Person Biography:
Jane Novak was born on January 12, 1896, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family with a strong connection to the film industry. Her aunt, Anne Schaefer, was already a film star, and it was through her that Novak began her career at the age of 17. She started out making short films for the Vitagraph Company, quickly moving into female leads and second leads.
Novak's early career was marked by her appearances in a number of films opposite her aunt Anne, including "Anne of the Trails," "At the Sign of the Lost Angel," and "Sacrifice." She also appeared in a few comedies starring Harold Lloyd, including "Willie's Haircut" and "Just Nuts."
As she gained experience, Novak began to take on more substantial roles, including feature films at Universal. She appeared opposite Harry Carey in the serial "Graft" and with director Hobart Bosworth in "The Iron Hand." She also made several westerns with William S. Hart, including "The Tiger Man," "Selfish Yates," "The Money Corral," "Wagon Tracks," and "Three Word Brand."
Novak's career continued to thrive throughout the 1920s, with appearances alongside a wide range of leading men, including Charles Ray, Sessue Hayakawa, Lewis Stone, Wallace Beery, Tom Moore, House Peters, John Bowers, Buck Jones, Kenneth Harlan, Earle Williams, James Rennie, John Harron, and even Lightning the Dog. She also appeared on screen with her sister, Eva, in "The Man Life Passed By."
Two of Novak's most notable performances came in melodramas, "Thelma" and "The Lullaby." However, like many other silent film stars, Novak's career faltered with the advent of talking pictures. She did not return to the screen until 1936, when she appeared in the western "Ghost Town."
Novak went on to appear in a number of small, often uncredited roles in films such as "Foreign Correspondent," "Gallant Lady," "Desert Fury," "The File on Thelma Jordon," "The Furies," and "About Mrs. Leslie." She also made a fortune in real estate and film production in the late 1920s, but lost it all following the 1929 stock market crash.
In her later years, Novak published a cookbook called "Treasury of Chicken Cookery" and lived until the age of 94, passing away in 1976. Her sister, Eva, had died two years earlier, at the age of 90.
