NOLA - OUR OWN NEW ZEALAND GIRL

In 1984, Los Angeles honoured one of its citizens - she was New Zealander Nola Luxford.

Nola was New Zealand’s greatest Hollywood star; leading lady of the American stage; pioneer woman radio broadcaster and an angel in New York to 40,000 Anzacs in World War Two.

She grew up in Hastings, the first of three children. Nola took lessons in piano, singing and dancing, and starred in local theatrical plays. Her family owned the local book shop.

In 1921, Nola married Maurie Luxford and with very little money they started out on a working holiday, ending up in Los Angeles. A lucky break came for Nola when MGM offered her studio work, which led to better parts. She appeared in over 20 movies, playing the lead in half of them. Only one in five Hollywood films from this era survive today. One is a Dutch version of a film made in 1925 ‘THE PRINCE OF PEP’ starring Nola Luxford, of which only segments survive. In 1947 she was awarded the OBE by King George VI and received the American Award of Merit from President Truman, only the third woman to have received this coveted award.

Nola discusses her years in the film industry; her experiences in the theatre; her goodwill involvement in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and the ANZAC’S club she founded for the boys from down under.