Starlight

by Alexandra Richland

  “I’ll be more than happy to introduce you to him, but only if my path happens to cross his while you’re with me,” Marie replied. “That way he won’t grow suspicious of your motives. It’s not right for a woman to seek out a man directly.”

  Olivia nodded. “I know. One encounter is all I’m asking for, just so I can see if the romantic potential is there like I think it is. I’ve never felt this way before about anyone. I have a great feeling about him.”

  “You don’t even know him!” Marie protested.

  Olivia gave a sly smile. “Then help me get to know him.”

  Marie knew resistance was futile. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Thanks!”

  “By the way, before Nathan and I hung up, he told me to tell you goodnight on his behalf.” The corners of Marie’s mouth twitched as she held back a smile.

  In true Olivia fashion, she leapt from the couch with a shriek and demanded Marie repeat what Nathan said, word for word. Then they launched into a discussion about their impending meeting, which Olivia felt confident would occur soon.

  Chapter Nine

  During Marie’s Saturday shift, Doris Day came into Schwab’s to pose for “candid” photographs for Photoplay magazine. The idea behind the shoot was that Photoplay randomly ran into Ms. Day sipping a soda at the counter, and she just happened to be dressed in a glamorous evening gown, fur stole, and high heels, with flawless hair and makeup. Marie found the media’s manipulation of the public quite comical and enjoyed watching the photo shoot with Diane.

  On Sunday afternoon, Marie shopped with Olivia and splurged on dark gray pedal pushers and a royal blue wool sweater, deeming the outfit perfect for her return visit to the studio on Monday. Although she couldn’t really afford the clothes, even though they were on sale, she rationalized she deserved to treat herself for making it this far.

  On Monday morning, she put her hair up in a bun and applied a minimal amount of makeup, learning from her last experience not to go overboard. She also opted for comfortable ballet flats.

  Purse in hand, she biked down Sunset, feeling much less pressure to look perfect compared to her last trip. Upon her arrival at the Starlight Studios gate, she stopped before the speaker box and hopped off her bike.

  “This is Marie Bates for Mr. Nathan Taggart, please,” she announced.

  A muffled voice responded and the gates opened slowly. Marie hopped back on her bicycle and rode toward the security hut, finding the journey much faster and much more enjoyable than last time.

  Charlie slid open the window of his security hut. “Marie, it’s lovely to see you again.”

  She dismounted her bike. “Thank you. It’s great to be back.”

  “I’m assuming your screen test went well.”

  Marie nodded. “I’ve actually come here today to look over my contract with Mr. Taggart.”

  Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Ah, good ole’ Nathan. He’s one of the most decent men around this place. You have to watch your back in this business, but not around him. He won’t steer you wrong.”

  “Would you be able to provide me with directions to his office?”

  “I can do better than that. I can summon a company car to pick you up and drop you off right in front of his building.”

  Marie recalled her last visit to the studio lot. She felt more confident that she could find her way this time, especially since she didn’t have to walk in high heels. Plus, if she was going to work here, it was important for her to become familiar with the grounds.

  “No, it’s all right,” she replied. “I have my bicycle.”

  “Well, you sure are a determined woman,” Charlie said, repeating his line from her last visit. “Most folks around here have people doing things for them. It’s refreshing to see someone who’s more independent. Don’t let this industry change you, okay?”

  She giggled. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m staying Marie Bates no matter what.”

  Charlie explained how to get to Nathan’s office, which was located on the top floor of a building known as Headquarters, adjacent to Mr. Mertz’s office. Marie found Headquarters easily and enjoyed taking in the hustle and bustle of the studio grounds along the way. She leaned her bicycle against the wall of the building near the main entrance and ensured she looked presentable before heading inside.

  The lobby was made of white marble, with furnishings more fit for a royal palace than a place of business. Marie told the security guard manning the desk she was there for a ten o’clock appointment with Nathan and waited as he called upstairs to verify her story.

  The security guard hung up after receiving clearance. “Okay, Miss Bates, you’re all set. Please take the elevator to the sixth floor and see Caroline.”

