Show how I 1 broke into ff the M ovies movies copyright by hal C herman by NORMA SHEARER row OW that I 1 look back upon it I 1 na guess it wits was just a dogged determination mi that got me my first chance la in motion pictures I 1 often think how strange it seems to me now in the light ot of everything every thing I 1 know about the industry tor for ray my bister and me to have set out from our home in carinda canada to invade the picture business we did not know a soul la in new york we had bad no pull and no n friends in the industry in fact we knew nothing of the inner workings of a booking office until after we had been in new york for several severa I 1 weeks find and had made the rounds of the studios again and again on one of our pilgrimages we discovered a kindly soul who told us ua that we should get an agent and gave us the address of a good hooker booker A thole my sister and I 1 were fit filled led with new hope and we gleefully hounded bounded into that drab office to be met by a sad eyed young man seated nt at a uttered littered desk lie ile asked us what we wanted with the air of one who already knew our answer and feared the worst we told him emphatically that we wanted to go into the amov movies leg he looked at us ns pitifully oh must you go into the movies he asked out our norma shearer ardor dampened not one whit we explained that we really must he gave us a long talk begging us to turn back but we were not to be turned and more to get rid of us than anything else he sent us to a studio where twelve girls were needed for a few days work in a college comedy thinking that the jobs were set for us we reported at the studio the next nest day to find out that there were fifty girls waiting out of 0 these twelve were to be chosen the assistant director came out of his office and began looking us over tie he chose eleven girls and I 1 was not among them I 1 coughed very loudly and shuffled my feet the sound attracted his ear car and his eye followed I 1 had brought myself to his notice and he said do the rest are not needed the twelve of you report for work tomorrow morning sly illy sister was not chosen but I 1 went back later in the afternoon find and we persuaded him that thirteen girls would be better than twelve that thirteen was really a lucky number and he consented to let athole work too and that Is how I 1 happened to do my first days work but breaking into the movie sits not like walking into a room for its easier to get in than stay in weeks passed and no work came but that one days work gave us at least the right to say that we had picture experience and we at last got other days extra work athole dropped out of the game to get married and I 1 went the rest of the way alone extra work led to bits bits to small parts and small parts to larger ones by the time I 1 was playing parts I 1 was noticed on the coast and got a contract with the old mayor mayer studios when the metro goldwyn mayer merger mercer was effected my contract was carried over find and I 1 have been with this company ever since among my recent pictures are sailing through with frederic march and leslie howard and strange interlude ter lude with dark clark gable cable ralph morgan and blau maureen reen |