Nola Fairbanks
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Nola Fairbanks was born Nola Jo Modine on December 10, 1924. She is the granddaughter of Mormon pioneers Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks (aka R.J. "Dad" Fairbanks) and Celestia Adelaide Johnson Fairbanks,[1] from Payson, Utah and Death Valley, California. She is a descendant of Jonathan Fairbanks whose 17th century wood frame house still stands in Dedham, Massachusetts. She is also the aunt of actor, Matthew Modine.
As a child in Santa Paula, California, USA, she joined the Meglin Kiddies Dance Troup where Shirley Temple was also a student. Nola Jo's mother, Zella Vonola Fairbanks[2]Modine, washed clothes to pay for her singing and dancing lessons during the great depression. Her father, Alexander Revard Modine, worked for the Texaco Oil Company.
Her first movie role was as a "glorified extra" in The Corn Is Green in 1945, starring Bette Davis. Soon after, she joined the Lionel Barrymore production of the musical, "Halloween" at the Hollywood Bowl, the Standard Symphony Hour in addition to the Hollywood Canteen for servicemen.
Next, she went on tour as a soloist with the Sonja Henie Ice Show, completing two national tours. When the tours ended in New York, she stayed on with the show, named Howdy Mr. Ice at the Center Theatre in Rockefeller Center.
Nola's Broadway debut was in 1950 in the chorus of Cole Porter's Out of This World. She soon became an understudy and before long, assumed the lead. Summer Stock performances included Miss Liberty with Dick Haymes in the Dallas Theatre as well as Die Fledermaus and finally Bloomer Girl in Toronto, Canada.
Next, she joined the Broadway cast of Paint Your Wagon opposite James Barton, when Olga San Juan left the role of Jennifer Rumson. Nola took the show on tour with Burl Ives in the part her father, Ben Rumson. The role was strangely similar to her own mother's pioneer upbringing.
In 1952, Nola starred in the first musical production at the new Jones Beach Theatre in Long Island, New York. Mike Todd was the producer of this production of the Johann Strauss II operetta A Night In Venice.
After a winning performance on The Arthur Godfrey radio show, she appeared on his television show. Her final Broadway performance came when she was asked to replace Florence Henderson in the lead role in Fanny, co-starring Ezio Pinza. Nola married James Larkin in 1954 and had four children. She divorced in 1990 and currently lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
