FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

MERLE OBERON 1 Glamour Girl of the Screen ! Merle Oberon, Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson, was born on Feb. 19, 1911 in Hobart, on the Island of Tasmania, where her parents were visiting the father's maiden aunt. Her father, who died of pneumonia three months before the birth of his daughter, was an English army officer, her mother English on the paternal side and French-Dutch on the other. Until Merle was seven years old, the mother continued to reside with her sister-in-law, in whose home the girl was born. She then accepted an invitation to stay with Lady Monteith, the child's god-mother, in Bombay, India. The visit prolonged itself into a stay of two years, then Mrs. Thompson went to join a sister and brother in Calcutta. Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson had started school in Bombay. In Calcutta where she lived for the next ten years, she was further educated along the austere lines which her army officeruncle deemed fitting for one of his family. She finished at La Matinere College where she studied French, Hindusthani, and Latin. She was not quite 17 when her uncle got army leave for a trip to England and took her along. They toured France, Italy and Switzerland in the course of the tour. When it came time for the uncle to return, the girl did not want to go back to India. Many of the people she met, struck with her beauty, had told her she should be an actress. According to Miss Oberon, ever since early childhood she had wanted to be an actress on the screen. And Hollywood was her goal. After much persuasion the uncle gave his niece her return ticket to Calcutta together with what in America would be about $100. When the money was expended she was to take the first boat home. The 17-year-cld girl had no idea of the value ot money, and it went quickly. She was determined to be an actress. Her first money therefore went for clothes. Then she "cashed in" her steamer ticket fcr about $80, and set about finding a job. In all her money carried her tor about a month. She knew nothing about theatrical agencies and was completely at sea about starting her career. One day she heard that the H.M.V. film company was holding an audition for players at the Cafe de Paris in London. It was quite a swanky place. Arrived there, she found at least fifty ether girls answering the same call. She was not picked. While she was waiting to hear her fate a man, with an air of authority, approached her and asked if she would like to dance at the cafe. Very haughtily, she says, she declined. "I do hope" said the man, "that you will do me the honor of coming to tea next Thursday. I would Merle Oberon like to have you meet some of the girls. Perhaps then you'd change your mind." By the next Thursday Miss Oberon was not only penniless but hungry. She was at the Cafe de Paris for tea. Among the girls working there was Mimi Jordan, now prominent on the screen. Everyone was so friendly, the future was so uncertain — Miss Oberon accepted a position as hostess. She kept the job three months. Then her mother, frantic at hearing that the child was in London alone, arrived. With her mother's income the girl was relieved of the necessity of finding for herself. In the course of her work at the cafe, she had met people who enabled her to get work in a film studio. Her first pay cheque was for extra work in "Alf's Button", for Bntish-Gaumont. She was given a line to speak, and got $10 a day 19