Radio-TV mirror (Jan-June 1953)

Dealing with Larry's leading lady, Mary Noble learns there are times a housewife has to be an actress, too — and even write her own script! Mary Noble stood at the door of Judith Venable's dressing room. Seated at the table, with the theatrical make-up lights shining bright on her face, Judith looked hard, just a little worn with the events that had transpired in the last few weeks. Judith's voice had a rasping, brittle quality — almost as though her years of speaking in the voice of the characters she had portrayed on the stage had robbed her of her own ability to express her thoughts without cheap emotion. Judith's vanity, her supreme belief in her own charms, were almost enough to make Mary lose her resolution to keep everything on a friendly basis — a resolution hardly helped along by Judith's digs at her appearance, Judith's thinly veiled criticisms of her actions. Mary could feel her hand trembling on the door to the dressing room as she controlled her every instinct to flee from Judith, flee from the situation in which she found herself. A giggle welled up inside of her as she thought to herself, I'm the actress! . . . Mary had known it would be hard to face Judith, to face her husband Larry, when she returned from her ill-fated trip to the Virgin Islands. It all seemed so long ago now, when she'd traveled down there to divorce Larry, let Judith have a clear field to win the husband whom she adored. Seemed long ago, foolish and school-girlish, in view of what a bit of honest plain-speaking had been able to accomplish between herself and Larry. It was at Larry's insistence that Mary was with Judith now. The latest of Judith's overtures had left both of them a little shaken, not in their belief in each other, but uncertain about what they should do about Judith. . . . Larry had been finishing his make-up the evening before, for the performance which he would be giving with Judith, his leading lady, when Judith unexpectedly walked into his dressing room. Coming up behind Larry, she had suddenly leaned down and kissed the top of his head. Larry was so taken aback that he merely sat there while Mary opened the door and walked in. Of course, Judith had immediately assumed that Mary would be shocked and horrified and went into an act about her feel ings— she made it quite plain that she felt Larry was gallant in taking Mary back after her Virgin Islands trip, and implied that Larry was covering up his true feelings for Judith because he didn't want to upset Mary. As the door had closed on this episode, Larry had appealed to Mary to "do something" that would prove to Judith once and for all that he didn't care for her, except as a leading lady in a play which he wanted to keep highly successful. . . . Armed with the knowledge of her husband's love for her, Mary was trying her level best to work out a plan that had slowly formed in her mind. This plan would keep everything at the theatre proceeding nicely, but would involve Judith in a romance which might turn her attention away from Larry and give Mary and her husband a small respite of peace with each other. Mary made her voice light and gay as she told Judith about a small dinner party she was planning. It was going to be just a little, intimate affair in celebration of the months that the play had been so successful. There would be a few persons from the theatre, Mary went on lightly, and a couple of men who had so much wanted to meet Judith — as a matter of fact, had been bothering the life out of Mary for an introduction. At the mention of the men, Judith's face softened and she lost the tenseness that had seemed to permeate her whole body. Of course, she'd be delighted to attend and bygones would be bygones. . . . As Mary closed the door to the dressing room a sigh escaped her lips. Would she be a good enough actress to divert Judith's attention, and would the poor male victims stand still for the matchmaking she was about to bring about? A small prayer was sent heavenward as she made her way to Larry's dressing room to tell him the success of her encounter. Life might not be smooth, she told herself, but it certainly is interesting, when you are married to a handsome actor! Backstage Wife, on NBC, M-F, 4 PM. EST, for Cheer. Claire Niesen (far right) and Helen Claire are shown here in their roles as Mary Noble and Judith Venable. It takes courage to be 44