Our three major stars at Universal. Perhaps you saw some of the photos I posted yesterday from my Universal Studio days. I woke this morning thinking about how I felt at that stage of my life. I dont think its possible for you feel what I felt, but I can tell you a little of what it was like. It was life changing for me when I got my contract at Universal in one particular way: I became someone else. My name was changed from Joan Olander to Mamie Van Doren. Suddenly I had to answer to a new name, while becoming someone very different from little Joanie. It was easy to feel dwarfed by the movie stars around me--Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Joan Crawford Rhonda Fleming, Jeff Chandler--but I was expected be become one of them, and it was a lot to live up to. As I grew into my new name and the new environment, Universal became very much a cocoon for me. Inside those big iron gates I could comfortably be Mamie Van Doren, even though outside I was still unused to my new name and my new job of movie star. Universal Studios was really like a small town, and I took to it. Everyone knew everyone, gossiped about everyone, worked with everyone. It was very much a family. When I left there after my son was born, I looked back at the big gates and wondered if I would ever go back. I made more movies there, but it would never feel like home again. People often ask if Ive been back to Universal as it is today. I have not. And wont. I want to remember the small town that made movies.--mamie
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 22:28:21 +0000
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