Jane Baxter (1909 - 1996)

In Hollywood's Golden Age there were many candidates for the title Queen of the B's: Evelyn Ankers, Ann Southern, Glenda Farrell to name a few. These were the ladies who toiled away in supporting pictures, rarely getting a chance to appear in an A movie. There are fewer candidates for a British Queen, but one of the most memorable of those whose work was largely quota was Jane Baxter.

Since Jane Baxter occupied a lowly place in the celebrity hierarchy, the details of her life are sketchy. She was born in Germany to an English father and a half-English mother. following the father's death the family returned to England. She was on stage by 1925 and made her first film in 1930. Her first husband, the racing driver Clive Dunfee, died in a crash in 1932.

Her work in British films got her noticed by Hollywood. Like so many of her contemporaries, she went over there, did a couple of films, didn't like it and came back. And like so many of her contemporaries, she preferred the stage to the studio. Her film career petered out, but she kept working in the theatre.

There were many nice, posh girls in 30s cinema – far too many for most people's taste – but Jane Baxter was one of the best. She was sparky, fun and gracious: a pleasure to spend time with.  

Filmography