From Show Biz to Sunday School
An Autiobiography By Sharon Leann Wyatt
“The advantages and disadvantages of long lunch breaks” part 2
I have forgotten to mention that our call at the studio this day called for very smart clothes, dressed for a Sunday afternoon at a supposed New York restaurant with hats, gloves, fur trimmed coat, etc. Not exactly street clothes, and I’m sure we turned a few heads with our somewhat overdressed appearance. Well, it was no wonder our little admirer tagged along, we were looking ever so terrific.
We were doing a little admiring of our own as we looked at the gowns and dresses. It was after looking at the most expensive The Broadway had to offer that I made the remark, “We will be the best dressed girls in the poor house.” My partner agreed. Well, I reason, “We can use them for work and they’ll be a tax write off. You know the better we look the more money we can make.” Picking out one very lovely creation, I said, “Wouldn’t I stand out from all the rest of the girls in this?” It was then I saw “Mortimer Sneard” staring at us with the biggest smile and a lecherous gleam in his eye. By now, it was quite obvious to us that those times when we had encountered this character it was not an accident. He was indeed following us. My shopping partner spoke up to the little lecher, “is there something we can do for you?” His only reply was a garbled, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. “Well then Mister, I’d advise you to get lost or we shall call store security and tell them you have been following us all over the store. Now what do you want?” Clutching his hat in his hand he began, “Well, you see ladies, I’m out here on business, and well I’m told that here in Hollywood, a man need not be lonely or deprived for companionship, and, well, you see I. Well, I thought, ah, the way you were dressed in all, and the way you were spending so much money, well, I thought, given what I’ve heard, that you two were, you know, those kind of girls that get paid for a, well you know ah, it paid for keeping a man from getting too lonely…. I take you to dinner first, I wouldn’t expect….” He then shyly asked, “Well are you or aren’t you?”
My friend replied. “Are we or aren’t we what?” He stammered and stuttered, bit his lip, manhandled his hat and finally choked out p p p p p pors p posit, prost ti ti ti. Angrily, I whispered, “You think we are prostitutes! Well, you dirty little man! For your information, we are working in a television show, and are on a long lunch break.” His mouth dropped open, “You mean your actresses?” I snap back a proud, “Yes.” “Oh dear,” then he swallowed hard, putting his hand up to his neck and adjusted his tie. “Actresses, wait until I tell my wife about this.” “Be sure to tell her how we actually met, I’m certain she will find that part of the story most amusing.” As he started to sheepishly sidestep away he retorted, “Ohhhh, I don’t think Lizzie would appreciate that at all.” “Not any more than my friend or I did sir. Happy holidays!” I said. He stopped in his track and said, “I would have sworn you said, the best dressed girls in the,” and mouthed the word “whorehouse.” I think now as I look back in retrospect, everything we said could have been misconstrued even by the best of them.
Speaking of wearing things that can cause embarrassment. One of the calls I was on just before Christmas, it may have been Christmas Eve, where we as extras were to be dancing around the principal actors while there is dialogue. Well the microphone is a very sensitive instrument and picks up the smallest of sounds. In order for everyone to be moving around without the shuffling sounds getting picked up, the studio issues to each and every one; muffled booties. These are black heavy felt like material that have elastic tops and fit up over your shoes. There’re a most unattractive accessory especially when one is all dolled up on a “dress call” with all your finery. Both men and women have to don these, but on men, they just do not seem as bad as they do over a pair of high heels. The construction of high heels causes the booties to stretch from heel to toe giving one’s foot a block effect. Sometimes we had to wear them all day, and in doing so would completely forget that they were on our feet.
