Guinea, that Triola, Anderson, and their USO troupe entertained as many as 1,500 American servicemen—Navy, Army, and Merchant Marine personnel—at the 113th Amphitheater. Triola played her accordion while Shirley Cornell played the violin. Noted actress Anderson and Helen McClure each performed singing duties while PFC Paul Parmalee played the piano as the group worked together to lift the spirits of battle-weary, worn-out soldiers. Triola lost one $1,500 accordion at the Pacific when a light globe set fire to it. Career Started As Accordionist The career of Anne Triola was marked by circumstances, and her success as a singing comedian was the result of one of these. Originally Triola was an accordionist and as such accompanied Judith Anderson's USO troupe into the Pacific Theater during World War II. She was well known as a night club performer only. In New Guinea her accordion burned and it became necessary for Triola to reschedule her act. "Then," she said, "I just started singing a little bit to help out." She found she had success with comedy selections. "My friends used to tell me I had a flair for comedy with the accordion, but I never specialized in it until I started singing," she said. Becomes Singer When she returned from USO tours she set out to "develop a style of my own" and once more started a nightclub circuit act, this time as a singer. Possibly her greatest fortune occurred while singing in the Blue Angel in New York City. There she became acquainted with some of the top New York theatrical persons. Rodgers and Hammerstein asked her to star in the London production of Annie Get Your Gun. Her nightclub commitments prevented her from taking the offer but several years later Oscar Hammerstein recommended her for the same role in the Sacramento Music Circus. While singing at Slapsy Maxie's, Director Mervyn LeRoy and Producer Jesse L. Lasky signed her for movies at RKO where she made three movies, one with John Wayne. It was reported that Triola was in the floor show at Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom's when Lasky and LeRoy found her and immediately offered her a contract. From those movies, Without Reservations stood out where she had a feature role. Journalist Gene Handsaker singled out Triola for this reason in a June 5, 1946, edition of the Prescott Evening Courier as he explained, "Some supporting performances are terrific, especially that of