July 4, 2025, Happy Independence Day and sixteen years ago on this day in 2009, Actress Brenda Joyce, who played Jane in Tarzan and the Huntress, Tarzan’s Magic Fountain, Tarzan and the Mermaids, Tarzan and the Leopard Women, Tarzan and the Amazons, died in Santa Monica, California. The only actress to play Jane in more films was Maureen O’Sullivan.
Born as Betty Grafina Leabo and known to her friends as Graftina, Brenda appeared in several “B movies” throughout the 1940s. Other than her role as Jane Porter, her most prominent part was in the 1939 film, “The Rains Came,” with George Brent and Myrna Loy.
Brenda left after her fifth Tarzan film and the first with Lex Barker, Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949), and just walked away -- never to return.
An obituary on the actress is posted at:
Following her movie career, Brenda moved to the Washington D.C. area and worked with the Refugee Services for nearly 10 years in which she helped displaced persons find employment and places to live. This line of work eventually led her to relocate to the Carmel, California area and she worked with Catholic Resettlement in Seaside, California (near Monterey).Brenda was one of the many ‘Jane Porters” to provide meaningful service outside of their film careers.
The fictional drabble for today, “Grow Up, Girl,” was inspired by Brenda’s career and her decision to walk away from the entertainment industry. I’d hope to paraphrase the Four Tops’ song, “Walk Away, Renee,” for this post, but I just couldn’t make it work. The songwriter can rest easy.
Brenda Joyce’s daughter, Beth, said, “Mom, you were a success in Hollywood. You made “Tarzan’s Magic Fountain’ and then you just quit.”
“Dear, I quit twice. The first time was in 1943. They convinced me to come back and play Jane in 1945. I played her five times and that was enough.”
“But why?”
“You kids were in school and I wanted a real life. No one was real, on screen or off. The insincerity and pretense wore me down. I liked Betty Ward better than I liked Brenda Joyce. I wasn’t Peter Pan. It was time to grow up.”
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