Jane Webb

Jane Karyl Webb¹ (August 13, 1925 – March 30, 2010) was an American film, radio, and voice actress, best known for her work on Filmation's cartoons.

Webb's mother was Estelle Sigrid Webb, a Swedish immigrant who was an operatic soprano and performed at the Metropolitan Opera and Boston Opera House.²³⁴ She also opened a municipal opera in St. Louis.⁴ Her father James Howard Webb, known as Dr. Basil Webb, is a playwright who wrote and directed plays at the Hippodrome Theater in Chicago.¹⁴ Webb's brother John Webb performed in London and New York; her uncle Maurice Webb was University of London's president.⁴ She is a descendant of Walter Webb, who used to accompany George Washington on his surveying trips.⁵⁶

Raised in University City, Missouri, Webb studied at St. Mary's High School and Arcadia Convents at St. Louis.⁴ She spent three years working with repertoire companies in London, Manchester, Scotland, and Wales.⁴ Webb transferred from England to Chicago in 1936.⁴ As a high school student in Central YMCA High School, she was president of the student council and headed other student organizations.⁵ On June 10, 1942, Webb graduated with the highest honors.⁷⁸ From early August 1942 through 1943, Webb took flying lessons.⁹¹⁰ Webb attended Central Day College.¹

At the age of eight, she started her career as a professional entertainer when she was mistress of ceremonies, singing a Swedish song in a Chicago Century of Progress show.⁵ As a radio actress, Webb debuted in British radio shows made by British Broadcasting Company's television studios.⁴

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Edwards acted on multiple radio series, including the Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters.¹¹

In March 1939, Paramount Pictures' talent agent Arthur Jacobson discovered Webb while searching for new actresses in Chicago.⁴ On April 19, 1939, Webb signed an acting contract with Paramount Pictures.³ Webb was supposedly going to be cast as the leading role in Dr. Cyclops as her acting debut, but was recast.⁴

In her private life, Webb collected spools, rode miniature horses, kept canaries, read "everything", and made her own recipes.⁸¹² She had also written her own poetry, short stories, musical compositions, and a novel.⁸¹³

In 1947, Webb moved from Chicago to the neighborhood of Hollywood Hills in California, along with her family.² In 1948, Webb married Jack Lawson Edwards, Jr, brother of actor and cartoon voiceover performer Sam Edwards, at her parents' home.¹¹⁴ The couple moved to New York City to continue their careers in television until they moved back to Hollywood Hills.¹⁵ In 1960, the couple moved to the neighborhood of Studio City.²

The couple had two sons, Alan James Edwards (b. April 23, 1951), a U.S. Navy member,²¹⁵¹⁶ and Steven Monroe, a lead guitarist and vocalist.²¹⁵

On March 30, 2010, Webb died in Green Valley, Arizona.

• The Wizard of Oz (1968)³²
• The Dirty Old Man (1974) by Jim Backus (additional voices)
• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1982)