Frank Martinelli, Jr.: What happened to Janis Paige's first husband?

Frank Martinelli, Jr. was the ex-husband of iconic actress Janis Paige. Frank Martinelli, Jr.’s wife has a career spanning nearly 60 years, she is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She has made numerous television appearances, as well as starring in her own sitcom It’s Always Jan. She is known for shows such as Lanigan’s Rabbi (1976) and Trapper John, M.D. (1979). In the 1990s, among other TV appearances, she had recurring roles on the daytime serials General Hospital (1963) and Santa Barbara (1984).

Frank Martinelli, Jr.: Bio Summary

Full NameFrank Martinelli, Jr.
famous asJanis Paige’s ex-husband
Place of Birth United States of America
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityCaucasian
ChildrenN/A
Spouse Janis Paige (m. 1947–1951)

Frank Martinelli, Jr. gained much of his fame from being the ex-husband of celebrated actress Janis Paige. Paige was born Donna Mae Tjaden in Tacoma, Washington. She was the only child of Hazel Leah (née Simmons) and George S. Tjaden, primarily of Norwegian, German, English, and Cornish descent. Martinelli, Jr. on the other hand has been a man of mystery with little to no information about his personal life available.

Martinelli a restaurateur

Paige started her singing career in public at the early age of five in local amateur shows and began her film career co-starring in secondary musicals, often paired with either Dennis Morgan or Jack Carson. While she is known for films such as Silk Stockings, which starred Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, and the Doris Day comedy Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, her ex-husband also choose a different career path. Paige’s ex-husband was a restaurateur based in San Francisco per sources.

Frank Martinelli, Jr is the first man Paige married

Paige has been married three times. her first marriage is with Frank Louis Martinelli Jr., the restaurateur. They tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony in the presence of their friends, families, and loved ones on December 27, 1947. Their wedding took place in Little Brown Church of the Valley in North Hollywood, California.

They planned a short honeymoon to a destination undisclosed on December 29, 1947. Soon after their marriage, Actress Janis Page and her husband Frank Martinelli Jr were photographed sitting on a couch, while attending a tea party for Patrice Munsel, Atwater, Kent, circa 1947.

Though they planned to be together forever, they divorced on 24th May 1951 after being together for 4 years. The actress filed for a divorce on grounds of mental cruelty and requested restoration of her own name per Madera Tribune. The couple didn’t have any children. After their marriage came to an end, the actress moved on and got married to Arthur Stander and later to  Ray Gilbert.

ALSO, READ; Arthur Stander: Who is Janis Paige’s ex-husband?

Frank Martinelli, Jr on the other hand went totally out of the limelight. He has not been granted any interviews or made any news headlines in recent years. Martinelli’s ex-wife will be 101 years old in September 2023.

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