orig. Jane Alice Peters
born Oct. 6, 1908, Fort Wayne, Ind., U.S.
died Jan. 16, 1942, near Las Vegas, Nev.
U.S. film actress.
She made her screen debut in A Perfect Crime (1921) and appeared in comedy shorts from 1925. She starred in the classic screwball comedy Twentieth Century (1934), which showcased her unique blend of sophisticated glamour and earthy audacity and established her as a leading comic actress. She appeared in a series of popular comedies, including My Man Godfrey (1936), Nothing Sacred (1937), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), and To Be or Not to Be (1942). She married Clark Gable in 1939. She died in a plane crash while on tour to sell war bonds.