The Washington times., 1934-07-16

Mr.. Mayo liked my singing and
the result was that I was signed
by Warner Brothers at $3.50 a
week for six months. I quit my
job. The pay checks kept coming
in regularly but nothing hap
pened. No work. No picture
assignments. I began to get rest
less. I wanted to be singing, as
long as I was being paid.
Finally it was arranged with
Warmers that I could take out
side night club jobs. Clayton.
Jackson and Durante-thiS was
in 1929-were opening for an
engagement in Les Ambassadors
on Broadway, a new night club.
They needed a girl singer with
them, and I was hired. While
there I developed tonsilitis and,
also, nearly nervous breakdown
worrying about my job and my
contract.
A vaudeville engagement pre-
sented itself. I'd never played on
the stage and didn't know any
thing about handling myself be-
hind the footlights. So when I
went on for the first time my
knees were knocking together so
hard I was afraid the audience
couldn't hear me sing for the
rafting. After the first perform
ance-in fact after the first round
of applause-it was great fun. I
was singing blues and liking 1t,
and so were audiences. I couldn't
ask any more of life than that.
About that time singing in
structors began coming around
and telling me they could make
a great star out of me if I'd just
take lessons. It began to make
me nervous, I wondered whether
my voice was right or not. I be-
gan to lose sleep, lose weight and
have circles under my eyes. But
I finally decided to forget it. I've
never taken singing lesson.
Never a Lesson
Vaudeville opened the way to
the musical stage. Imagine a
young girls thrill when Broad
way producer calls at her dress.
ing room and says he's going to
have George Gershwin write a
special song for her and put her
in a musical show. Gershwin
wrote Samson and Delilah' for
my first show, Girl Crazy"
After that it seems that each
show brought me q new hit.
George White changed his mind
about my singing ability. Life
is Just a Bowl Of Cherries" was
my song. in his Scandals"
When Take q Chance" was be-
ing cast I was selected for a role
in that, and "Eadie Was a
Lady," probably the song closest
to my heart. was given to me for
the show.
The next step, of course, was
Hollywood. When a long term
Paramount contract presents it.
self, who can say no? And
when it's topped with the chance
to play a featured role in a Bing
Crosby picture, a poor girl just
doesn't have a chance. Well,
ANYHOW, I went to Hollywood.
And went as an optimiSt.
That was wrong. Meeting the
cast of Were Not Dressing
Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard,
Burns and Allen, and Leon Err
rol-was my first big thrill.
Then getting out before the
cameras was my next.
I'd work so hard under the
lights in every scene, and then
worry and wonder how the
take" would be when 1t came
on the screen. I failed to notice
the looks that were passed be-
tween the group. When ] saw
the picture I understood. They
only used about half Of the
takes. The rest fell by the way.
side on the cutting room floor.
1--WE can't use this; we can't use
that" Director Norman Taurog
would say. He'd be sorry about
it, too, could see, but there's
just so much room in any pic"
ture, and that's that. Now I'm
a peSSimiSt.
like Hollywood because I'm
inside looking out. I wonder
what the youngsters out there
do-there are no holes in the
Hollywood fences for them to
peek through and look at the
stars at work and dream dreams.
Everyone there seem so casual
about the screen and all it stands
for. Excepting at the big Holly
wood premiereS when the lights
flare into the sky and the bands
play. Then they flock around.
But they watch Carlo and
Dietrich and Colbert pass them
on the street without q flutter
Of an eyelaSh. You can always
tell a tourist. The out-of.towners
stop and stare, or rush up for an
autogr a'ph. Every Hollywood
settler has an autograph, and the
stars will now have to wait for a
new generation to grow to the
autograph stage before they be-
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