Jane Murfin Biography

Fast Facts

• Was an early proponent for the humane treatment of animals on film sets, often hiring the Animal Defense League oversee the films she made with Laurence Trimble
• Worked on a series of plays in the late 1910s with Jane Cowl, including "Lilac Time" and "Smilin' Through․"
• Wrote and produced her first film, "Marie, Ltd․," for the Select Pictures Corporation in 1919
• Became one of the founding members of the Screenwriters' Guild in 1921, which was later renamed the Writers' Guild of America
• Made several films for the German attack dog, Strongheart, she shared with Laurence Trimble, which predated Rin-Tin-Tin by two years to become the first canine film star
• Best known as a playwright and screenwriter who wrote the screenplay for 1939's "The Women․"
• Frequently collaborated with actress and lifelong friend Jane Cowl on several stage plays and films
• Was RKO's first female supervisor and later became a producer at MGM