Jane Keithley ~ The Doomed Starlet

 

Jane Keithley was a beautiful 1930s starlet who died tragically young

She was born Jane Neave Keithley on April 12, 1908 in Kansas City, Missouri. Jane was one of six children. When she was ten her family moved to Michigan City, Indiana. Sadly her father, Herbert Keithley, died in 1921. After high school she attended the University Of Chicago and worked as a stenographer. In 1928 she took a trip to Hollywood and decided to stay. She got a job as a secretary at Paramount studios. One day producer David O. Selznick spotted her and gave her a screen test. The lovely blonde made her film debut in the 1930 musical Paramount On Parade. Jane was chosen to be a Goldwyn Girl and appeared in the musical Whoopee. Then she was offered a five year contract at Fox.

With Milton Sills in The Sea Wolf

Director Alfred Santell gave her a starring role in the 1930 drama The Sea Wolf (she was billed as Jane Keith). During filming she and Alfred started dating. Unfortunately her acting career never took off. Her final film was the 1933 drama Luxury Liner. On May 26, 1934 she married Alfred in Yuma, Arizona. The couple had four children - Barbara, Linda, Allen, and Evan. Their marriage was rocky and they separated numerous times. She filed for divorce in 1942 but they reconciled the following year. In August of 1944 she became very ill and was hospitalized. Tragically on September 13, 1944 she died from a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Jane was only thirty-six years old. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

With her husband Alfred Santell