Chapter Ten
Upon her return from the studio, Marie updated Olivia on her new job. The one item that surprised Olivia, as it had Marie, was the name change.
“But I like your real name,” Olivia said.
Marie sighed. “I had no choice.”
“Elizabeth Sutton is a beautiful name, too, though.”
“It would be Beth, for short,” Marie said, repeating Nathan’s suggestion.
Olivia plopped down onto her bed. “So what do I call you from now on? Marie or Beth?”
Marie pondered her question. “Well, I’ll always be Marie, but I suppose you could call me either one. However, professionally, I’ll be known only as Elizabeth Sutton.”
“I think I’ll start calling you Beth from now on,” Olivia replied after some deliberation, “to help you with your movie star transition.”
Marie smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
Olivia giggled. “Just don’t forget about the people you knew before signing your contract.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget you. When I’m rich and famous, you can be my maid or something,” Marie teased, recalling their previous Marlon Brando conversation.
Marie told Olivia that Nathan brought up her name before the attorney arrived. The news excited Olivia, but disappointment set in when Marie said the conversation didn’t get very far.
Later that evening, Marie decided to share the news about her contract with her mother and father. She called the Western Union operator, who called her back in just under thirty minutes, informing her of a secure long distance connection to Clarkson.
Marie’s mother was overjoyed, but her father was hesitant. He believed the entertainment industry was nothing but trouble. When Marie first told him she was relocating to California to study teaching, he strictly forbade the move. He said a big city like Los Angeles was no place for a young, impressionable, small town girl like her, and that moving away from home was irresponsible. Eventually, her persistence paid off, but he was never completely comfortable with the idea.
“I wish you’d told us acting was a possibility before you signed the contract,” he said over the telephone. “I would’ve come up with the money somehow and taken the train down to observe all of this personally and ensure it was being handled properly.”
“Papa, you’re a shoe repairman, not a lawyer,” Marie protested. “And you don’t know the first thing about the movie industry.”
“I’m your father and have your best interests in mind. That’s good enough. Besides, you don’t know anything about the movie industry, either. Are you certain you read over the contract thoroughly? After all, these men are in the business of fantasy and manipulation. I would hate for you to get caught up in something you couldn’t handle.”
“Everything is fine,” she replied. “There is a nice man, Nathan, who works for Starlight Studios. He had a lawyer come in, and they both went over the contract with me until I felt completely comfortable signing my name to it.”
“How do you know you can trust this Nathan fellow?”
“He has a fabulous reputation in Hollywood, Papa. Everyone I’ve talked to praises his honesty and kindness. I’ve been told I can trust him, so until he shows me otherwise, I will.”
Her father huffed. “Yes, and by that time it’ll be too late. My little girl will be left with nothing. No job, no money, and no education.”
“Oh, Papa, please trust me!”
“I only say these things because I love you very much and want the best for you.” He cleared his throat, never one to display too much emotion. “Anyway, Marie, this is costing quite a bit of money here. Your mother and I are very happy you called. The news about your contract is wonderful, really. Please keep us updated on all that happens over the next few weeks.”
“I will.”
“One more thing: Steer clear of that Errol Flynn character. I’ve read in those gossip papers of your mother’s that he has quite the reputation when it comes to … wooing young actresses in Hollywood.”
Marie giggled. “Will do, Papa.”
“Good girl.”
Then she remembered she forgot to tell him one itty-bitty detail.
“Father?”
“Yes, Marie?”
“There was, um, one stipulation in particular listed in my contract that I had to comply with in order to work at the studio.” She hesitated. “I have to change my name.”
Silence.
Finally, her father unleashed his displeasure. “What do you mean change your name?”
She gulped. “Well, you see, Mr. Mertz has been in this business a long time, and well, he knows about these things, and, uh, he thinks Marie Bates sounds too … plain.”
She left out the librarian comment on purpose.
Her father scoffed. “Plain! I’ll have Mr. Mertz know that––”
Marie’s mother hushed him in the background. He covered the receiver and said something that sounded muffled. Marie couldn’t hear her mother’s reply clearly, either, but when her father returned to the telephone he had a much calmer disposition.
“Marie, your mother and I support any decision you make, as long as it doesn’t affect your health and safety. But please remember that no matter what those Hollywood big shots insist, you will always be our daughter, Marie Bates, all right?”
“Yes, always. I love you and Mother very much––” Marie’s voice broke.
Her mother took the receiver and told her how much she loved her before the operator disconnected the call.
Marie looked forward to the day when she’d have enough money to visit her parents in Clarkson. She hadn’t seen them since she left for Los Angeles and missed them dearly. If there was one good thing to come out of her Starlight Studios’ contract, it was a way to close the distance between them, if only for a short period of time.
***
The following day, Marie walked into Schwab’s and tendered her resignation. Although her employment only lasted a few months, co-workers like Diane and Wade had become good friends. It was especially hard to tell them she was leaving because she was fulfilling a dream they’d had for themselves for such a long time.
