_Chapter XXI_ SCREEN TESTS
Despite the excitement of the premiere, Janet and Helen were up early.Mrs. Thorne, tired from the trip, decided to remain in bed until laterand Helen's father had already gone to the studio, but not before leavinga note directing them on where to find Billy Fenstow.
Helen scanned a morning paper for an account of the premiere.
"Here's a paragraph about us," she exclaimed. "Listen."
"I am," said Janet.
"Two of the most stunningly gowned girls seen at the Queen's Court lastnight were Helen Thorne, daughter of Director Henry Thorne, and JanetHardy, a friend from the midwest. It is rumored their gowns were specialcreations of Adoree. Both girls are to get film tests."
"I must clip the picture in last night's paper and the story this morningand send them to dad and mother," said Janet.
While Janet clipped out the items she wanted, Helen telephoned for a taxiand they were soon speeding toward the studio.
The driver looked at them a little suspiciously as he slowed down at themain gate of the studio. Evidently he had seen too many girls like Janetand Helen get turned away, but Helen produced a note from her fatherwhich gained them instant admission. They paid the cab driver and a boywas assigned to direct them to Billy Fenstow's office.
They found the director of the westerns at an office well to the back ofthe lot and he greeted them warmly.
"We might just as well make a test the first thing," he said. "I've got acamera crew over on stage nine where there's an old interior that hasn'tbeen struck. You girls any lines you can go through?"
"Only from our senior play," confessed Helen.
Billy Fenstow looked aghast. "That sounds pretty bad, but we'll try it."
Stage nine was one of the smaller sound units on the Ace lot, but thedirector had a camera crew, the sound men and an electrician awaitingtheir arrival.
He tested the lights quickly.
"Just walk onto the set, do your lines and action, and forget about therest of us," he said. "We'll take part of it, maybe."
Janet's knees felt very weak and when she touched Helen's hand it wasdamp with a chill perspiration.
"This is awful," whispered Janet. "I wish your Dad could be here."
"I'm glad he isn't," said Helen fervently.
"Go ahead, girls," urged the director, and Janet and Helen, who hadalready agreed on the scene, started their lines. The action and wordswere simple, but both of them were scared stiff and they acted likewooden people.
"Wait a minute," said Billy Fenstow. "I'm human. I won't bite and I don'texpect you to be world beaters. Now try that over and loosen up."
Janet laughed a little and Helen found a handkerchief and wiped the palmsof her hands. Both of them felt better. The lights brightened until itwas impossible to see the camera crew; it was more like being on thestage of the gym with Miss Williams over in the wings with her promptbook in her hands.
Both girls entered into the spirit of their bit the second time, talkingand acting as they had the night of the class play. For the moment theyforgot the camera crew and failed to hear the soft whirring of the cameraas Billy Fenstow signaled the cameraman to pick up the sequence. They ranthrough the scene and the lights dimmed.
Billy Fenstow stepped forward.
"That was better. We shot it and I'll have it put through at once.There's a couple of others have a final word on the casting and they'llwant to see the test."
"When will it be ready?" asked Helen.
"Tonight. Suppose you bring your father over at eight and we'll send itthrough with rushes of other stuff that's been taken today."
"We'll be here," promised Janet.
On their way out they overheard several electricians talking.
"One of the kids was Henry Thorne's girl," said one. "What did you thinkof her?"
"She's not bad looking, but their skit was lousy."
"Yeh, I thought so too."
Helen looked at Janet and for some reason or other, felt like laughing.Why hadn't her Dad warned them about the test? He should have given themsomething to rehearse that would have been impressive.
It was nearly noon when they reached home and after lunch Janet sat downand wrote in detail of the things that had transpired since they leftClarion. In the letter she enclosed the picture and the newspaperparagraph.
In the late afternoon Henry Thorne came home, tired but elated.
"I'm delighted with the first draft of the script for the new picture."
"Haven't you seen Mr. Fenstow?" asked Helen.
"No, why?"
"I'm afraid it wasn't so good."
"Nonsense. You made out well enough. What did he put you through?"
"That's just it," explained Janet. "He had us do a scene from the highschool play and we felt like awful nit-wits."
"I suppose so," conceded Helen's father. "When will the test be ready?"
"Mr. Fenstow said to come over at eight. He said several others had tohave a word about the casting."
"Sure. The supervisors always want the last word."
After dinner they drove to the studio, Mrs. Thorne accompanying them.
Helen's father took them directly to the projection room. Billy Fenstowwas waiting and half a dozen others were in the room. Most of them spoketo Henry Thorne and he introduced several to Janet and Helen, but Janetcouldn't remember their names.
Then the lights went out and they settled back into comfortableleather-upholstered chairs.
Scenes from a number of pictures in production flashed before their eyes.Suddenly Janet and Helen saw themselves on the screen, moving andtalking, and Janet dropped her eyes for a minute. To her it looked prettyterrible, but her voice was well modulated and pleasing.
After that the lights came on and Henry Thorne went over to speak toBilly Fenstow. When he returned a few minutes later Janet couldn't evenguess what the decision had been.
"The action was punk," Helen's father said frankly, "but the supervisorsliked your voices. You've got good faces and figures. In other words youreport Monday morning and both of you go into 'Broad Valley,' Billy'snext picture."