Actress. A gorgeous redheaded model of the 1940s, she went on to appear in a number of Hollywood features. Raised mostly in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she moved to New York in 1939 seeking a career in modelling and achieved success with the upscale William Thornton Agency. A sought-after dress model, she posed for many of the ‘cheesecake’ photos popular during World War II. Mary Jane made her silver screen bow in 1942’s “Du Barry Was a Lady”, then was seen in a number of movies, some of them classics, including the 1943 “Girl Crazy”, “Ziegfeld Follies” (1945), 1946’s “Till the Clouds Roll By”, the 1947 “This Time for Keeps”, 1949’s “Annie Get Your Gun”, and “Showboat” and “An American in Paris” (both 1951). In 1952, Mary Jane earned her final credit with “Because You’re Mine”, married a wealthy physican, and retired from show business. She devoted herself to her family, was active in supporting the March of Dimes and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, lived out her days in far Northern California, and died of the effects heart disease. A number of her movies are preserved on DVD. (bio by: Bob Hufford)