Janet Gaynor

Lore & Background

Janet Gaynor was born Laura Augusta Gainor in Germantown, Philadelphia. After her parents divorced in 1914, she moved with her mother and sister to Chicago, then to San Francisco. She graduated from San Francisco Polytechnic High School in 1923 and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Her first professional job was as an extra in a Hal Roach comedy short on December 26, 1924. She signed with Fox Film in 1926 after a screen test for The Johnstown Flood.

By 1927, Gaynor was one of Hollywood's leading ladies, known for playing sweet, wholesome roles. She won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1929 for her work in 7th Heaven, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, and Street Angel—the only time the award was given for multiple roles. She successfully transitioned to sound films and was a top box-office draw, tying with Marie Dressler as number one in 1931 and 1932. She received a second Best Actress nomination for A Star Is Born (1937).

Gaynor retired from acting in 1939 and married film costume designer Adrian, with whom she had a son. She briefly returned to acting in the 1950s, appeared in the 1957 film Bernardine, and made her Broadway debut in 1980 in Harold and Maude. She also became an oil painter, selling over 200 paintings. She died in 1984 from complications of injuries sustained in a 1982 automobile accident.

Reader's Guide

Janet Gaynor's significance lies in her pioneering role as the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress, a milestone that set a standard for the new award. Her win for multiple films in a single year reflected early Academy practices that were soon changed. She was one of the few established silent-film actresses to successfully transition to sound films, maintaining her popularity through the early 1930s. Her performance in A Star Is Born (1937) earned her a second Oscar nomination and revitalized her career before her retirement. Gaynor's legacy includes her influence on the image of the wholesome leading lady and her role in the development of Hollywood's star system. Her later work as an oil painter and her Broadway debut late in life demonstrate a versatility beyond film. Her death from injuries sustained in a car accident underscores the fragility of life even for a celebrated star.

Did You Know?

• Janet Gaynor was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress, winning in 1929 for three films: 7th Heaven, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, and Street Angel.
• She was the youngest Best Actress winner at age 22 until Marlee Matlin won at age 21 in 1986.
• Gaynor was one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1926, along with Joan Crawford and Dolores del Río.
• She sold over 200 oil paintings and had four showings under the Wally Findlay Galleries banner from 1975 to 1982.