You may never have heard of Joan Gardner (November 16, 1926 – December 10, 1992), but the odds are good that she was a part of your family’s Christmas traditions.

Christmas Connections

Joan Gardner, who also worked under her married name, Joan Janis, was a highly respected voice actress. She died thirty-three years ago, December 10, 1992. In the very first animated Christmas special made for television, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962), Mrs. Janis voiced both Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past.

In the Rankin-Bass Christmas Special, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mrs. Janis voiced Tanta Kringle, the matriarch of the Kringle family of toymaking elves who adopt Kris Kringle. She also voiced some of the women in Sombertown, but not Miss Jessica. The pretty schoolmarm who married Kris Kringle was voiced by Robie Lester.

Mrs. Janis voiced Sister Jean in The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975)

Mrs. Janis provided “additional voices” for the 1974 animated movie, The City That Forgot About Christmas.

Personal Life

Joan Gardner was born November 16, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was a jazz musician. Mrs. Janis died December 10, 1992, in Encino, California. Her theatrical career began on stage, but she soon went into the world of the new phenomenon, television. She was a scriptwriter for the Emmy-winning Time for Beany and the game show Pantomime Quiz.

She married actor/producer Edward Janis December 8, 1960. They were wed from 1960 to 1992. She wrote both screenplays and books under her married name, Joan Janis. She also composed music for films, but she was best known in Hollywood as voice actress for radio and cartoons.

Other Voice Roles

Mrs. Janis voiced Spunky in The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole, Tanta Kringle and assorted other female roles on the Christmas special Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Bonnie Bonnet and Madame Esmerelda on the Easter special Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971), played Josephine Bonaparte opposite Groucho Marx’s Napoleon in the animated special The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians(1970) and Zazu the Fairy Godmother on Pound Puppies.

We owe Joan Gardner Janis a debt for writing Beany and Cecil, and at this time of year, another debt for Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past… and Tanta Kringle. Raise a glass of eggnog to her memory.

Happy holidays to you from the staff of Sci-Fi.Radio.