# "She could make a dimpled smile out of a frown" (Lois January,  1912-2006)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-could-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a-frown-lois-january-1912-2006/369484>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 20, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-could-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a-frown-lois-january-1912-2006/369484 "2006-08-20T20:05:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-could-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a-frown-lois-january-1912-2006/369484/1 "2006-08-20T20:05:08Z")

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Another forgotten but pert starlet gone to Starlet Heaven:

> [@](#):
>
> [Lois January](http://imdb.com/name/nm0418363/), 93, redheaded film actress of the 1930s and '40s, died Aug. 7 of Alzheimer’s disease. In “The Wizard of Oz,” playing an Emerald City manicurist, she sang to Dorothy that “we can make a dimpled smile out of a frown.”

She was also the pretty woman holding the Siamese cat in _Oz_, and played such deathless characters as “Chorus Girl,” “Maid,” “Susie’s Brunette Roomate,” and, finally, “Dowager.”

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-could-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a-frown-lois-january-1912-2006/369484/2 "2006-08-21T12:54:46Z")

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Just one Monday-morning bump for the late Miss January.

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-could-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a-frown-lois-january-1912-2006/369484/3 "2006-08-21T13:51:08Z")

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Since no one seems too interested in this thread, I’ll bite.

Nothing really to say about Ms. January in particular, but I’m always fascinated by bios like hers. She does a ton of work in the '30s, one gig in the '40s, nothing in the '50s, two jobs in the 60’s, a few things in the 70’s, and one job in the '80s.

How the heck does that work? Was she trying to get work all those years? If so, it’s pretty sad. Or was she retired? In that case, how did she get _any_ jobs? I always find careers like hers very mysterious.

Anyway, **Eve** , as usual, thanks for not letting the passing of a once sort-of-luminary go unnoticed by the world.