The sisters, Roszika (later known as Rose or Rosie) and Janszieka (later known as Yansci or Jenny) Deutsch, were born on October 25, 1892 in Budapest, Hungary. Their parents, Julius and Margaet Deutsch, emigrated to the United States in 1905. As children, the sisters trained as dancers and began earning money in beer halls as early as 1907.
In 1913, the Dolly Sisters decided to try to forge separate careers. Rosie appeared in The Whirl of the World on stage while Jenny teamed up with dancer Harry Fox (whom she married in 1912) in Honeymoon Express. Jenny and Fox also toured the vaudeville circuit as a dance duo. Both sister made their film debuts in 1915: Jenny in The Call of the Dance and Rose in Lily and the Rose.
After World War I ended, the Dolly Sisters moved to France where they bought a chateau. They toured the theatres and dance halls of Europe and were courted by numerous wealthy men and royalty including Carol II of Romania, Christian X of Denmark and Alfonso XIII of Spain.
While in Europe, the sisters became well known for gambling excursion at casinos and horse tracks which were usually financed by wealthy admirers.
By early 1927, the Dolly Sisters’ popularity began to decline. Their highly publicized Paris show A vol d’oiseau, closed after eight weeks. The sisters spent more time gambling than performing and eventually retired by 1929.
In 1945, 20th Century Fox released the biographical film The Dolly Sisters. June Haver portrayed Rosie and Betty Grable portrayed Jenny.
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