Dorothy Janis' short film career began when she was visiting a cousin,
who was working on a film at Fox in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at
once and she was asked to test for a role. She made several films,
silents and talkies. She is best known for her
performance opposite Ramon Novarro in The Pagan (MGM, 1929). She retired at the age
of twenty and married bandleader Wayne King in 1932.
Her children are named Penelope "Penny" and Wayne.
When she first started working as an actress, Metro introduced her as 18 years old and half Cherokee, neither of which was true (she was underage at the time).
Her one and only talkie, "Lummox", still survives at the British Film Institute as a nitrate print. Sound discs survive at UCLA.
Her cousin worked as an extra in movies. When she was in high school, she came with her cousin to work, which is where studio bosses recognized her beauty and offered her a job.