The Washington times., 1931-02-05
, salary of So a day. I accepted

Three weeks elapsed and I,
much to my chagrin, learned of
the Joker in my contract.
When we worked" looked fine
in my typewriter contract but
it certainly covered a multitude
of postponed meals.
I had moved into a fourth
rate hotel near a theater on
Spring Street. between Eighth
and Ninth Avenues. Los An.
geles. This dingy edifice, Of
the boarding house type, was
frequented principally by ham
actors, like myself, who we're
barely scraping out an exist
ence by the skin of their teeth
When I had spent my last
dollar and had grown desperate,
I solved my living expense prob
lens by arising early in the
morning, before dawn, walking
around the block and sneaking
milk bottles off Of isolated door
steps. Another girl. who was
virtually in the same boat as
myself, showed me the trick.
And, throughout this period
Of depression, I daily wrote
home. telling my parents how
wonderfully my career was
progressing and never mention
ing the hardships and ordeals I
was undergoing.
Eventually, word leaked out
that Mack Sennett was about to
begin shooting one and two-reel
comedies in his new studio at
Glendale.
OF course, felt that I was a
tragedienne. but if one must be-
come comedienne, in order to
earn three meals a day, I would
drown my art, if that was neces-
Sary, and become comedienne,
too.
Meets Mack Sennett
So I went to Glendale and
was put through my PAGES by
the great Mack Sennett, in per-
Son. I had heard much of him
and considered hom on parity,
socially and in an executive
way, SO to speak, with the Presi-
dent of the United States.
And, when he had closed our
interview with the remark:
This little girl is conner. Yes
sir. Here's a comer!" why I
would have been willing to vote
him greater than the President,
any old day.
I had always been q great ad-
mirer Of Mabel Normand. When
Sennett casually mentioned I
was to appear in a picture with
her, I felt that I truly was in
fairyland. My widest dreams
had come true.
Soldiers of Misfortune" was
the title of the picture, and the
leading man was named Muir
ray, a newcomer to the screen,
whose first name I do not re-
member.
In those days every extra girl
had to furnish her own cos
tunes, usually cheap little af-
fairs, made UP in various styles,
that could be used over and over
again.
Sennett asked me If I had an
evening dress. I didn't have
one but I assured him that I
had. The only one I had ever
owned, one with a little piece of
ermine on the collar, which I
had bought with my first weeks
salary in the Girl at the Gate"
had been stolen from me at the
hotel. Perhaps one of the girl
friends I had made, had traded
it for a meal.
Anyhow, it was gone and I
simply had to get one by some
hook or crook. I was up against
it and on the verge of despair
when I happened to remember
an evening gown which Annette
Selovus, my room mate at the
moment, owned. Only a day
or two before, she, hard pressed
by the wolf, had taken a tenn
porary position in depart.
ment store and, consequently,
had little need for it.
I broached the subject to her
as soon as she arrived and OBJ
tained her permission to use
it. It was gold net affair,
a little hoop at the bottom and
the skirt trimmed with skunk.
Truly, magnificent garment,
I thought.
Arrayed in this appeared
on the Sennett lots next day
and, after being made UP by
an elderly wardrobe mistress,
came into the presence of the
great Normand, then at the
peak of her career.
She was a peach. Star that
she was, she laughed and ioked
with everyone, from the lowliest
extra girl, including myself, to
the office boys, who lounged
around awaiting a summons.
o! How Green
Often, years later, when I
too reached Stardom and we
had become warm friends,
Mabel and I laughed about
this, our first meeting, and