Jane Withers, child star and Josephine the Plumber from Comet, died at 95

Jane Withers starred opposite Shirley Temple in the 1934 movie Bright Eyes. Withers played Fashty Sneath alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean in the 1956 drama Giant. Withers died on August 7, at the age of 95. The dying child star of the 1930s found renewed popularity in the 1960s as Josephine the Plumber in classic commercials for Comet Cleaner. She was 95, and her daughter, Kendall Ehrer, confirmed Withers’ death August 7 surrounded by loved ones in Burbank, California. No cause of death was given. “My mother was a special lady. She lit up the room with her laughter, but she was especially happy and thankful when she talked about the profession she loved and how lucky she was,” Rayer said in the statement obtained by USA TODAY. In her first major role at the age of eight, opposite Shirley Temple’s 1934 “America’s Sweetheart” titled Bright Eyes, Withers stole the spotlight as the spoiled and obnoxious Joey Smith. “With a heavy heart”: Molly Ringwald pays tribute to her late father, jazz musician Bob Ringwald “I had to play the scariest, most welcoming little girl God has put on the planet,” Withers remembered in 2000. Shirley with a tricycle and a stroller. And I thought. , “My dear, everyone will hate me forever because I was so scary for Shirley Temple!” “Quite the contrary, I love the audience with Withers. The young actress signed a seven-year contract with Fox Films, appearing in three to five films annually. Her first starring role, in the 1935 film Ginger, began shooting on Weather’s ninth birthday. She played an orphan who was adopted by a wealthy family after her uncle’s arrest. Other nicknames include “Buddy O’Day”, “Little Miss No One”, “Wild and Woolly” and “Arizona Wild Cat”. A survey of theater owners named Withers one of the best-earning stars of 1936 and 1937, and her popularity led to Jane Withers dolls, hair bows, stockings, and mystery novels. At her peak, she was earning $2,500 per week and $50,000 per year in endorsements. Unlike other child stars, her earnings have not disappeared. She explained in 1974, “Fortunately, my father loved California land very much. He was kind of immersed in real estate in a great way.” As an adult, Withers starred as oil-rich Vashti Snythe—along with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean—in the 1956 drama “Giant.” Withers experienced a resurgence in fame in the 1960s and 1970s, portraying Josephine the plumber in the classic Comet. Commercials Cleaner. Ever a pro, Withers took a plumbing course to understand the entirety of the one-minute commercials. The ads ran from 1963 to 1974, and after the death of voice actress Mary Weekes in 1995, Withers voiced the ogre Laverne in the 2002 animated film The Second Hunchback of Notre Dame. A 1974 interviewer asked Withers how she managed to escape from The problems that plagued many star children in adulthood. “I have always taken my problems to the good Lord, and I have never failed to get an answer,” commented, a life-long Presbyterian. Contribution: Associated Press