Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

The ^Movietone in France you, old man. If ever you have to interview anyone about the stage or the cinema put on all your best things. It's clothes that count." "We will let you know," the assistant had said, but a month drifted by, and I had decided that, after all, the cinema was evidently not my destined profession. In fact, I had lost hope even of portraying a bailiff when a post-card arrived. " Meet us opposite No. 87 on the Boulevard Saint-Michel, to-morrow morning at 8.30." At 8.30 next morning the pavement of the boulevard looked very desolate. Not a soul was in sight, so I retired to a terrasse for a cafe au /ait. However, one by one a small group began to cluster round a lamp-post, and as soon as my cafe was finished I approached them. A young man saluted me and said briskly : "You air Meestair Gordon? Goot ! " He handed me a large photograph. " Dis is vot you aire. You moost be a proken down debt-collector, see, de kind vot 'as von job in two years, onnerstan' ? You got to find yourself some old coat, black or blue, wit' worn round de end of de sleef, viskers, yes. Den dat's all. Good day and come out to Joinville to-morror morning, onnerstan'? " The photograph represented a dirty-looking fellow sitting at an untidy desk with a telephone in his hand. I did not feel at all flattered by the director's immediate vision of me as this person. I walked home occupied with the problem of my costume. C had told me the rule, which was that the actor provided all kinds of everyday wear, the company finding only non-normal costume. Apparently I was judged to be the kind of man who had worn-out blue coats with whiskers round the cuff-ends. High and low I hunted that [293]