Evening star., 1955-01-02
Nonette Changes Her Pace
As Caesar 5 Comedy Foil
By Wayne Oliver
Assoeiussd Press staff Writer
NEW YORK,

6Ilc C1lcS 70 udkS pcUple
laugh.
That's Nanette Fabray. new
partner Of Sid Caesar In her
straight comedy role in tele-
vision after stardom In musical
comedy on stage and screen.
Her crying jags. particularly
over the telephone. have be-
come q trademark Of pretty.
pug -nosed Nanette,s perform
arces on Caesars Hour" on
NBC Monday nights. She also
has become adept at the icy
stare, the furious frown, the
snide smile and other tricks Of
straight comedy.
This is in marked contrast to
Miss Fabray's singing and
dancing that brought her fame
In such stage hits as by Jupi-
ter" Jackpot" 'tBloorner
Girl" "EIigh Button Shoes"
@Make q WISH" and the MGM
musical film, sBandwagorl," "
with Fred Astaire.
But after Nanette appeared
In the first Of two scheduled
guest performances with Cae-
sar. he asked that she be
allowed to do six more and to
postpone her roles in two color
spectaculars for which she had
been booked. After the second
performance, he said, Il want
her to stay on the show" and
arranged for her to be released
entirely from engagements on
the spectaculars.
A Caesar Fon
Whatever. the success Of
Caesars show since the break
up Of the partnership with
Comedienne nmogene Coca and
Producer Max Liebman, the
program has brought Nanette
to prominence In q straight
comedy role, although she still
sings and dances on occasion.
The show also has brought
Caesar at least enc enthusiastic
new fan--Miss Fabray.
He's my teacher on the
show" she says. five learned
4 more about show business
from him than in all my pre-
vious roles on the stage and
In films. Sid knows instinct
lively what's right"
It was Caesar she says. who
made the crying jags q part Of
her repertoire after watching
her do q crying bit from .
script.
Caesar frequently makes last
minute changes and Nanette
claims she has to call on all
her past experience in show
business to keep pace.
II like this better than any
Of the things I've DONE she
says.
Il Hos Everything
This is the 100 per cent Of
show business--it has every-
thing. It's one long opening
night"
While her acting role Is new
to nv. she recalls that she was
first hired as an actress in
Meet the People. which
opened on Broadway on Christ
mas, 1910 when. I'm happy
to say. ! was still too young to
vote"
But Nanette's performing
career goes back much further
than her Broadway debut.
"A native Californian, she
made her first stage appear
atice as Baby Nan tn California
at four, and . little later made
q vaudeville tour with Ben
Turpin. Then she became d
regular member Of the ''Our
Gang movie troupe and con-
tinued until she grew out Of
the Job.
She studied dramatics under
Max Reinhardt while at Los
Angeles Junior College, and
recalls that he required his
pupils to do two-hour impro-
visations, training that has
come in very handy In my
present ~ job"
Color Veteran
While she had not been q
TV regular until this season,
she Is q veteran Of color video.
She starred In musical revues
telecast by RCA and NBC In
1853 10 demonstrate color to q
congressional committee and
TO the Federal Communities
lions Commission. when the
FEC was celebrating On adop-
ton Of present color nv stand