Mary Eilene Janssen, a renowned actress with a fiery mane, was born in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California, to Henry Janssen, a prominent sound mixer at Universal Studios, and his wife Mary Ellen Thompson, a talented singer with the L.A. Civic Light Opera. This diminutive dynamo burst onto the show business scene at a mere eight months old, when a photographer convinced her mother to enter her in a contest for Adhor Milk, and subsequently won, gracing the side of the company's milk trucks. As a result, Eilene became Hollywood's most photographed baby, with her cherubic face appearing on magazine covers, billboards, and advertisements for Franilla Ice Cream, Heinz 57, Challenge Butter, and Weber Bread.
This pint-sized prodigy's early foray into the world of entertainment was merely the beginning of a long and illustrious career. In 1940, she made her film debut with a cameo appearance in Sandy Gets Her Man, playing the role of an impromptu stand-in for Baby Sandy. She went on to land several small movie roles, and in 1944, was crowned "Little Miss America," a title accompanied by USO tours and a flurry of publicity. Her subsequent career as a juvenile actress was further facilitated by her impressive range of talents, including singing, dancing, and horseback riding, skills she honed from the tender age of eighteen months on her Hungarian grandpa's dairy ranch.
When Republic Studios embarked on a nationwide search for two kids to play the young Roy Rogers and the young Dale Evans, they eventually settled on Michael Chapin for the role of 'Red' and Eilene Janssen as 'Judy Dawson.' The pair co-starred in four second-feature westerns, solidifying Eilene's status as a rising star in the Hollywood firmament. Her subsequent film credits included supporting roles in About Mrs. Leslie (1954) and The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956),as well as the female lead in the Poverty Row western Escape from Red Rock (1957),produced by Regal Pictures and released through 20th Century Fox.
In addition to her work in film, Eilene also appeared in various television shows, including episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950),Sugarfoot (1957),The Beverly Hillbillies (1962),Perry Mason (1957),and Mister Ed (1961). After nearly three decades in the entertainment industry, Eilene Janssen retired in 1968, leaving behind a legacy as one of Hollywood's most beloved and enduring child stars.