  Marie made pleasant conversation with the elevator operator on the way up. Upon her arrival at the sixth floor, she stepped into a large circular reception room, consisting solely of two mahogany desks and matching chairs.

  A fresh-faced blonde-haired woman, wearing a slim-line gray skirt and floral blouse greeted her with a warm smile. “My name is Caroline. I’m Mr. Taggart’s personal secretary.”

  Another secretary typed away at the second desk in the room without acknowledging Marie’s arrival at all.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Marie replied.

  Caroline gestured to the gray-haired woman behind her. “And this is Ethel, the private secretary of Mr. Mertz.”

  Ethel still didn’t look up from her typewriter.

  “Please wait here,” Caroline instructed. “I’ll notify Mr. Taggart of your arrival.”

  Caroline retreated behind a set of mahogany doors to Marie’s left. An identical set of doors were located to her right, which she assumed led to Mr. Mertz’s office.

  While Marie waited for Caroline to return, she looked around the reception room. Ethel’s typing provided a rhythmic soundtrack. Large photographs framed with gold hung on the blood-red walls, surrounding the circular space. A stern, heavyset gentleman with gray, thinning hair and dark, beady eyes appeared in every portrait, shaking hands with various famous men. Marie presumed he was Mr. Luther J. Mertz. The most recognized individuals posing in the photographs with Mr. Mertz were former President Harry Truman and the newly inaugurated President Dwight Eisenhower.

  Caroline reappeared and motioned for Marie to follow her. “Right this way, Miss Bates.”

  They walked through the open double mahogany doors and stepped into a vast office with wood paneling throughout and landscape paintings hanging on the walls.

  Nathan stood in front of a large desk near the back of the room, smiling. He was dressed casually in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, no tie, and black dress pants. The large window behind him offered an inspiring view of the studio grounds, including the official Starlight Studios tower.

  Nathan walked behind his desk and gestured to the vacant chairs on the other side. “Welcome, Marie. Please sit down.”

  Caroline left them alone, closing the doors quietly behind her.

  “Thank you.” Marie took a seat and set her purse in her lap.

  Nathan leaned back in his chair. “I apologize, but Edward Fox, the attorney I called in for our meeting, is running late. I don’t want to go over the terms of the contract until he gets here.”

  Marie glanced around the palatial office. “Oh, that’s fine. I don’t mind waiting.”

  “How are you?” Nathan asked. “I hope all is well.”

  Marie focused on him with a smile. “Very well. I’m excited to be here today.”

  “And I, uh, trust Olivia is well, too?” Nathan tried to sound casual, but his voice wavered slightly. Since he brought Olivia up first, Marie figured it was an ideal time to make good on her promise.

  “Yes, Olivia is very well,” she replied. “She told me you two had a lovely conversation the other night.”

  Nathan blushed. “Really, she said that?”

  Marie nodded, suppressing a smile.

  “Yes, it
was a lovely conversation, indeed.” Nathan stared across the office with a thoughtful grin on his face. “She told me she attends Santa Monica College for Fashion Design.”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  Nathan shifted in his seat. “That’s, uh, real swell.”

  The shrill ring of the telephone broke the silence that followed.

  Nathan smiled sheepishly and picked up the receiver.

  “Yes, Caroline?” He paused. “Excellent, send him in.”

  He hung up and looked at Marie. “The attorney has arrived.”

  The doors flew open behind her. She turned around as a tall, lean man wearing a dark suit and black-rimmed glasses rushed into the office, carrying a briefcase.

  The gentleman took a seat beside Marie and placed his briefcase on the desk. “Good morning, Nate.”

  Nathan flashed a grin. “Morning, Ted.”

  Mr. Fox opened his briefcase, revealing a mess of papers inside. He pushed his glasses up along the bridge of his nose and sorted through the documents, selecting a few and placing them onto the desk. He closed the briefcase and sat it upright on the floor beside him.

  “Marie, I would like you to meet Mr. Edward Fox,” Nathan said, “one of Starlight Studios’ most prominent attorneys.”

