Pauline Frederick : on and off the stage (1940)

Musical Comedy 23 managers would probably hear of it and no one would give her a chance. She saw herself going from office to office and being told, " Oh yes, you're the girl who was rude to Mr. Erlanger. Sorry. We don't want you." She would be blackballed. It all seemed very great to her then, for she was deeply earnest about her career and had not gone on the stage just for something to do. She brooded all the evening about it. " You'll never get another job on Broadway as long as you live." Over and over again she heard it, and it sounded like a death sentence to her. Again she changed her mind. She would go and apologize tomorrow, no matter how much it hurt to do it. She must go on. She must get experience and become a great actress. It was nearly bed time when the telephone rang. Her heart jumped. Perhaps she had been forgiven and they were calling to tell her to report for work tomorrow morning. Her mother answered the telephone and then called Pauline. With thumping heart she took up the receiver, but it was not the Erlanger office. It was, however, someone connected with the cast — the musical director. She was so relieved to be able to talk to someone about it all and began telling him how worried she was and asked what she should do. To her surprise, he told her to forget it. Erlanger had been in a bad mood and had taken it out on her. " But I'll never get another job," she said distractedly. The man told her to listen to him. There was a new show already in rehearsal at the Broadway Theatre. She was to go down there tomorrow and ask to see Mr. John C. Fisher who was producing it. The musical director had already spoken to him about her and he was sure she would get the part. Gloom soon changed to joy and Pauline poured grateful words down the telephone to this friend in need. The next day was Friday and she kept the appointment