Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-07
Video Has q Cold Screen
And You Have to WormIt

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peared as that hard-working
Office girl, Kitty Foyle, on
CBS-TV. Just before that she
was dancing on a piano for
Jimmy Durante on NBC-TV.
She has appeared on two Max
Lehman spectaculars and more
shows than there's room to
list here. At the moment she's
down in Dallas at the State
Fair musicals where "One
Touch of Venus" is having a
two-Week run before it's tele-
vision debut.
Before she left, however, she
was cornered tete-a-tete in the
penthouse she shares with her
director husband, Nick Mayo.
and two dogs and a four-foot
deep swimming pool and some
genuine pear trees growing on
perhaps the biggest penthouse
terrace overlooking the East
River.
One of the most interesting
things about this young lady
from Altoona, Pa, is that she's
a triple-threat girl: Singer,
dancer and actress. 1t makes
her, as they say in show busi-
ness, "a valuable property"
She Got Typed
There's been a lot of bounce
in her career. AS a singer she
bounced from no where to a
Job with Hal Kemp's band.
Then she bounced to a Holly
wood contract. In her fourth
movie she played Eileen in
My Sister Eileen"
What happened to me then /
happens to so many people in
Hollywood" she recalls. Il got
typed. I was always Eileen
They wanted me to play the
little princess roles and I
couldn't bring out the pixie
in me, Actually, I don't think
l was ready for Hollywood
then. I had no experience and
l couldn't get good direction.
Then, when I had a chance
to resign at $4,000 a week. I
turned it down. Oh, l was
young and green. I wanted to
get on the stage. So I ended
in summer stock"
Wanted Audiences
The experience was invalu-
able, she feels. There followed
some guest TV and radio ap-
pearanceS. But l have the
feeling an entertainer should
entertain. I wanted live au-
diences."
She found them by putting
all her savings into a night
club act singing, dancing and
SkitS - with the Blackburn
Boys. They hit most of the
nigh class saloons from coast
to coast. She was a great sue
cess. But she couldn't forget
her longing for good dramatic
roles.
Then Josh Logan offered her
the role Of Nellie Forbush in
the road company of South
Pacific" telling her, If you
do this. Janet. you'll get your
Pho. in acting" She played
1857 performances under ev-
cry conceivable condition with
out missing a show. At the
end, true to his word, Logan
presented her with a framed
diploma Richard Rod
gers and Oscar Hammerstein
I'd, creators of the musical,
gave her a diamond hand
cuff" as a gesture of their
binding respect and affection.
Cameras a Friend
You often hear it said that
TV trains actors and actresses
for the movies. But it's a two
way street.
My experience in the
movies was wonderful for tele-
vision" says Miss Blair. Il
like to work to the camera
because it's my friend now.
1t offers a performer the
chance to be spontaneous.
Television has a cold screen
and you have to make it
warm"
What of the future? Be-
cause of her steadily increas-
ing success, her dream street
is more solidly paved than
that of many actresses. There
are tentative plans for a tele-
vision series in the fall. She's
on the lookout for first-rate
Broadway musical comedy.
figuring-wisely enough-that
now she's ready for it.
But" says Janet Blair, I'D
give it all up tomorrow IL 1t
ever interferes with my home
life. And I'm not Kidding"