Jane and Katherine Lee

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	(1912-02-15)February 15, 1912 Dublin, Ireland or Glasgow, Scotland
Died	March 7, 1957(1957-03-07) (aged 45) Saint Clare's Hospital, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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	(1909-02-14)February 14, 1909 Berlin, Germany
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] In 1919, the Lee sisters made the list in the Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll.^[9]

The Lee sisters continued to act in silent films through 1919. They appeared in Swat the Spy (1918), Tell It to the Marines (1918), and Smiles (1919). Jane and Katherine continued performing in vaudeville throughout the 1920s and into early 1930s. 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,^[10] and they divorced in 1937.^[11] 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,^[12] and died in 1968.^[6]

Doing Their Bit (1918) lantern slide

Smiles (1919) lantern silde

Partial filmography

Jane and Katherine starred in Trouble Makers (1917)

Jane and Katherine in Tell It to the Marines (1918)

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
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

References

1. "Jane Lee Is Dead at 45". The New York Times. March 20, 1957. p. 37. Mrs. St. John Was Child Film Star Forty Years Ago
2. Massa, Steve (2017). Slapstick Divas: The Women of Silent Comedy. BearManor Media. pp. 1836–1842.
3. Fitzpatrick, Kevin C. (March 19, 2015). "Thomas Banahan, The Forgotten Stage Dad". fitzpatrickauthor.com.
4. Lysaght, Dan J. (June 15, 1924). "Misses novelty acts". The Standard Union. p. 25.
5. "The Fearless "Lee Kids"". Motography. Vol. 15, no. 21. May 20, 1916. p. 1158.
6. Liebman, Roy (2015). Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts. McFarland. pp. 368–369. ISBN 9781476609362.
7. "Baby Actress a Prodigy". The Washington Times. December 31, 1916. p. 6 – via Library of Congress.
8. Solomon, Aubrey (2014). The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography. McFarland. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-786-48610-6.
9. Weaver, William R. (September 28, 1940). "The money-making stars of a quarter of a century". Motion Picture Herald. pp. 123–124.
10. "Marriages". Variety. April 11, 1933. p. 51.
11. "News from the Dailies: Coast". Variety. Vol. 127, no. 10. August 18, 1937. p. 78. James Grant, screen player, won a divorce from Jane Lee, actress, in L.A.
12. Vazzana, Eugene Michael (1995). Silent Film Necrology: Births and Deaths of Over 9000 Performers, Directors, Producers, and Other Filmmakers of the Silent Era, Through 1993. McFarland. p. 193. ISBN 9780786401321.

External links

• Media related to Jane and Katherine Lee at Wikimedia Commons
• Jane Lee at IMDb
• Katherine Lee at IMDb
• Jane and Katherine Lee in a clip from Dixie Madcaps on YouTube