Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-08
BY DAN THOMAS.


the motion picture industry-but
none stranger than the highways and
byways travelled to attain place in
it.
Unlike almost every other existing
profession there is no blazed trail which leads
to acting
Regardless of what other vocation is chosen,
a person usually spends a certain amount OF
time studying and preparing for it. Not so with
acting. however. Men and women study TO
become engineers. statesmen. lawyers, school
teachers ministers, bookkeepers. stenographers
and end up as actors and actresses.
At least 80 per cent of the players you see
IN the silver screen today were engaged in some
other type of work before coming into pictures
And back in the days of silent pictures the
percentage even higher Talkies have
brought to the screen a certain number of stage
players who never have known anything but
acting.
Imagine. for example. the beautiful Ann
Harding being told that she should brighten up
her appearance. Ann used to work as filing
clerk in the New York office of an insurance
company. She was proud of that job-so
proud, in fact, that she almost lost it.
INT was an important phase of my hfe." Miss
Harding declares "And I had many ex-
periences there which never shall forget.
There was one in particular which now
seems very amusing. I earning the
splendid salary of $3.50 week and strove to
impress my employer with my briskness and
efficiency. succeeded in style beyond my
fondest hopes
"One morning he took me to task, saying
Miss Galley (my real name) err u.
couldn't you contrive somehow to brighten up
your appearance a bit? Don't be so plain.
You know you would be quite good-looking If
you made a point of it. "
Robert Mo tsEUnery and his brother started
out in life as seamen board a freighter
Neither of them knew the first thing about
seamanshp but decided that wandering around
the globe would be q grand profession. So they
attempted to hide their ignorance under
surface of boastfulneSS.
I'm never forget the time We started TO boast
about the experiences we never had had"
Montgomery recalls. "One night in general
discussion in the crews mess We talked glbly
about experiences firemen and the
records we held for speed with the coal shovel.
The next day we were transferred TO the
engine room and told to prove what we could
do We tried to make good. but finally had
to yell for mercy and admit that were
greenhorns. Then we were transferred back
to our JOBS on deck again
Joan CRAwFORDS h-st joo was as a stock
- girl in a ready-to-wea department of a
large store. The pay was small and the work
tedious but the visions Of some day becoming
salesgirl kept her at it.
For two months my life was spent in putting
away one box after another" Joan explains.
During the entire time thought I would be
promoted to salesgirl any day-only never
was. somehow
But finally I gave up hope and decided to
take job as q chorus girl with road show
which was about to leave town. got the job.
QAt the store and started cut on what
thought would be a brilliant career. Two weeks
Ater the company broke up and with much
humiliation went back and asked for my old
JOB Of putting away boxes"
fticnard Arlen held all sorts of jobs before
ne fmaily crashed into pictures. his career
sA<ane MIN all the way from Duluth Mimi, TO
1exas and then to Los Angeles However, 49,
one which seemed to hold the most proullss
h MN was that OF q newspaper advertising
Ahssnen-that Is. 1t did until he pulled an
waforeFttabie "boner"
on the verge Of closing my nrst big