Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

8 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE Volume XII, No. 8 Behind the Screen Credits BY HELEN COLTON Hollywood Editor, "Film and Radio Guide" For any woman who loves to go shopping, especially the woman who likes to find out-of-theway little shops with unique merchandise, the ideal job is that of a shopper for a Hollywood studio. Pretty Dorothy Drake, who works for International Pictures, has one of the less than two dozen shopping jobs in Hollywood. These jobs are so scarce because each studio or independent producer needs only one shopper. Dorothy’s work starts when the designer on a picture has finished her designs, had them okayed, and is ready to have them made up. Every morning, after talking with the designer and the wardrobe mistress, Dorothy prepares a shopping list of things she has to get that day. With samples of colors, fabrics, sizes, and styles, she goes on her rounds of department stores, wholesale houses, importing firms, and specialty shops. Most Hollywood shoppers have their own cars, but Dorothy doesn’t, so she is driven around by a chauffeur in a studio limousine. Before leaving on her eri'ands, Dorothy usually checks the studio’s own supply of fabrics, to see if they already have on hand something which will fill their needs. If she finds a bolt of cloth in the stockroom that will serve the purpose, that means money saved for the studio and one less item to be shopped for. Right now, studio stocks are quite depleted, since producers have been drawing on them during the war and post-war periods without much chance of replacements. But before very long, all the studios hope to have their textile supplies back to normal. A conscientious shopper like Dorothy, who recently shopped for Tomorroiv is Forever, The Stranger, and Dark Mirror, consults the stars for whom she is shopping as to their personal choices of gloves, shoes, purses. hats, and jewelry. Some stars want leather gloves, others want suede ; some like large envelope-style purses, others want over the shoulder or handle styles. Some prefer shoes with medium heels, others like high heels. Several Los Angeles department stores maintain studio departments under the supervision of people who devote full time to helping studio shoppers. Wholesale houses and specialty shops are delighted to cooperate with the studios, for these are their best and most profitable customers. Specialty shops in Los Angeles are many and varied, each of them filling one specific studio need. One whole business, for instance, is devoted to nothing but the manufacture of belts. Another business turns out only beadery and embroidery. There are other firms which manufacture only ribbons, or handkerchiefs, or scarves, and so on. A Beverly Hills jeweler makes costume jewelry to order and rents expensive jewelry to the studios. One furrier does rather well in renting luxurious fur coats. These firms simplify the shopper’s work considerably. If they do not have in stock what she needs, they will usually make it up to order on short notice. All the studios have charge accounts in the various stores. The shopper is allowed to take perhaps half a dozen selections of each item on approval. When the studio designei’ has made a final choice among the several Save by Ordering Now Before the Deadline for New Subscription Rates If Ordered Before July, 1946 One Year 2.00 Each Two Years 3.50 Each Three Years 5.00 Each Effective July 1, 1946 One Year 3.00 Each Two Yeors 5.00 Each Three Years 6.50 Each Less Than One Year 35c o Copy In Canada, add 50c a year; in foreign countries, add $1.00 a year. FILM & RADIO GUIDE