Evening star., 1952-11-29


Nola Fairbanks that she sings Ike
Miss Fairbanks is ar angel.
word, certainly in the commerc
Angel in the second guise refers
to a theatrical investor. one who
puts money in productions such as
Paint Your Wagon" or Hamlet" "
Miss Fairbanks has money in the
show at the Sam S. Shubert in
which she plays the pretty and
piquant feminine lead.
This is most unusual for two
reasons: One, most youngsters IN
the theater have no money and.
two, the few who do can think OF
other ways to spend it. Miss
Fairbanks certainly would not
want any one to think she is Doris
Duke. or even a more Glass B
heiress. She just happened to
have a little money and she likes
Jack Yorke and Wolfe Kaufman.
the producers, and also Paint
Your Wagon" She invested IN
all three-and hasn't given a
thought to dividends since.
X Il X X
Miss Fairbanks, who wants to
be a singer, but would not mind
being an actress or even combi-
nation of the two, is at home in
paint Your Wagon" It's story
of early migrants to California-is
her family's story. The fact is
that on this road tour of the mu-
sical from Broadway to the Pa
cific. she had to come East to go
West.
She was born in California. in
Santa Paula which is about 60
miles from Los Angeles. Perhaps
naturally in a climate like that,
she began to think of stage ca
reer about t.le age of four or FIVE.
She has not stopped thinking
about it since and doubts that she
ever will. She. even at her dewy
age places a career ahead OF mar
riage. She didn't once-but she
has no intention of repeating that
mistake. Her mind works crisply
and tidily on subjects like this.
At luncheon, Miss Fairbanks
might give the impression of be-
ing more intent than is necessary
upon success. She neither smokes,
drinks, nor loses the sleep which
comes from working such OIL
beat hours as those in the theater.
This is not routine calculated
to keep her fit. however. 1t is
the result of being reared in a
religious atmosphere in which
these were. should she say. "re-
moved" She sees no reason why
she should not leave them re-
moved. a point on which she is
srnilingly firm, not stuffy.
She can be as pleased and
amused as any girl you ever met
about what has happened to her
in show business.
One of the amusing things. for
instance, is that she could without
exaggerating refer to Lionel Bar
rymore as my first writer" No
other girl in the universe. prob
ably, could make that statement
and Miss Fairbanks is too shy
to do so. But 1t is true, never
theless.
1T was one Of the Hollywood
Bowl programs" Miss Fairbanks
says. IT was lucky enough to get
a singing role on the program.
The number I sang was a new
composition written by Mr.. Bar
rymore." She is convinced that
no small singing girl. which she
was at the time. could ask for a
more distinguished collaboration
In a debut performance.
Did Hollywood talent scouts
flock around Immediately?
II played one small role in one
big movie" Miss Fairbanks recalls
with laugh. "I was a little girl
on the outer edge OF the cast IN
The Corn Is Green"
This arrangement apparently Is
quite satisfactory to both Miss
Fairbanks and the movie studios.
The stage always has been her
goal, especially the singing stage.
The career upon which she would
like to model her own is that Of
Mary Martin. No taste could be
sounder.
Miss Fairbanks. Olga San Juan's
understudy in the original Paint
Your Wagon" company, likes to
get around in singing roles, an
other sound notion on the part
of upcoming vocalists. She has
sung about everything from sum-
mer music circus roles Cat Lam
bertville, N. j. through Mike