  Mr. Fox extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Miss Bates.”

  She smiled as they shook hands. “Please, Marie is fine.”

  “Now, Marie, Ted is here because as I go over the terms and conditions of your contract, I need an official witness,” Nathan explained. “He’s also here to answer any questions you may have, as am I. If at any time you feel confused, please don’t hesitate to ask either of us for clarification. This is a legally binding contract and you should take everything we discuss here today very, very seriously.”

  Marie fiddled with her purse in her lap. “I understand, thank you.”

  “Miss Bates, you are over eighteen, correct?” Mr. Fox inquired.

  “Yes, I turned eighteen last October.”

  Mr. Fox handed her a copy of the contract. He gave Nathan a copy, too. “Excellent. That means your parents don’t need to be present for you to sign the agreement.”

  Marie had yet to call her parents and tell them about the events of the last week. She hadn’t wanted to excite them, just in case things didn’t work out. Now that she had a contract offer, she decided to handle it on her own to show maturity, and inform them afterward.

  Nathan took over, explaining the terms and conditions to Marie thoroughly. The contract consisted of several key components: first, the deal was valid for seven years. However, Starlight Studios had the right to terminate the agreement without warning within the first six months. Afterward, if Marie broke any of the rules of her contract, Mr. Mertz could still let her go, but she would receive one warning beforehand, giving her the opportunity to amend her behavior.

  The second part was a moral clause. By signing the contact, the employee agreed to act in a professional and, in Marie’s case, ladylike manner, at all times. In general, any conduct that embarrassed the studio or contradicted her girl-next-door image was prohibited. The contract outlined several cases of inappropriate behaviors, but release from the studio was not exclusive to those behaviors.

  Marie was not to wear inappropriate swimwear or risqué evening attire in public. Mr. Mertz did not allow smoking and drinking when representing the studio at promotional events. He permitted alcohol consumption on her personal time, but forbade excessive public drunkenness. Marie didn’t smoke or drink anyway, so she didn’t mind that portion.

  The third part of the contract consisted of her commitment to the studio. She was to agree to appear in any motion picture presented to her by Mr. Mertz and participate in any accompanying promotional events and media spreads. She was also to participate in singing, acting, and dancing lessons four days a week, when her filming schedule allowed, and exercise at the studio gym three times a week with a personal trainer. Furthermore, if the studio required her presence at a promotional event for the company, or even a Starlight Studios film that she wasn’t even acting in, she was to attend without question.

  If she violated any of the terms, Mr. Mertz would suspend her without pay until she complied with her contract or he decided to lift the suspension. The restrictions were more than Marie anticipated, but reasonable.

  The next component outlined her salary. To her delight, she would start at one hundred and seventy-five dollars per week, an amount far greater than she made at Schwab’s Pharmacy in the same amount of time. This brought up another important issue: She had to quit her job there immediately.

  Leaving Schwab’s was a risk, considering she faced termination from the studio at any time, but she had no choice. She couldn’t put in all of the time at the studio her contract required and still work full time at the drugstore. If Mr. Mertz let her go from the studio, she’d just have to find another job.

  If Marie lasted six months, she was to receive a raise in salary, an amount decided upon by Mr. Mertz personally, based on her performance up until that point. Further monetary increases occurred only as he saw fit.

  Mr. Mertz amended the final section specifically for her. It was the only part of the contract she was apprehensive about. She had to change her name.

  “Marie Bates is a name suitable for a librarian, not a movie star,” Nathan said, quoting Mr. Mertz.

  Marie disagreed, but Nathan and Mr. Fox explained that the terms of her contract were non-negotiable. It was all or nothing. If she wanted to work at the studio, Marie Bates had to go.

  “I came up with a lovely name for you,” Nathan offered, noting her concern. “Elizabeth Sutton.”

  Marie mulled over his suggestion.

  “It’s a unique name, elegant, and befitting of your character. It could be Beth, for short, if you’d like,” he added. “Elizabeth Taylor goes by Liz at times, so there will be no confusion.”

