Jane and Katherine Lee
American actresses
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jane Lee (1912–1957) and Katherine Lee (1909–1968), sisters, were child stars in silent motion pictures and vaudeville theatre.[1] They were also known as the "Baby Grands", "Lee Kids", or the "Fox Kiddies" for their appearances in Fox Film productions.[2]
Jane Lee | |
|---|---|
Katherine and Jane Lee (left) | |
| Born | February 15, 1912 |
| Died | March 7, 1957 (aged 45) |
| Years active | 1914-1951 |
| Known for | Famous child actor for silent films and vaudeville theatre |
| Spouse | James E. Grant (1933-1937) divorced |
Katherine Lee | |
|---|---|
Katherine (right and Jane Lee | |
| Born | February 14, 1909 |
| Died | 1968 New York City, U.S. |
| Years active | 1913-1924 |
| Known for | Famous child actor for silent films and vaudeville theatre |
| Spouse | Ray Miller |
The Lee sisters were the children of American juggler Tommy Banahan and Irene Lee, an Irish dancer and occasional actor.[3][4][5] During Tommy and Irene's European tour, Katherine was born in Berlin, Germany on February 14, 1909, and Jane born February 15, 1912, in either Dublin, Ireland,[3] or Glasgow, Scotland.[6] The sisters appeared in the original Neptune's Daughter, filmed in 1914. In 1915, Jane appeared with Valeska Suratt in The Soul of Broadway at Fox Studios. They both appeared in A Daughter of the Gods (1916), with Katherine's dramatic performance earning praise as a "child prodigy" and a "three-foot Fiske."[7] In 1917, Jane and Katherine starred in two of Fox's "kiddie films", Troublemakers and Two Little Imps.[8]
They appeared in Swat the Spy (1918), Tell It to the Marines (1918), and Smiles (1919). In 1919, they made the list of the Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll.[9]
Jane and Katherine continued performing in vaudeville throughout the 1920s and into early 1930s; their act as adults was filmed by Warner Bros. for Vitaphone Billboard (1936).[10] Jane later had uncredited roles in the sound motion pictures Knock on Any Door (1949), Cheaper By the Dozen (1950), and Comin' Round The Mountain (1951).[2]
Jane married actor James E. Grant in New York on April 5, 1933,[11] and they divorced in 1937.[12] She died in New York's St. Clare's Hospital on March 7, 1957; her married name at the time was St. John.[1] Katherine married Ray Miller of New York,[13] and died in 1968.[6]


Partial filmography


| Year | Title | Appearance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | The Return of Tony | Katherine | |
| 1914 | The Scales of Justice | Katherine | |
| 1914 | The Old Rag Doll | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1914 | When the Heart Calls | Jane and Katherine | Short |
| 1914 | Neptune's Daughter | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1914 | His Prior Claim | Jane | Short |
| 1915 | A Life in the Balance | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1915 | The Studio of Life | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1915 | The Clemenceau Case | Jane | |
| 1915 | Tony | Jane | |
| 1915 | The Devil's Daughter | Jane | |
| 1915 | The Magic Toy Maker | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1915 | Silver Threads Among the Gold | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1915 | The Soul of Broadway | Jane | |
| 1915 | The Galley Slave | Jane | |
| 1916 | A Daughter of the Gods | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1916 | Daredevil Kate | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1916 | A Wife's Sacrifice | Jane | |
| 1916 | The Ragged Princess | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1916 | Romeo and Juliet | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1916 | Her Double Life | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1916 | Love and Hate | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1917 | Trouble Makers | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1917 | The Small Town Girl | Jane | |
| 1917 | Patsy | Jane | |
| 1917 | A Child of the Wild | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1917 | Two Little Imps | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1917 | Sister Against Sister | Jane | |
| 1918 | American Buds | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1918 | Dixie Madcaps | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1918 | Swat the Spy | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1918 | Tell It to the Marines | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1919 | Smiles | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1919 | Love Us, Love Our Dog | Jane and Katherine | |
| 1922 | A Pair of Aces | Jane and Katherine | Short |
| 1924 | The Side Show of Life | Katherine | |
| 1936 | Vitaphone Billboard | Jane and Katherine | Vaudeville short, as adults |
| 1949 | Knock on Any Door | Jane | Uncredited |
| 1950 | Cheaper by the Dozen | Jane | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Comin' Round the Mountain | Jane | Uncredited |
See also
- Madeline and Marion Fairbanks, identical twin actresses in film and theatre
- The Duncan Sisters, American vaudeville duo