Jeanette Loff
Encyclopedia
Jeanette Loff was an American
motion picture actress and singer.
, Loff's mother was Norwegian
and her father was Danish. Later, the family moved to Canada
so that her father might continue his career as a violinist. At the age of 11, Loff played the title role in the play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At 16 she was a lyric soprano
and had the leading role in an operetta, Treasure Hunters. When she was seventeen the family moved to Portland, Oregon
, where Loff completed her musical education at the Ellison and White Conservatory of Music. She played the organ in theaters in Portland as Jan Lov. Sometimes she appeared singing theater prologues during vacations from school.
version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. She was signed to a contract by Cecil B. DeMille
, and was soon cast as in ingénue
roles in almost every instance. This enticed her to take a break from her movie career and perform on stage. Her last screen role before she briefly retired was in the Paul Whiteman
revue, The King of Jazz (1930). She remained under contract to Universal Pictures
for some months but made no additional films. She went to New York City
and appeared in musical plays and with orchestras.
Loff returned to films with a role as a country girl in Mating Time. Her final motion picture performances came in Hide-Out
, Flirtation, and Million Dollar Baby, all from 1934.
On August 4, 1942, Jeanette Loff died of ammonia
poisoning in Los Angeles, California
in 1942. She succumbed in a Hollywood hospital. Beverly Hills, California
the police did not know if she ingested ammonia either accidentally or intentionally. She was buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery
in Glendale, California
. Loff was only thirty five years old.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
motion picture actress and singer.
Early life
Born Janette Lov in Orofino, IdahoOrofino, Idaho
Orofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
, Loff's mother was Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and her father was Danish. Later, the family moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
so that her father might continue his career as a violinist. At the age of 11, Loff played the title role in the play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At 16 she was a lyric soprano
Lyric soprano
A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have...
and had the leading role in an operetta, Treasure Hunters. When she was seventeen the family moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where Loff completed her musical education at the Ellison and White Conservatory of Music. She played the organ in theaters in Portland as Jan Lov. Sometimes she appeared singing theater prologues during vacations from school.
Career
Loff's motion picture career began with an uncredited role in the silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. She was signed to a contract by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
, and was soon cast as in ingénue
Ingenue (stock character)
See also Disingenuous, which is not quite the antonym that it may seem!The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film, and a role type in the theatre; generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent and wholesome. Ingenue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in...
roles in almost every instance. This enticed her to take a break from her movie career and perform on stage. Her last screen role before she briefly retired was in the Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
revue, The King of Jazz (1930). She remained under contract to Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
for some months but made no additional films. She went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and appeared in musical plays and with orchestras.
Loff returned to films with a role as a country girl in Mating Time. Her final motion picture performances came in Hide-Out
Hide-Out
Hide-Out is a 1934 comedy film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Robert Montgomery and Maureen O'Sullivan. It also features a young Mickey Rooney.- Plot :...
, Flirtation, and Million Dollar Baby, all from 1934.
Personal life and death
Loff was married twice; her first marriage was to Harry Rosenbloom, from whom she was divorced in 1929. Later, she wed wholesale liquor dealer Bert 'Noo' Friedlob to whom she remained married until her death.On August 4, 1942, Jeanette Loff died of ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
poisoning in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1942. She succumbed in a Hollywood hospital. Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
the police did not know if she ingested ammonia either accidentally or intentionally. She was buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. Loff was only thirty five years old.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Uncle Tom's Cablin | Undetermined Role | Uncredited |
| My Friend from India | Marion/Ruth Brooks | ||
| 1928 | The Man Without a Face The Man Without a Face (1928 serial) The Man Without a Face is a 1928 adventure film serial directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Allene Ray* Walter Miller* E. H. Calvert* Sojin* Gladden James* Richard Neill... |
||
| Hold 'Em Yale | Helen | Alternative title: At Yale | |
| The Black Ace | |||
| Man-Made Women | Marjorie | ||
| Annapolis | Betty | Alternative title: Branded a Coward | |
| Love Over Night | Jeanette Stewart | ||
| 1929 | The Forty-Five Caliber War | Ruth Walling | Alternative title: 45 Calibre War |
| The Sophomore | Barbara Lange | Alternative title: Compromised | |
| The Racketeer | Millie Chapman | Alternative title: Love's Conquest | |
| 1930 | Party Girl | Ellen Powell | Alternative title: Dangerous Business |
| The Boudoir Diplomat | Greta | ||
| Fighting Thru; or, California in 1878 | Alice Malden | Alternative title: Fightin' Ranch | |
| 1934 | Missouri Nightingale | Lou Morrison, the St. Louis Woman | |
| A Duke for a Day | |||
| Benny, from Panama | Jeanette Foy | ||
| Hide-Out | Blonde #2 | Uncredited | |
| Flirtation | |||
| Million Dollar Baby | Rita Ray | ||