A bright example of what can happen to a girl on TV is Barbara Dobbins of Champaign, Illinois. Barbara came to New York six years ago (1945 - my annotation) to study arty, finally wound up as one of the "Glamorlovelies" in Ken Murray's TV show. She played Murray's secretary, wearing a business suit early in the show, then burst out as a glamorous chorus girl.
Barbara gets groomed for her first big Hollywood screen test
This aroused considerable excitement. Barbara appeared on 17 magazine covers, became Esquire's '51 Calendar Girl and was flown to Czechoslovakia to model shoes in Prague - she had perfect 4B feet. In the spring of 1951, still on Murray's show, Barbara turned down an offer from an RKO talent scout. Under orders from his bosses, the scout persisted in hovering around rehearsals and haunting Barbara. Finally, after a flurry of midnight coast-to-coast phone calls, things began to happen. At the end of a Saturday night show, Barbara was met at the stage door by a limousine that rushed her to the airport. Next day in Hollywood a special crew of technicians was summoned to the RKO studios and Barbara, just off the plane, was screened-tested. Pleased by the results, RKOhas started to spend thousands of dollars on Barbara's dramatic training, has forbidden her to drink soda pop lest it harm her complexion and has refused to allow her to return to New York even to collect her clothes and belongings (they were sent to her).
_______________________________________
photos and documentation: LIFE Magazine (US) | Zetu Harrys collection
.jpg)
Social Plugin