Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-07-24

The next thing she knew Kitty
O'Mara was nodding shyly to the star
and was accepting multigraphed yell
low script from the hand of Dick Car
roll.
Just be natural" the director told
her pleasantly. Don't worry about act
ing or emoting This is merely a prac-
tice run-off."
Kitty nodded, saucer-eyed, and then
Ed winked at her and he and Carroll
went into the control room.
Radio does odd things to voices. In
real life some of them sound as thick
and slow as molasses in January, and
yet-on the air-they come out as thin
as iced tea in July. Some of them
sound as warm and lush as crimson
velvet and they come out as cold and
hard as a square-cut diamond.
Kitty OMara's voice came out as Is,
except that it grew deeper and richer.
1t was as If the ether liked small, thin
girls with freckles. When she finished
her first speech, which she read rath-
err haltingly because it was all so new
and strange. Dick Carroll muttered
to Ed.
1.-THE kid has a nice quality-Her
voice is ringer for Rays" A moment
later he corrected himself I'm wrong.
It's better than Rays"
Ed was fussing with something or
other. He answered. "She's got what
it takes" but his heart was pounding.
This was Kitty he was listening to,
his Kitty. And yet it wasn't exactly
Kitty. 1t was another girl. He felt ap-
proval glow in him as she got into her
stride. The star wasn't showing her
up, not bit of it. Kitty was holding
her own, more than holding her own
Shed forgotten her shyness with the
third speech. She was talking easily.
and Ed heard the director sigh and
say:
Lord! This is the way it happens
sometimes! She gets down inside your
heart"
They played the scene through-the
visitor from Hollywood, suave, COM
placent, a finished actor, and Kitty
O'Mara. The part was a glamorous
one-and, boy, did she have glamour!
When the scene was over the director
said, Cut" and Ed felt as if his fin
gers, touching the controls, were made
of cotton wool-there wasn't any
strength left in them. He didn't say
anything. Merely turned the switch as
Dick enthused, you'd think she'd been
at it all her life, she's so smooth. She's
a natural"
They went over the big scene again
and again. just to see if Kitty would
slip-if she'd lose the thrill, the ar
resting, haunting, something or other.
The director was delighted. But Ed,
busy at his controls, might have been
a visitor from Mars, listening to a
strange being who spoke an unintel-
Ggible language.
When, after the third reading, Dick
Carroll said, I'll give her contract"
Ed felt an odd mingling of pride and
fear.
IF they sign Kitty up, she'll rate
top billing inside of a month";" he told
himself. But inside a month he and
Kitty were planning to be married.
AS her lovely voice read the words
for a fourth time, Ed was thinking,
Nothing can happen. Everything's
set!" They'd put deposit on shiny
furniture for three rooms and signed
a lease for sunny flat on the west
side. They'd discussed every second of
tlle lOllS Weehellu Illcy NSle SO1liS w
take in the mountains, after they
sneaked out of the side door of the
priests house and climbed into the
installment plan flivver practically
paid for) that was their pride and joy.
When, after fifth reading, the di-
rector said, That's enough; I can't
stand any more. She's so darn good I
want to cry" Eds soul echoed the di-
rector's words. Kitty was so good that
he also wanted to cry. So good that
she made the rest of the leading ladies
he knew them all-sound like 30
cents. Furthermore, she had way of
holding her head, proud lift to her
chin, that was more important than
mere looks. With television threaten
ing so many futures, Kitty wouldn't
have to worry.
Dick Carroll was talking expansively.
Blessings" he was saying, "often come
in disguise. If 1t hadn't been for Rays
laryngitis never would have discov-
cred Kitty. I've good mind to give
Ray kick in the boomers and shoot
Kitty into script. How about it, Ed?"
Ed thought to himself, What will