  “Elizabeth Sutton. Beth Sutton.” Marie repeated the names several times and decided they did have a lovely ring to them. As she took additional time to contemplate that part of her contract, she realized her identity wouldn’t disappear just because she went by another name professionally.

  She smiled. “It’s a wonderful name, thank you. I will agree to that.”

  Nathan nodded. “Excellent.”

  The three of them read over the entire contract four more times before Marie understood every detail and felt confident enough to agree with all of the terms. On the last page was a line for her signature, Nathan’s signature, Mr. Fox’s signature, and Mr. Mertz’s signature.

  Nathan handed her a pen.

  She placed the contract on the desktop. “Do I sign Elizabeth Sutton or Marie Bates?”

  Mr. Fox responded. “Good question. Elizabeth Sutton is a name given to you by Starlight Studios for professional, commercial reasons only. It’s not a legal name change. Therefore, if you are signing any legal documents, like this contract, then you must sign your real name, Marie Bates.”

  Marie nodded.

  “Now, if you’re asked to sign autographs, anything not legally binding, you will sign Elizabeth, or Beth Sutton.”

  The thought of penning autographs excited her. Without delay, she signed Marie Bates on the appropriate line. Nathan and Mr. Fox signed their names as well, leaving one signature remaining.

  “Will Mr. Mertz be coming in here to sign his name?” Marie asked, feeling nervous about meeting her boss for the first time.

  Nathan shook his head. “He’ll add his signature this afternoon when I see him.”

  Marie thought it was odd that Mr. Mertz hired her without a formal introduction. She kept her opinion to herself, choosing to take another route.

  “I didn’t act in my screen test, so how is Mr. Mertz confident enough to offer me a contract?”

  “It’s all about the look,” Nathan explained. “In Luther’s opinion, acting can be taught. It’s secondary to everything else.”

  Mr. Mertz
’s belief puzzled Marie. She’d assumed that the opposite was true.

  Nathan filed the contract. “Now that everything is in order, I’ll present you with your first bit part.”

  Marie’s eyes widened. “So soon?”

  Nathan chuckled. “You’ll be fine. It’s merely a non-speaking part to get you started. You’ll be a party guest in a scene in the motion picture entitled Checkmate, which started shooting this week. Your scene will be filmed next Friday. The film stars Constance Murphy and Felix Taylor and is directed by Carter Masters.”

  Marie was shocked and pleasantly surprised. Constance Murphy was one of the most popular actresses at Starlight Studios. A twenty-year-old, blue-eyed glamour queen, Miss Murphy became famous for her seductive role in the film, Closure, just over two years ago. She was a blonde bombshell with an hourglass figure, every man’s dream, and the envy of all women.

  For the last six months, she’d been going steady with crooner Matthew McKenna, and the media constantly speculated on when they would become engaged. It was an event the public long awaited, especially after they returned from a joint trip to Korea, having entertained the troops and looking more in love than ever. The two of them were at the top of their respective fields, thus they were referred to as the quintessential Hollywood couple.

  Felix Taylor was a twenty-six-year-old dashing leading man with a lanky build, jet-black hair, sharp, exotic features, and piercing blue eyes. He possessed a suave confidence that made movie audiences love him. He was one of Starlight Studios’ most successful dramatic actors.

  To top it all off, Carter Masters was a legendary director, who had directed hit after hit for Starlight Studios, mostly in the genre of crime and romance. Marie couldn’t believe her first part included working with this distinguished trio.

  “What do I do in the meantime?” she asked.

  “You’ll start complying with the terms of your contract, including commencing your acting, singing, and dance lessons, as well as meeting your exercise requirements,” Nathan replied. “You’ll also pose for publicity photographs.”

  Marie retrieved additional information on life at the studio, including how to join the Screen Actors’ Union, and at the conclusion of her meeting, shook hands with Nathan and Mr. Fox, excited for her first role in a real motion picture. With her contract signed, it was official: Elizabeth Sutton was going to take on Hollywood.