Jane Epstein was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1897. American radio actress and comedian. She was best-known for her role in the radio comedy Easy Aces.
She met Goodman Ace while both attended the same Kansas City high school. The couple married in 1922; soon after they were married, Ace lost his reporter's job. The Aces found they could forget their worries when playing bridge. Ace was hired by the Kansas City Journal-Post as its drama critic.
He brought his wife Jane in for an impromptu discussion; the favorable response led Goodman to create and write a 15-minute domestic comedy, Easy Aces.Billed as “radio’s laugh novelty,” the low-key Easy Aces featured Goodman as a harried businessman and Jane as his scatterbrained wife, prone to malaprops like “She has a voice like a nightingown” and “Congress is still in season.” In 1931, Easy Aces joined the CBS radio lineup, moving to WBBM in Chicago. Ace kept the material fresh by only permitting a quick reading rehearsal just before air time. A special table with a hidden microphone was constructed to cure cast members of mike fright. Easy Aces left the air in 1945, but Goodman Ace remained one of radio’s most respected writers, crafting material for Danny Kaye, Perry Como and The Big Show.
While doing Easy Aces, Jane was offered other radio roles in addition to the one on the couple's show. A radio producer wanted her to play the lead in a production of Dulcy, but she declined, reportedly believing she was unable to play other roles, because she did not consider the radio work she did as acting.
The couple was also part of the NBC Radio Weekday show which made its debut not long after Monitor. It aired Monday through Friday and was intended to reach female radio listeners. They also began writing and performing in commercials.
Jane died on November 11, 1974. Goodman Ace died March 25, 1982.
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