PARROT "CUT" HERSELF OUT

Evening Star, Issue 23681, 14 September 1940, Page 5

PARROT "CUT" HERSELF OUT

Maggie the parrot talked herself right out of the movies. A parrot was needed by Director Alfred E. Green for shipboard sequences in ‘ South of Pago Pago,’ new Edward Small production. And it was a good part, too, running for almost two weeks, which is considered an unusually long stretch of work by Hollywood’s extras. On her very first day of work Maggie was esconced in a huge cage of the 1880 period, when parrot cages were larger and more comfortable than at the present time. The script required nothing more than Maggie’s presence, although she was chosen because she was known as an accomplished linguist and could be relied upon to speak her lines later in the picture. Appearing in this initial scene with Maggie were such distinguished performers as Victor M'Laglen, Jon Hall, Frances Farmer, and Olympe Bradna. It was a scene with much dialogue, and for one reason or another Director Green found it necessary to yell “ cut ” on 12 different “ takes.”

Finally he was getting the scene he wanted. But then came the cry of “cut!” M'Laglen stopped in the middle of a sentence and asked: “ What’s the matter now?” Director Green wanted to know why the scene

suddenly went dead. Then it came again: “Cut!” This time everybody realised it was only Maggie talking. She kept right on crying “Cut!” So they had to hurry her off the set and hire a new, less garrulous parrot.