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Christabel Leighton-Porter

Chrystabel Drury was born on the 11th of April 1913 and died on 6th of December 2000. One of eleven children, Chrystabel's father was a Railway worker, and her family were very poor. In her teens, Chrystabel was a keen swimmer and tennis player, and henceforth had a wonderful figure. In 1934, at the age of twenty-one, married RAF pilot Arthur Leighton-Porter. She began modelling, and in 1939, was voted 'Britain's Perfect Girl'. She was soon spotted by
artist Norman Pett who was drawing the famous 'Jane' cartoon strip for the Daily Mirror. He reportidly exclaimed "That's Jane!" when he saw her posing for artists in his hometown, Birmingham. From then on, Chrystabel became 'the' Jane, posing for Pett regulary. In 1949, she was comisioned to play Jane in 'The Adventures of Jane', a comedy film based on the cartoon character. Chrystabel was less than pleased with the results. "It really was simply awful. I was no film actress, and the feeble plot and script didn't help much either!" she later stated.
During the wat 'Jane' was immensly popular with both the home front and the font lines, raising morale during the Blitz. Chrystabel entertained the men by doing a striptease act, which was quite often censored.
Chrystabel longed to be a mother, but she suffered a stillbirth and then her baby daughter, names Jane died a few hours after being born. It was not until 1957 when Chrystabel had her son, Simon who was strong and healthy.
In later years, Chrystabel attended many war reunions and was well in demand right up to her to her death at the age of eighty-seven. Even when she was dying, she continued to sign autographs and reply to fanmail.
When she died, the newspapers all tributed Chrystabel and Jane, for Chrystabel was always and always will be THE Jane.

Filmography

Christabel Leighton-Porter - filmography

The Adventures Of Jane/Murder At 3A.M. on DVD
Starring: Wally Patch, Christabel Leighton-Porter, Peggy Evans
Director: Francis Searle, Francis Searl, Alfred Goulding
Certificate:
Double bill of classic British features. 'The Adventures of Jane' (1949), based on the wartime comic strip of the same name, stars Christabel Leighton-Porter in the title role. Jane gets on the wrong side of a brutal gang of spivs in Brighton. When she refuses to keep her nose out of their business,..read more »

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