Jane Cowl

Jane Cowl (December 14, 1883 - June 22, 1950) was born Grace Bailey in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a successful early American film and stage actress and playwright. She made her Broadway debut in New York City in Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall in 1903, the play opened on the night of her twentieth birthday. Her first leading role was Fanny Perry in 1909 in Leo Ditrichstein's Is Matrimony a Failure?, produced by David Belasco, and then she play... more

Jane Cowl (December 14, 1883 - June 22, 1950) was born Grace Bailey in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a successful early American film and stage actress and playwright. She made her Broadway debut in New York City in Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall in 1903, the play opened on the night of her twentieth birthday. Her first leading role was Fanny Perry in 1909 in Leo Ditrichstein's Is Matrimony a Failure?, produced by David Belasco, and then she played stock. This was followed by The Gamblers(1910), her first great success, and by Within the Law(1912), Common Clay, and other successes (New International Encyclopedia). She was known for her interpretation of Shakespearean roles, playing Juliet, Cleopatra and Viola on Broadway. She made Broadway history by playing Juliet over 1000 consecutive performances in 1923. In 1934 she created the role of Lael Wyngate in S. N. Behrman's Rain from Heaven opposite actor John Halliday. Noting the challenges posed by Behrman's heightened dialogue, critic... less