Nola Luxford on AllMovie

Nola Luxford went from having an unremarkable career as a actress of the 1920s and 1930s to becoming a pioneer in the field of radio journalism. A native of New Zealand, she launched her film career at Hollywood's Universal Studios in the 1920s. She appeared in a variety of films, ranging from Girl Shy (1924) and Ben Hur (1926) to King of the Herd (1927) and Kind Lady (1935). She began her radio career in 1932, when she convinced L.A. station KFI to let her broadcast sports news reports about the Olympic games. The actress loved the work and, in 1936, joined NBC's Four Star News in New York. She was the first and only female radio announcer of her time and her success opened doors for other women wanting to become broadcasters. During WWII, she spent much of her time on shortwave radio sending special messages from soldiers to friends and family in New Zealand. She also founded the ANZAC club (the acronym stands for the Australia-New Zealand Army Corps), a place where servicemen from Down Under could be entertained while stationed in New York. Her efforts earned her the fond nickname of Miss Anzac of the U.S.A. In 1947, she received the Order of the British Empire from King George VI and the U.S. Award of Merit from President Truman. During the 1950s, Luxford worked as the fashion director at the New York Pierre Hotel and, later in life, published several children's books in New Zealand. In 1989, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the Queen's Service Order upon her.