Elsie Janis
Toronto Daily Star, May 6 1929
Elsie Janis (1889-1956) might have been in poor health at the time of this photograph, but she went on to become, among other things, a songwriter, a screenwriter, a production manager, and the first female announcer on the NBC radio network.
During World War I, Ms. Janis had regularly performed overseas for troops stationed behind the front line, thus earning the "sweetheart" nickname given here. YouTube has, among other things, a brief documentary about her, a short feature from 1926, and a comic song from 1912.
Created September 20, 2025.