Talky Parrot is Dismissed From His Job

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21217, 13 September 1940, Page 8

Talky Parrot is Dismissed From His Job

Maggie the parrot talked herself right out of the movies. A parrot was needed by Director Alfred F 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 ensconced in a huge cage of the 138 P period when parrot cages wer<* larger and more comfortable than a 4 the present time. The script required nothing more than Maggie’s presence, although she was chosen because* she was known as an ar complished linguist and could be relied upon to speak her lines later i-‘ the picture. Appearing in this initial scene with Maggie were sue* distinguished performers as Victor McLaglen, Jon Hall, Frances Farme* 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 twelve different “takes.” Finally, he was getting the scene he wanted. But then came the cry of “Cut!” McLaglen 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 hir© a new, less garrulous parrot.