Marie promised she would visit soon. She also told them both that if she became more established at the studio, she’d bring up their names to Nathan, Mr. Mertz, or anyone else that could possibly help them break into the business. She meant every word.
The bell above the door chimed as she exited Schwab’s Pharmacy as a patron instead of an employee. Her only solace was that, hopefully, she was going on to bigger and better things.
Chapter Eleven
The next two weeks flew by. Marie’s first stop at the studio was the beauty salon. Mr. Mertz was going for the girl-next-door image so she didn’t need to change her appearance too much. An esthetician tweezed her eyebrows and waxed her legs, arms, underarms, and face. Another woman cut her hair just above her shoulders, styled it with medium-sized curls and added light brown highlights for contrast, in case she ever filmed a motion picture in the trend of Technicolor.
She also reported to the studio for her required singing, acting, and dancing lessons. It was an experience similar to studying different subjects in school and the instructors reported her progress back to Mr. Mertz.
Her singing lessons were the worst and that wasn’t solely her judgment. Marie’s vocal coach decided she couldn’t carry a tune and shared his professional opinion with Mr. Mertz. He withdrew those particular lessons from her schedule on the grounds that he could dub her voice if she ever starred in a musical, a genre she couldn’t imagine tackling successfully. The teacher’s opinion and Mr. Mertz’s subsequent action didn’t offend Marie. Instead, she felt relieved.
The dancing lessons were another disaster, but at least she had shown some improvement. She kept any frustrations to herself, knowing it wasn’t her place to complain, and gave each session her all instead.
Marie’s acting lessons excited her the most. While performing scenes w
ith her acting coach, she learned where to stand so she didn’t block another actor’s light, as well as never to look directly into the camera. She delivered her lines as successfully as possible, given her novice status. She felt she could eventually get the hang of it and perhaps nurture her craft well so she could make Mr. Mertz proud and keep her contract.
The goings-on at the studio intrigued Olivia, so Marie called Nathan and asked if her friend could accompany her to the set of Checkmate. Olivia’s presence would also help ease her nerves. He agreed a little too enthusiastically. His mood fell, though, when he explained he was booked for meetings that day and was unable to stop by and see if everything was progressing smoothly.
Marie assured him that with Olivia accompanying her, she would be all right, or at least, better than she would have been if she was completely on her own. She soon realized that Nathan wasn’t upset about missing her first day; he was disappointed he would miss meeting Olivia.
***
The morning of her first day on set, Marie rose early and looked over her scene with Olivia. As an extra, her instructions were explained on a separate sheet, which she compared to the script Nathan provided her. Although she didn’t have any lines, she wanted to visualize the scene so she would understand what was expected of her.
Felix Taylor and Constance Murphy’s characters fought during Marie’s scene. As a guest at their party, she was required to watch their argument from her mark next to the fireplace. After Miss Murphy’s character stormed out of the room, Marie was to walk over to the piano and listen to the musician commence his tune. The scene ended there.
Marie was surprised to learn Nathan arranged for a studio car to pick her and Olivia up at their apartment at six o’clock in the morning. They were both excited. It was Olivia’s first ride in a limousine and only her second.
Upon their arrival at Starlight Studios, Marie’s nervousness really set in. She only had a quick glimpse of the set before she was ushered into a large dressing room reserved for all of the extras. Nathan arranged clearance for Olivia, which allowed her to come backstage, too. The stars of the film had their own dressing rooms located at the other end of the soundstage, so Marie and Olivia had yet to see them.
A stylist curled Marie’s hair into loose ringlets and pinned it in an elegant upsweep, and another woman applied light makeup to her face. Lastly, a wardrobe consultant dressed her in a shimmering black evening gown with a low back and high front, black high heels, white gloves, and a pearl necklace and bracelet. The film was being shot in black and white, but that didn’t stop the stylists from dressing other female extras in vibrant colors.
Marie found the process very interesting. Even the male actors, who were all dressed in tuxedos, had makeup applied to their faces. The stylists spared no effort when it came to the appearance of the extras, regardless if they had speaking roles or not.
The behind-the-scenes action awed Olivia, too. While she waited for Marie, she flipped through the racks of costumes and conversed with the hair, makeup, and wardrobe personnel about fashion tips and techniques. She was interested to learn that none of them had post-secondary certificates. They all developed their skills on the job.
Once she was ready, Marie, embracing her new identity of Elizabeth Sutton, stepped onto the set with Olivia. The set was a lavish reception room, similar to the one where she’d filmed her screen test, except that the décor was even more extravagant. The extras surrounded the perimeter, awaiting the arrival of the film’s stars while the crew rushed around and finalized preparations for the scene.
Felix Taylor arrived first with his assistant in tow. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and his hair was slicked back from his face. As he passed Beth, she noticed his makeup looked very heavy and he was shorter than she’d imagined. In fact, he was very unattractive up close, nothing like she assumed after watching him in countless motion pictures.
“Holy smokes.” Olivia focused across the soundstage, her eyes filled with wonderment.
Beth followed her friend’s gaze and her mouth dropped open.
