performers Lurene Tuttle, Howard Duff, and Bea Benaderet, whom she befriended. Her forte was comedy, and she acted on various radio shows, including "The Mel Blanc Show" (1946),"The Great Gildersleeve" (1950),"Blondie" (1950),and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1950).
Mary Jane's best-known pre-Lucille role was as "Daisy Enright", the nemesis of "Our Miss Brooks", which starred Eve Arden and Gale Gordon. She re-enacted the part for three seasons in the television series, produced by Desilu.
In 1960, Mary Jane married for the second time, using her newly married name for her character on "The Lucy Show" (1962). By 1965, she had replaced Vivian Vance, who retired from the show, as Lucy's neighbor. Mary Jane's role carried over into the next incarnation of the Desilu franchise, "Here's Lucy" (1968).
After her death in August 1999, Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball's daughter, eulogized her mother's friend Mary Jane, describing her as the antithesis of the dizzy blonde she portrayed on screen and as a fun-loving and joyful spirit.
