NEWS: Janet BLAIR (M. Janet LAFFERTY), 1948, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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OUR ALTOONA HIGH SCHOOL
YESTERDAY AND TODAY

"You've Got a Career Now."

By Stanley R. Hyle

  If a master list of Altoona High's graduates was made with the occupations 
in which graduates had become successful tabulated, the entertainment field 
would without a doubt rank with the leaders.  In this field could be 
enumerated opera singers, popular singers, musicians, dancers, motion picture 
stars, writers, dramatists and many others.
  Foremost among these is the not unfamiliar story of motion picture starlet 
Janet Blair.  Janet broke into films the hard way, having gone through the 
rigors of one-night stands as featured vocalist with a band.  It was this 
experience which gave her the opportunity to perfect the art of appearing 
ever-fresh to the public, even though she was so fatigued and travel-worn 
that she could hardly stand.
  Janet is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred B. Lafferty of this city.  It 
was from Blair county that she chose her screen name.  She has one brother, 
Fred, jr., who was a quarterback at Colgate in 1932, and a sister, Ann 
Louise.
  While still a child, Janet thought she would like to become a ballet 
dancer.  Her father disapproved.  She soon thereafter developed a trick of 
standing on her head and waving her legs in the air.  Her father grew tired 
of this and soon agreed to the ballet lessons.
  Just as she was getting somewhere in her dancing the quality of her voice 
became too obvious to overlook and she switched to a vocal career.  Janet 
sang in the church choir, was, incidentally, secretary of the class of 1939, 
and sang the "Alma Mater" at the commencement.  She will long be remembered 
for her vocal work during her years at A.H.S.
  The real start of her career occurred when Hal Kemp signed her to sing with 
his nationally famous band after hearing her sing.  She was a hit from the 
start.
  Since Janet was an extremely attractive lass, and quite young, too, Kemp 
took her aside, before she started with his group, and gave her a bit of 
fatherly advice.  He told her not to fall for the wiles of all the men who 
would be attracted to her because of her work.  "You've got a career now," he 
instructed.  "You won't have time for suitors."
  Janet followed his advice, except for one man.  He was the arranger of the 
band - Louis Busch.  It seemed to Janet that he was everything she had ever 
hoped for.  He felt the same way about her.  But they didn't tell each other 
about their sentiments until some years later.  They were married in July, 
1943.
  (To Be Continued)

Altoona Mirror, Saturday evening, July 17, 1948, page 3

OUR ALTOONA HIGH SCHOOL
YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Janet Blair (Continued)

By Stanley R. Hyle

  Janet Blair personally credits her advent in films to Carrol Tornroth of 
the NBC artists' bureau who would not, as he termed it, "reconcile himself to 
so much talent being confined to band work."  One screen test vindicated his 
judgment.
  Her first picture was "Three Girls About Town," in which she shared billing 
with such stars as Binnie Barnes and Joan Blondell, but she emerged with just 
as much footage as her rollicking companions.  Experimentally, she was next 
put in one of the studio's "Blondie" pictures.  After that she was given the 
feminine lead in "Two Yanks in Trinidad," playing opposite Pat O'Brien and 
Brian Donlevy.
  Stardom reached Janet in "My Sister Eileen."  She had been given the 
obviously stellar role of Eileen to play in a cast that boasted Rasolind 
[sic] Russell and Brian Aherne.  Miss Russell's contract provided that in all 
her pictures she was the only feminine player to be starred, but Miss Russell 
voluntarily waived the clause and Janet was co-starred with her. 
  Janet was next seen in Columbia's "Something to Shout About" and later 
played the stellar feminine lead opposite Cary Grant in the fantasy, "Once 
Upon a Time."  In "Tonight and Every Night," she had a top role, and then was 
given the feminine lead opposite Alfred Drake in "Tars and Spars," a musical 
based on the coast guard road show of the same title.
  One of her most recent pictures for Columbia was the recently released 
"Gallant Journey," an air epic based on the life of John J. Montgomery, 
California flying pioneer, in which she appeared opposite Glenn Ford.
  Next, Miss Blair went on loan-out to Charles Rogers for the top feminine 
role in "Fabulous Dorseys," the film which tells the story of the famed band-
leading brothers.
  Her first role at her home lot following "The Fabulous Dorseys" was "Double 
Take," in which she starred with Franchot Tone and Janis Carter.  The 
production is the screen adaption [sic] of Roy Huggins' best selling mystery 
novel, which Tone and S. Sylan Simon produced.  Simon also directed.

Altoona Mirror, Monday evening, July 19, 1948, page 3