Constance Murphy swept onto the set in what she could only describe as the grandest entrance she had ever witnessed. Miss Murphy’s elegant, sparkling red evening gown hugged her voluptuous curves and her high heels accentuated her long legs. Her posture was impeccable and her strut oozed glamour and sophistication, commanding the attention of everyone on the soundstage.
She was flanked by not one, but three assistants, one of whom fussed with her hair. Her short blonde locks were set in large, glossy curls, her makeup was dramatic and flawless, and diamonds draped her neck and wrists. Unlike Mr. Taylor, Miss Murphy lived up to her image entirely.
A burly man with an ashen complexion and hair that was unnaturally black for someone his age rushed toward Miss Murphy with his arms extended out in front of him.
“Constance, darling! Welcome to your set.”
Beth stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the man’s dramatics. She supposed that was how one spoke to a famous actress.
“Oh, Carter, don’t try and sweet-talk me.” Miss Murphy battled her dark eyelashes. “You know I don’t fall for any of that nonsense.”
Beth realized that the man was Carter Masters, the director of the picture.
The assistants dispersed as Mr. Masters and Miss Murphy exchanged further pleasantries. Then Miss Murphy continued on her way, heading directly for Beth and Olivia. Beth held her breath as Miss Murphy grew closer, awed by the actress’s creamy skin, high cheekbones, and crystal blue eyes. She was also surprised to discover Miss Murphy was only a few inches taller than she was. In films, she looked model height.
“I despise that man,” Miss Murphy muttered. She sat down in a chair labeled with her name on it next to where Beth and Olivia stood and looked up at them. “Oops.” She giggled, covering her full red lips with her hand. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
Olivia waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry. We won’t repeat it to anyone.”
Beth nodded in agreement.
Miss Murphy extended her hand to Beth with a gleaming white smile.
“I’m Constance Murphy, nice to meet you.” Her voice didn’t sound as sultry and low as it did when she spoke to the director a few moments ago.
“I’m Mar—uh, Elizabeth Sutton,” Beth said, momentarily forgetting her new name. “It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Murphy.”
“Call me Connie,” the actress said as they shook hands.
Olivia introduced herself next and the three of them began to discuss the film. Connie asked Beth what role she was playing, to which she replied that this was her first movie role and she only had a non-speaking part. Beth was surprised at how friendly Connie was. The actress said that every role was important and didn’t treat her any differently after finding out she was only an extra.
“Miss Murphy!” Mr. Masters called, interrupting their conversation.
Connie rolled her eyes. “Here we go again, girls.”
She stood up and walked to Mr. Masters, and Felix joined them soon after. As Connie spoke with her director and costar, her assistants approached and touched up her hair and makeup, which Beth thought looked perfect already.
“All right, listen up, people,” Mr. Masters said as Connie and Felix dispersed. “In this scene, Mr. Taylor’s character, Michael, and Miss Murphy’s character, Anne, are arguing during their party, surrounded by their distinguished guests. Michael just looked at another woman and Anne is upset.
“The argument escalates. Anne tosses champagne in Michael’s face and storms off. Michael stands still, his mouth agape. Meanwhile, the party guests try to act as if nothing happened.”
Murmurs erupted throughout the soundstage.
“Does everyone understand that? Good,” Mr. Masters finished.
Following the director’s speech, a crewmember instructed the supporting players to stand on their marks.
Olivia clasped her hands to her chest. “This is so exciting!”
Beth scanned the set, agreeing with her friend whole-heartedly.
The assistant director, or AD as he was called, led the extras to their positions. As Beth stood by the fireplace, she felt the effects of the hot spotlights. Perspiration formed on her forehead and her cheeks flushed. Unfortunately, instead of starting the scene, the AD instructed the extras to stand on their marks while the crew adjusted the lighting. Connie and Felix had stand-ins who held their positions for them, one of the many benefits, Beth supposed, of being the stars of the film.
During those modifications, Connie sat with Olivia, who now, somehow, had her own chair. Felix passed the time in his dressing room. Once the director was satisfied with the set up, Beth joined Olivia and Connie. Olivia offered her seat and Beth accepted, thankful to relax her aching feet.
As Connie and Olivia discussed the film’s wardrobe, Beth surveyed the commotion around her. Her breath caught as her eyes landed on a young man standing slightly off set with his arms crossed over his chest. His short, thick hair swept upward in an untamed style, looking dark caramel in color under the stage lights. He was dressed casually in blue jeans and a form-fitting white cotton T-shirt.
Beth marveled at how his T-shirt stretched over his defined biceps. His build was fit and lean, not too bulky. He looked only a few years older than she was, and several inches taller. His complexion held the hint of a tan, his cheekbones were high, his jaw chiseled, and judging from the dark circles under his eyes, it seemed as though he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in awhile. Instead of looking worn, he looked youthful—beautiful, even, if one could call a young man that.
His expression remained firm as he looked around the set. Beth tried to figure out what his purpose was. Perhaps he was a member of the crew.
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