Screenland (May-Oct 1938)

Even Snakes Have Continued from page 57 THE STORY UP TO NOW Marcia Court, extra girl, fl director by laughing zvhen the star Anne Barrett, trips and falls while acting a scene. When Anne once Marcia's friend, tries to intercede for the extra, Marcia, bitterly resentful of Anne's success, berates her. Attracted by Marcia's fiery temper and strangely fascinating appearance, Fhil Burns, publicity man, questions her Though desperately in need of work hungry, absolutely penniless Majcia a use him of merely trying to date ZrZhen he speaks of making a screen test More than ever convinced this extraordinary girl has mi actress Burns, despite Maiuas Vehement hostility, persuades her to return that night for the screen test. "Shut up! And then when you smiled at tne I knew there would be rare moments when you could rise above the circumstances of your birth and make one forget !land that if you could only cease to act you would give a performance Mwo«M startle the world— simply by being your murderous self." „_ Marcia jumped to her feet. Do you mean to insinuate that I m not a lady ! "A lady, Miss Court, need never bother to sell herself as such. The fact sticks out on her as clearly as the fact that you are an alley cat sticks out on you and as such, you are^thank God, nobly suited to our PUMarcia quivered with fury. "If I had a gun I'd kill you!" aaTeed "I believe you would, 1 nil agreeu ^"LiXen! You wanted to know why I laughed at Anne Barrett this morning. Al ri"ht I'll tell you. It's because I hate her ! She and I worked together as extras and she has been given a success to .which she isn't entitled, simply because she is English while I, an American, with the ability to become a great actress, haven t had a "I came to her set today, not because 1 wanted to, but because I had to But lm glad I came. I got a good laugh at her fxpense, the English cow! And for that 98 laugh I was fired and I didn t care if I never saw the inside of a studio again But you asked me to come here and make test and I took the check I received for today's work and rented this gown because I had nothing fit to wear.. And then what happens? When I appear in a velvet gown it's a laugh. For Barrett it s ail right, but for me it is ridiculous. She is a laay, while you infer that I am not ! "The money I paid for the rent on this gown was the very last cent I had in the world. I haven't eaten for two days and my room rent is past due and I m to be kicked out on the street. But, believe it or not I'd rather die in the gutter than have a starring contract in the finest studio in Hollywood after this night's . experience ! "I came here at your invitation, to make a test, thinking that despite your bad manners, you might still retain some of the characteristics of a gentleman. But no You've done nothing but ask me. insulting questions and offer nasty insinuation about my parentage, of which you know nothing If I were a man I'd knock you down but "being only a woman I'll do my feeble best. Marcia hit Phil in the face with all her strength, then slid to the floor in a dead faint The little black-haired electrician rushed to her side. But to Phil and Swing the fact that Marcia had fainted was of no moment. The one thing that held them enthralled was her tremendous personality, her sensational artistry in her . peculiar way. They looked at each other m a moment of stunned delight, then started to grin as they extended hands to shake in mutual congratulation. „ "Phil vou've found something. "I think I have, and I hope she doesn <to and die on me before I can fill her full of food and sign her to the tightest contact °any Hollywood flesh peddler ever saw !" ... Marcia's cocktail room was an attractive olace done in soft tones of cream and oreen. There was a sensible amount of comfortable lounging furniture placed around with a careless grace and, unobtrusively, a small chromium trimmed bar on the east side. At the western exposure long windows opened to a terrace banked with palms and shrubbery "There was nothing Hollywoodish or motion picturish about this pleasing setting for the film colony s newest, Strang est, and most sensational, woman star. the reason for this, one instinctively felt, was [hat someone had had the good sense to leave it all to the excellent taste of an interior decorator of the better sort rather than to any inspiration on the part of Marcia. And one wished that an equally discerning judgment might have been used in the selection of her too elaborate house dress or that, still further, the graciousness of the room could in some manner have been imparted into her make-up. However, watching her as she viciously dialed a number on the telephone while glaring at a copy of the Hollywood Reporter, one felt this was hoping for rather too much, and that the eighteen months of amazing success which were behind her, hadn't changed her materially, either on the surface or from within. "Hello, hello . . . this is Miss Court . . . I wish to speak with Mr. Swing . . hello Walter . . . have you seen the Hollyzvood Reporter this morning? . . . Then HI i read it to you Get a load of this : Which leading woman is doing a contract holdout < And why? This is the story: Of late Hollywood has been going London in a large way. That is to say a great many of Hollywood's big shot stars and leads have gone to London to make pictures. Not a bad idea at all. In fact a delightful way _ of taking a sea voyage, of broadening one's outlook, and improving one's mind, to say nothing of increasing one's prestige in the picture world, and all at the studio's expense. Which brings us to the holdout leading woman. It seems that everyone has been to London but her. And is she burned! Marcia paused for breath, then "Damn them ' All right, you'd be burned too. She continued reading: "It's all too, too bad With this obsession to be the lady and make pictures in London, this leading woman is holding out on signing her new contract with the studio and her publicity agent, insisting that she be allowed to select her own stories from now on. 1 he agent who discovered her and so carefully builded her alley cat prestige is m quite a state, the studio is in a lather and the young lady is frothing at her beautiful mouth, but is proving a stubborn holdout. "'The fact that all three are reaping a o-olden harvest from her excellent characterizations of hard-boiled hussies means nothing to her. Her reply to that is let her select her own stories and she will be that much greater. Perhaps, but our guess is there will be plenty of fireworks before thisthing is settled.' " Marcia slammed the paper on the floor "And don't think there wont! . . . What Oh yes, calm yourself! . . . rnu is on his way over here with the new contract • No, no, of course I won't sign it until you've seen it. . . . All right, darling, come over as soon as you can . . . bye Marcia banged up the phone as the butler entered. Pnurt " "A gentleman to see you, Miss Court Somewhat calmed, Marcia demanded, A gentleman, Griggs?" ((p Griggs smiled, faintly supercilious Perhaps I was being a trifle optimistic for courtesy's sake." "Well, who is he? "He says he's from your home town and that he knew your father and mother ^MaTcia' paled. "What does he look like?'' "Rather nondescript, middle-aged, small and quite pleasant, though, if I may say so, annoyingly subservient and ingratiating m hi'^dnhergive his name?" Marcia asked in a half -whisper. "He said he was a Mr Butch-Joe Butch," Griggs explained with a show of dI Fretting Griggs: "Butch! Oh my God!" ,„ "Shall I send him away? "Yes' No, have him come in, and see that we are not disturbed.'^ "Very good, Miss Court. (To Be Continued) THE CUNEO PRESS, INC., U.S.A.