The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-02-15
Chapter 28
Screen Test

7 EnP Mas SLIII WOIlOGTlHS WHY StIS
had let Mike howe inveigle hel
into this ridiculous trip. She was
on her way to Hollywood for the
suspicious screen teSt-expenSes
paid by Criterion.
Howe, she realized by now. had
Deen q high pressure salesman
getting what he wanted. rushing
her down to New York, putting
her on the transcontinental plane
befJre she'd had time to say she
wasn't particularly interested in
Hollywood right now.
No one met her at the airport
That. too, was in accordance with
her unlnitIated calculations She
took a taxi to the Beverly Wiltshire
Because there was nothing else to
do. she went to bed. The hour
was one a. m. - just ten o'clock
New York time.
I'm Noel Marchand. MIR. Howe
arranged a screen test for me" she
explained patiently to Mr. TeIgers
secretary al Criterion the next
morning Mr. Feigel was in charge
of productions = Howe had told
her all about him
please spell Tire name." Mr.
Felgel's secretary answered Impa-
tiently.
Noel spelled it out. I'm at the
Beverly Wiltshire Tt.1;t
Mr.. Feigel's at Palm Springs.
I'll get in touch with you Wednes-
day" ssils.. ssf &.
Noel hung up on, the mundane
answer. This was Monday Two
days to waste IN Hollywood!
By Tuesday she was desperate
After a breakfast of coffee and
green figs how she loved them -
she asked the hotel clerk:
'Is Mrs Douglas Swsnstrom
registered here?"-
yes. ma am, I'm see II she IN.
the ImperSonal voice answered
In a moment Anlta's high notes
were sailing over the wire Noel,
daTlIng- how wonderful! OF
course, well have luncheon I'm
sorry ] forgot I've an engage
ment Well. there's dinner Now
sweet child. don't make any en-
gagement. Well go places I'll
show you Hollywood. Be ready
early I'll call for you -
Anita. like a fiu'Ar of bats
WINS. was off the telephone.
"Da-a-arling! You're ravish-
. ingi" Anita exclaimed when she
2 stopped at NoerS suite just before
dinner Noel was wearing the old
white crepe dinner gown lit was
still good Her rural brown skin
gave the white soft fieshy tint.
Were going places wait till
Won seel" Anita promised.
= They went. augmented by sew
ersl other guests Anita had cor
rallied the Hollywood favurite he
= man all ears and false teeth. Noel
thought as she listened to him
exudins platitudes in the Troca-
dero. Afterwards she met several
other celebrities at the Clover
Club-Bilf Herrick. the big direc-
tor. so dreamy shat he always for
got his wife was with him He
courted Noel ardently. with fur
tive passes. She said suddenly to
Anita:
out?"
It was noon Wednesday when
MIR -eigel's secretary called Noel
at her hotel.
Please be al the studio by two
o'clock land bring sports cos
tune and an evening gown" the
efficient voice told her Noel won
dered what they expected of her
skiing. or tennis. or golf. And
what kind of acrobatics.
Anita had put her wise She ar
rived at the studio in long limou-
sine-it was rented by the hour
And a maid carried her wardrobe.
Not Pretty-BeautifuP
EEIGEL was even shorter and
fatter than Howe. Noel thought
he was a dumb little man But She
smiled sweetly a: him They'd ar
ragged. so Feigel told her, to have
her take the test with one of their
best actors. Noel again smiled
obligingly. She knew important
contract players didn't submit
themselves to screen tests with I'M
known quantities.
"rm sorry-l don't recall your
name" she said-too sweetly-to
the gigolc who was to support her
in the screen test. He was some
fourth-rater, she knew. She was
putting on her act for Feigel. He
seemed to enjoy it.
Now. Miss Marchand-" he
pronounced it with a "tee," tooth
ing the words-"Alberto Is good"
81 see" was all that Noel re-
piled. She didn't care much. She
wanted to get il over with. The
set was a discarded one, the di-
rector a fourth-rater. Noel was
willing to go through with it.
Well do the last scene from
Susan is Waiting the filler-in at
the megaphane suggested.
"rd much rather do the first act
curtain. il you don't mind" For
one Noel was asserting herself.
In the end that was what they
did Alberto was poor excuse for
Foster. as he fed her the lines.
But Noel. once in the mood-she
was thinking Of farewells that had
be spoken-forgot the man OPP
poSite her. the cameraman. the
sound technician. She forgo,
everybody: she only remembered
she was speaking lines to an audi
ence-she was saying goodby to
Allan.
4 think you make your women
too pretty" she said later, after
the test was made. Feigel wa.
+, watching her with more than pass
ing interest.