Jane Withers

Child star turned character actress Jane Withers had an uncanny ability to make audiences laugh, sing and dance along with her throughout her illustrious career. She rose to prominence in the 1930s as the bratty young actress who bullied Shirley Temple in the film "Bright Eyes," which helped her land a contract with 20th Century Fox. Withers also gave Temple a run for her money as that era's biggest child star, often cast as the girl who could beat the boys at their own game. She had her first starring role in "Ginger" (1935), as an orphan who was far from helpless. After a break from the film industry, Wither reemerged in the 1960s as a character actor on television, as well as played Josephine the Plumber in a long-running series of advertisements for Comet cleanser. Withers' portrayal of a cheery female plumber and housewife not only helped boost sales for the product, but also established the hardworking and talented actress as a cultural icon who survived her childhood stardom to become a beloved personality on the big and small screen.