Job Hunting in New York at Sixteen...

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 16, 26 October 1934, Page 48

Job Hunting in New York

at Sixteen...

Second Instalment of

the Life Story of Norma Shearer

. (Special to the

Radio Record

66 T first I resented not having an education," Norma confessed. ‘Because I had had so little regular schooling, I lacked a certain . mental discipline and ] found life and people more interesting than books. But I was super-sensitive about my education. Until a few years ago I made a ierrific effort to appear well educated, to pretend that I. had spent years -in ‘school. and had read everything

_ worth reading, but I don’t do that any more. I was afraid of people then, afraid of what they might say ar think about me. I’m not now. I’ve found that you have less to fear if you’re just yourself than you have if you pretend to be something which you aren't." The Shearers spent the next summer living economically in the country, trying to make plans for the future. When they returned to Montreal in the autumn, Norma decided to get a job. She remembered her music and the encouraging words of her teacher. But since the death of the woman, Norma had not practised very regularly. She had drifted from the skilful playing of her student days -into the helter-skelter swing of rag-time, played for her own amusement: and to entertain her young friends. After an exciting and unsuccessful job-hunting period, Norma was engaged by a music store to play the piano and sell sheet miusic. The popular melodies at that time were "They’re Wearing Them Higher in Hawaii," "On the’ Beach at Waikiki" and "Naughty, Naughty, Naughty.": Norma played them over and over for the store’s customers'until she knew every note by heart. And sometimes she stopped a minute to wonder what her teacher would think and say if she could have seen her there, instead of on the. concert stage where she had pictured her. At first her mother objected to Norma’s working there, but the manager promised that he would give the girl time to practice her worth-while music. "But that plan never worked out," Norma explained, "I didn’t have any free time. The shop was a povular place, and all the boys and girls dropped in té visit me and to hear me play their favourite tunes: also mother’s friends came in occasionally-they looked at me with surprise, I got a thrill out of it, but when mother came in on the third day I was there I could see the hurt pride in her face as she watched me pounding out one of those popular pieces. I understood how she felt. I was her baby, and it hurt her terribly to see me doing that’ kind of work when she thought I could do something more dignified. So, when mother asked me to leave I did, at the end of that third day." The’Shearer family was-separated that year. They gave up the little house and lived in different places.

Because of their pride, they asked nothing‘of the members of the family who ‘were living in the city and well able to give them -help.. The father lived with a man with whom he was associated in a new business venture. Norma, her mother and Athole visited at the homes of friends. Douglas was working and lived in a cheap toom. But they had frequent family conferences to talk over the seriousness of their problem. It was during one of these family sessions that the aunt and uncle from the stage suggested that Norma and Athole go down to New York to try their luck in the world of the theatre. At first the father and mother refused to consider it. The stage was a colourful place to discuss. It was a different matter to decide to live in its atmosphere. Norma and Athole begged and pleaded, eager to | try something new, to step into the excitement 'which the word "theatre" spelled to them. So finally, it was decided that the two girls and their mother should go to New. York... "Through my aunt, we had met a woman ‘in Montreal who used to be an actress," Norma

continued. "ohe gave tus a letter to her sister, who owned an apartment building in New York. "It’s not much of a place,’ she told -us, ‘but my sister’s an angel. She’ll let you' live there for nothing until you get on your feet and can pay her room rent." And she did. But, with that problem settled, the next question which faced us.was getting the money to take us to New York." From the wreckage of their home, Norma had saved her piano, which had been a gift to het when she began her music lessons. It was battered from the kickings of her little girl feet, which could not quite reach the pedals and it breathed memories of happier days. Norma clung to it, hating to part with it, but that piano was the one thing left to sell, With the money which it brought .the three adventurers, Norma, Athole and Edith Shearer set forth for New York. Their first home there was a broken-down apartment peopled by broken-dowt actors and actresses. It was old and grimy and depressing, but the woman who owned it was the "Angel" her sister had promised. She made the three newcothers comfortable in one room. She refused to accept any rent until they had foun'l jobs and could better afford to pay it. They reached New York just before Christmas, but even in that season of the year-which spells home and cheer-the miserable shabbiness cf their one crowded room, the strangeness of everything, could not quench Norma’s spirits. She was thrilled and excited by everything, with the thrill of a sixteen-year-old starting out to conquer a new world. Athole was more timid, but Norma and her mother were unafraid. They had one double bed and a cot without:a mat‘tress, so they took turns sleeping on the cot; over which they spread a mat. This mat had an uncomfortable habit of slipping off the springs at the least move of the sleeper, so that the cot’s occupant usually found herself on the floor at least once during the night. Their wardrobe trunk served as a table, and a gas jet. was the stove on which they cooked their breakfasts’ of coffee and rolls and marmalade. They went without lunch and ate their dinners at the various inexpensive restaurants in the neighbourhood, but they ‘made fun of it and enjoyed it.

i li i hi th hh he "T really believe that mother liked the adventure," Norma smiled. "I think that at one time in her life she had wanted to go on the stage, and I imagine that she got a sort of vicarious pleasure from the thought that her two daughters were really trying to. become actresses. My’ uricle’s health. had broken and he was living in Michigan, but my aunt came to town frequently and took us around to the ‘various agents’. offices. "Our clothes were a ‘big problem. It was much colder than we: had thought,-and. I simply had to have a winter coat. We hunted for-bargains and found one which we thought would. be warm enough. It wasn’t, and I froze all that winter, but there was nothing I could do about it except freeze. I’ll never forget the outfit I wore when we first arrived in New YorkI was so proud of it. The skirt came to my anklesa hobble skirt--and my hat had a wide brim with a ribbon dangling down my back. I combed my hair in little cutls, which I thought were too fetching for words. "Somehow or other I always managed to get myself rigged up in something which I thought was sensational. My idea was, I guess, to-impress the managers with the uniqueness of my appearance. I remember wearing a mannish coat with a regular man’s hat. To complete this dashing ensemble, I carried a cane. I thought that the swankiness of the outfit was unequalled by anything which Broadway could offer." One of the Shearers’ first visits was to Florenz Ziegfeld, to whom they had a letter of introduction from a friend in, Montreal. Mr. Ziexfeld was very kind to the three Shearers, chatted with them for several minutes and gave them tickets to the Follies for that evening. But when they went back to see him the next day. the secrétary informed them that he was busy. However, she took their names and addresses and told them that she would remember them when Mr. Ziegféld.was casting for his next show. Six iionths later, they: received cards from the Ziegfeld office asking them. to- cane down for rehearsal. ! oo Was this a chance at last?) ‘Read in " néxt ‘week's "Radio Record" of the we struggles ‘of Norma. Shearer and’ her sister to earn a living.as film "extras" and smallpart players on the New York stage, _