Jan Clayton was a film, musical theater, and television actress. She starred in the popular 1950s TV series Lassie.
Clayton with Pal in Lassie (1955)
Clayton and George Cleveland in Lassie, 1954.
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions, both human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973. The eighth longest-running scripted U.S. primetime television series, the show ran for 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color in 1965.
Title screen of Lassie (seasons 1–4)
Original series stars Jan Clayton (as Ellen Miller - top left), George Cleveland (as Gramps - top right), and Tommy Rettig (as Jeff Miller - at bottom with Lassie)
From left to right - George Chandler (as Uncle Petrie), Jon Shepodd (the original Paul Martin), Jon Provost (as Timmy Martin) and Cloris Leachman (the original Ruth Martin) during season 4 when the show transitioned from the Millers to the Martins.
Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart would take over as Paul and Ruth Martin from 1958-1964 (seasons 5-10)