Show HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD- Extra Tells Of First Firs Day DayOn On Location In the tho following dispatch Mary Knight of the United Press tells of her first t day in the tho movi movies By MAKY KNIGHT NIGHT Copyright 1936 by United Press I As HOLLYWOOD As soon as Jean Harlow and Franchot Tone got on the he set the director was ready to start shooting the tho part of Suzy in n which I played as an extra But making motion pictures takes hours and hours and by the time we were vere turned loose for luncheon Id I'd appeared in only one shot It had been taken over and over again until finally Director Fitzmaurice Fitzmaurice Fitz Fitz- maurice pronounced the ninth shot okay In all that time I hadn't done much except walk up and down I dont don't believe I gave an inspiring performance Anyhow I was glad to go to lunch and get a place to sit down But before beCore we went to lunch the he assistant director told all women to o line up on n tho the front of The liThe Ritz hotel in London Im going to pick ten of you for tor fora a It change of oC costume ho said Those I pick are arc to report to wardrobe and get old clothes cothes I was one of those picked and it was a thrill to be singled out for a change of clothes also might mean meana a a. change in tho the paycheck I was still thinking of this when Tiny my extra girl friend grabbed my arm and s suggested we go cat eat catI I tried to buy Tiny's lunch but she said doln doin kid youre you're just getting gelting started and youre you're going to need your pennies more than I need mine nine I know my way around Hollywood You'd better belter start grabin grab- grab bin in what you can get your hands on and then hang on on You dont don't mind at tho the counter do you she asked They got a swell cent 40 lunch and its it's 10 cents cheaper than satin catin at a table It If f a linen napkin aint worth the 10 cents difference In a change of costume I was back jack on the 1235 pp p p. p m. m as the director ordered but it was fully an hour lour later before they started to shoot again This gave me a chance to roam around and talk with other extras Its It's during such lulls on the set that sweaters and socks get knitted and plain substantial underwear get jet stitched clothes mended and fingernails manicured Some of the extras play bridge and others play poker but the later's lats latter's lat lat- ter's ers a harmless game since people making as low as a day cant can't afford to gamble One pale faced old lady was reading reading read read- ing Flame of Life You like to read I asked Yes she said but I seldom get geta a chance Ill bet I can tell you where you are arc from I said to a lanky youth with a drawl You dont don't need to sister Im I'm from Crom Augusta Ga Names Name's Sandy Sanderson and glad to meet you I run a dance danco marathon at LongBeach LongBeach Long LongBeach Beach Sundays Come down and Ill I'll introduce you around You might win a prize Further banter was was' cut short b by the directors director's s whistle Lets get going he said The scene this time was a London London London Lon Lon- don slum street On it was a coffee corfee coffee cof cor- fee shop in which Miss Ha Harlow low as as Suz was munching a bun and drinking at a big cup of coffee She talked with the man manas manas manas as a at a. car drew up outside In it was Franchot The They spoke a few lines and then Miss Harlow Harow ran to jump into the car She fell fell fell- by accident Cut Cut the director bellowed Everyone ran to Miss Harlows Harlow's assistance but she was not hurt badly She had only a scratch on one of her famous ankles Her stand-in stand took her place for a few minutes The scene was reset for tor another take the take tho car backed into proper position Meantime Miss Harlow received first aid this story about asks the mother of ot Baby Peggy Do you ou remember Baby Peggy She's grown up p now but she ahe gets occasional occasional occasional occa occa- parts as does her mother who still looks like a girl girl- herself Who Wh the hell cares said an an- other extra How about a hand of ot bridge After ACter five tive rehearsals we move to the last scene Joan Crawford Crawford- Mrs Tone wanders Tone wanders onto the set setto setto setto to see how her hubby is doing Now tho the cameras grind agai again A Aboy Aboy Aboy boy on a bicycle delivers a telegram another runs down the street with witha a basket A cab drives by and a group of small children play on the sidewalk Its It's the final scene of the da day and that's bad news to the extras It means they get no speaking parts Extra salaries range from for big mob scenes to 25 where so much as a word is spoken before the camera Jobs like mine pay 5 Ij or if anything but walking is required It Is nearly 5 p. p m. m when a blue Rolls RoUs Royce drives through an archway archway archway arch arch- way on the final shot Jean am and Franchot are In the back seat We Ve extras pass and repass on the narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row si sidewalk under the archway All flAU right church is out the assistant director yells eIls There is a mad rush to get tickets stamped and then to get to the wardrobe and the cashiers cashier's win win win- dow A long line tine forms on the stairs stair to the cashiers cashier's office The unpaid go up the paid come down Im I'm plenty tired but I wait for lor formy formy my mone money and next I work with W. W C. C Fields |