Bernice Claire
| Bernice Claire | |
|---|---|
c. 1930
|
|
| Born |
Bernice Jahnigen (surname later mistranscribed as Janighen) January 27, 1906 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2003 (aged 96) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1930-1938 |
Bernice Claire (January 27, 1906 – January 17, 2003) was an American singer and actress. She appeared in 13 films between 1930 and 1938.
She was born as Bernice Jahnigen (surname later mistranscribed as Janighen) to Adolph and Clara (née Sternitzky) Jahnigen in 1906 in Oakland, California. She had an elder brother, Earl. With a clear coloratura, she took to the stage performing light opera and had no difficulty singing demanding roles. She met then-leading singer Alexander Gray; they appeared in three films together in 1930 for Warner Bros. Gray and Claire became film's first operetta team, predating Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.
Her first screen appearance was in the original film version of No, No, Nanette in the title role. (A post-Code version was made in 1940.) The other two films she made with Gray were Spring is Here and Song of the Flame. Operettas began losing popularity with audiences so Warners tried Claire in dramatic parts without much success. Claire made several more musical shorts up through the late thirties (some again with Gray), later becoming a radio and orchestra singer. In 1934, she appeared on Broadway in a short-lived musical, The Chocolate Soldier.
She died from pneumonia, aged 96, in her adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she had lived for many years. She was married twice but had no children.
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