Betty Jane Rhodes

A peppy presence at Paramount during World War II, Betty Jane Rhodes had been a teenage radio vocalist ("California Melodies," "Birth of the Blues") and nightclub singer prior to entering films in 1936. At first billed plain Jane Rhodes or Betty Rhodes, she seems to have grazed all of Paramount's wartime musicals, providing an energetic addition to such films as The Fleet's In (1942), Priorities on Parade (1942), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942; the "Swing Shift" number in particular), and Salute for Three (1943). Rhodes later signed with Decca Records and RCA Victor, finally hitting the charts in 1946 with "Rumors Are Flying" by George Weiss and Benny Benjamin. She returned in 1948 with "Button and Bows," from the Bob Hope hit The Paleface, her bright rendition of the popular song remaining at the top of the charts for nearly three months.