Bernice Claire

Born Bernice Janighen in Oakland, California, in 1907, by the time she reached high school age, Bernice had realized her voice and took to the stage performing light opera. She possessed a remarkably clear and pure coloratura voice and had no difficulty singing demanding roles. Bernice soon met leading singer Alexander Gray while performing in an operetta and they began to tour across the country, garnering high praise.

When Jack Warner offered a screen test to Gray, Alexander asked Bernice if she would perform a duet with him for the test. Warner Brothers not only signed Gray, but gave Bernice leading roles in several musicals, three co-starring Gray. Together they became the screen's first operetta team, predating Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy. Bernice's first screen appearance was in No, No, Nanette (1930), as Nanette. That show includes the standards "Tea for Two" and "I Want to be Happy". She next appeared in Spring is Here (1930) where she sang "With a Song in My Heart". Song of the Flame (1930) was her third and final pairing with Gray in a full length feature. BTW, all three films had portions filmed in two color technicolor. The same year also yielded Top Speed with Joe E. Brown and featured musical numbers. However, by the end of 1930 audiences were tiring of filmed operettas, so Warner Brothers tried her in dramatic parts; not a good fit. Claire made a number of musical shorts up through the late thirties (some again with Gray), and then moved to radio and appeared with many prestigious orchestras. In 1934 Bernice appeared on Broadway at the St. James theater for a short lived run of "The Chocolate Soldier".

When her first husband died, Bernice felt unable to continue performing. Bernice and her second husband stayed out of the public eye, but during the 1970's and 80's she was honored by local film societies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bernice died at age 96 in Portland Oregon.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Stars of the Photoplay - 1930. Two years were subtracted from her age.

No, No Nanette ad in Screen Secrets magazine, April 1930

A two page fashion spread from Photoplay, October 1930

"With A Song In My Heart" from Spring is Here
Here we see Lawrence Gray, not related to Alexander, but both were courting Bernice in this film.

Publicity still with Alexander Gray.

Publicity still

Bernice Claire - What do you think - Allure?

Courtesy of Operator99.