Sybil Jason, 1927-2011
Sybil Jason, a cherubic child actress of the 1930s, died of obstructive pulmonary disease on August 23, 2011, at her home in Northridge, Calif. She was 83.
In 1934, when Shirley Temple became a household name overnight and started making huge sums of money for Twentieth Century-Fox, most studios in Hollywood scrambled to find their heart-tugging child actress to cash in on the craze. In 1935, on a visit to London, Jack Warner noticed dark-haired, bright-eyed Sybil Jason in the British film Barnacle Bill (Sybil's first film) and sent a telegram to Los Angeles: "Sign her."
Like Shirley, Sybil was a talented little moppet who could do it all: sing, dance, act, and even play the piano. But unlike golden-haired Shirley, who was born and bred in a sunny Los Angeles suburb, Sybil's life had a much more international flavor.
Born Sybil Jacobson in South Africa in 1927, Sybil moved to London as a young child. There, she became a regular in nightclubs and theaters, singing, dancing, or doing uncanny imitations of stars like Greta Garbo and Maurice Chevalier. She also performed on the radio with her uncle, Harry Jacobson, a popular orchestra conductor.
In 1935, Sybil came to Hollywood, as one of the first major child stars at Warner Brothers, a studio that had long specialized in gritty dramas and had little experience with young actors. Hoping to cash in on the Temple goldmine, the studio immediately began casting Sybil in films whose plots bore suspicious resemblance to Shirley's. Some critics found Sybil a welcome distraction from the Temple-mania of the 1930s.
Time magazine wrote in 1936, "Among child actresses, Sybil Jason is to Shirley Temple as Jean Harlow is to Ann Harding - less wholesome but more refreshing." Sybil made ten films with Warner Bros. She cried in Little Big Shot (1935), sang with Al Jolson in The Singing Kid (1936), and starred alongside Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart in The Great O'Malley (1937). But all like child stars of the 1930s, she never broke out from behind Shirley's shadow. Despite her obvious talent, Warner Bros. let her contract expire in 1938.
After leaving Warner Bros., Sybil was quickly signed by Fox, and starred opposite Shirley Temple herself in The Little Princess (1939) and The Blue Bird (1940), which would be her last film, altough she remained friends with Shirley. Sybil was on a publicity tour for Fox in South Africa when the United States entered World War II, and she remained in her native country for several years. After the war, she returned to California to teach drama and act in theater. In 1947, she married Anthony Drake, a writer. He died in 2006. Survivors include a daughter, Toni Rossi, and a grandson.
In contrast with many former child stars, Sybil was never bitter about her brief film career. She always spoke warmly about her experiences in Hollywood, and she was active in film festivals and reunions well into her old age. Her memoir, My Fifteen Minutes: Autobiography of a Child Star in the Golden Era of Hollywood, was published in 2005. Sybil was happy to autograph photos until 2010, when arthritis made it too painful to continue.
Perhaps the saddest statement to come from Sybil's passing is this, said during an interview in the finale years of her life: "My life as a child star was wonderful, and to this day has its heartwarming residual effects. I am in awe of all of the icons that I worked with or just met during my career days. They imparted so much wisdom that helps me stand up to challengers to this day." Whether due to the death of the studio system, of the loss of a more innocent age, former child stars who speak so kindly of their careers are becoming rarer. Sybil will be missed.
Sybil tugged at Americans' heartstrings - and their purse strings - as a plucky orphan in The Captain's Kid (1937).
In 1934, when Shirley Temple became a household name overnight and started making huge sums of money for Twentieth Century-Fox, most studios in Hollywood scrambled to find their heart-tugging child actress to cash in on the craze. In 1935, on a visit to London, Jack Warner noticed dark-haired, bright-eyed Sybil Jason in the British film Barnacle Bill (Sybil's first film) and sent a telegram to Los Angeles: "Sign her."
Like Shirley, Sybil was a talented little moppet who could do it all: sing, dance, act, and even play the piano. But unlike golden-haired Shirley, who was born and bred in a sunny Los Angeles suburb, Sybil's life had a much more international flavor.
Born Sybil Jacobson in South Africa in 1927, Sybil moved to London as a young child. There, she became a regular in nightclubs and theaters, singing, dancing, or doing uncanny imitations of stars like Greta Garbo and Maurice Chevalier. She also performed on the radio with her uncle, Harry Jacobson, a popular orchestra conductor.
In 1935, Sybil came to Hollywood, as one of the first major child stars at Warner Brothers, a studio that had long specialized in gritty dramas and had little experience with young actors. Hoping to cash in on the Temple goldmine, the studio immediately began casting Sybil in films whose plots bore suspicious resemblance to Shirley's. Some critics found Sybil a welcome distraction from the Temple-mania of the 1930s.
Time magazine wrote in 1936, "Among child actresses, Sybil Jason is to Shirley Temple as Jean Harlow is to Ann Harding - less wholesome but more refreshing." Sybil made ten films with Warner Bros. She cried in Little Big Shot (1935), sang with Al Jolson in The Singing Kid (1936), and starred alongside Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart in The Great O'Malley (1937). But all like child stars of the 1930s, she never broke out from behind Shirley's shadow. Despite her obvious talent, Warner Bros. let her contract expire in 1938.
After leaving Warner Bros., Sybil was quickly signed by Fox, and starred opposite Shirley Temple herself in The Little Princess (1939) and The Blue Bird (1940), which would be her last film, altough she remained friends with Shirley. Sybil was on a publicity tour for Fox in South Africa when the United States entered World War II, and she remained in her native country for several years. After the war, she returned to California to teach drama and act in theater. In 1947, she married Anthony Drake, a writer. He died in 2006. Survivors include a daughter, Toni Rossi, and a grandson.
In contrast with many former child stars, Sybil was never bitter about her brief film career. She always spoke warmly about her experiences in Hollywood, and she was active in film festivals and reunions well into her old age. Her memoir, My Fifteen Minutes: Autobiography of a Child Star in the Golden Era of Hollywood, was published in 2005. Sybil was happy to autograph photos until 2010, when arthritis made it too painful to continue.
Perhaps the saddest statement to come from Sybil's passing is this, said during an interview in the finale years of her life: "My life as a child star was wonderful, and to this day has its heartwarming residual effects. I am in awe of all of the icons that I worked with or just met during my career days. They imparted so much wisdom that helps me stand up to challengers to this day." Whether due to the death of the studio system, of the loss of a more innocent age, former child stars who speak so kindly of their careers are becoming rarer. Sybil will be missed.
Sybil tugged at Americans' heartstrings - and their purse strings - as a plucky orphan in The Captain's Kid (1937).