Janet Munro

Janet Munro

British actress Janet Munro was the daughter of a stage comedian who, during WWII, was in charge of the RAF entertainment unit. Munro's popularity on British TV of the 1950s was such that one prominent fan magazine, responding to public demand, voted her "Miss Television of 1958." Signed by Disney in 1959, Munro played spirited ingénue roles in Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959), Third Man on the Mountain (1959), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and The Horsemasters (released to American television in 1961 and to European theaters shortly thereafter). Once away from the Disney orbit, Munro radically altered her screen image with a string of sexy, fallen-woman roles; her final film assignment was as the fading alcoholic pop star in Sebastian (1968). Her success in show business was in sharp contrast to her extraordinarily unhappy private life, which included two failed marriages to actors Tony Wright and Ian Hendry and two miscarriages. Janet Munro collapsed and died at age 38, reportedly choking to death while drinking tea. The official cause of death is listed as acute myocarditis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide