Reagan attended Dixon High School, where he developed interests in acting, sports, and storytelling. His first job involved working as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park in 1927. While traveling with the Cubs in California in 1937, Reagan took a screen test that led to a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. studios. He spent the first few years of his Hollywood career in the 'B film' unit, where, Reagan joked, the producers 'didn't want them good; they wanted them Thursday'.He earned his first screen credit with a starring role in the 1937 movie Love Is on the Air, and by the end of 1939, he had already appeared in 19 films, including Dark Victory with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.