
Sybil Jason
Born
November 23, 1927
Died
August 23, 2011 (83 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Cape Town, South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sybil Jacon was a South African-born, American child film actress who, in the late 1930s, was presented as a rival to Shirley Temple.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she began playing the piano at age two and, a year later, began making public appearances doing impersonations of Maurice Chevalier. She was introduced to the theatre-going public of London by way of her uncle, Harry Jacobson, a then-popular London orchestra leader and also pianist for Gracie Fields. The apex of her career came with a concert performance with Frances Day at London's Palace Theatre. Her theatre work led to appearances on radio and phonograph records as well as a supporting role in the film Barnacle Bill.
Irving Asher, the head of Warner Bros.' London studio, saw Jason's performance in Barnacle Bill and arranged for her to make a screen test for the studio. The test was a success, resulting in Warner Bros. signing her to a contract. Her American film debut came as the lead in Little Big Shot, directed by Michael Curtiz and co-starring Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong, and Edward Everett Horton.
Jason followed this with supporting roles opposite some of Warner Bros. most popular stars, including Kay Francis in I Found Stella Parish, Al Jolson in The Singing Kid, Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart in The Great O'Malley, and again with Kay Francis in Comet Over Broadway. Warners also starred her in The Captain's Kid, and four Vitaphone two-reelers filmed in Technicolor: Changing of the Guard, A Day at Santa Anita, Little Pioneer, and The Littlest Diplomat.
Jason never became the major rival to Shirley Temple that Warner Bros. had hoped, and her film career ended after playing two supporting roles at 20th-Century Fox. These films — The Little Princess and The Blue Bird — were supported Temple, who became her lifelong friend.
Known For

Musical Movieland
Scottish Girl
1944

The Blue Bird
Angela Berlingot
1940

The Little Princess
Becky
1939

Woman Doctor
Elsa Graeme
1939

Comet Over Broadway
Jackie
1938

The Littlest Diplomat
Sybil Hardwick
1937

Little Pioneer
Betsy Manning
1937

A Day at Santa Anita
Peaches Blackburn
1937

The Great O'Malley
Barbara 'Babs' Phillips
1937

The Captain's Kid
Abigail Prentiss
1936
Changing of the Guard
Sybil
1936

The Singing Kid
Sybil Haines
1936

A Dream Comes True
Herself (uncredited)
1935

I Found Stella Parish
Gloria Parish
1935

Little Big Shot
Gloria Gibbs
1935

Dance Band
Little Girl On Train
1935
Barnacle Bill
Jill as a Child
1935