My cheeks warmed at her praise.Photoplaymagazine had first called me “Hollywood’s sweetheart,” and the title had stuck.
Vicky pursed her lips and toyed with her green beans, not joining in the conversation. She’d wanted to play the heroine of the story, Josephine March, but Papa had insisted I play her. Jo was a dynamic, tomboy character with grit and determination. I was born for the part. Vicky would play Jo’s older sister, Meg, who was steady, dependable, and motherly.
In Vicky’s estimation: boring.
“We’re all rooting for you, Grant.” Mary smiled. “All of you. Hollywood would not be the same without the Bennett family.”
“Who is playing Laurie?” Norma Shearer turned her pretty gaze toward us. “Because next to Jo, Laurie is the most important character. I would think you’d want someone very special.”
Theodore Lawrence, also known as Laurie, was the hero ofLittle Women. He was the boy next door who fell in love with Jo, though Jo never returned the feelings. He was a wholesome character with some worldly experience. Wealthy, handsome, and Jo’s best friend.
“We’re still looking for our Laurie,” Mama finally chimed in. Her tone was nonchalant, but finding an actor to play Laurie had been our greatest concern for weeks. He had to be just right or the whole picture could fail. We’d been through dozens of actors, and the only ones who would have been good wanted an exorbitant amount of money we didn’t have.
“I’ve always said I’d love to see Hollywood’s sweetheart in a movie with Hollywood’s leading man,” Norma said with a twinkle in her eyes. “Wouldn’t that be a spectacular performance?”
“If you mean Spencer Hayes—” Chaplin took a sip of his punch—“I’ve heard he’s taking a break from acting.”
There were murmurs around the table, though few people seemed surprised at the news. Spencer’s career had recently sufferedfrom a horrible romantic scandal, leaving one woman in a coma while the other spent time in jail.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if MGM dropped Spencer’s contract,” Mary said.
“Despite everything,” Chaplin countered, “he’s still one of their biggest names. I think Mayer has a different plan up his sleeve.”
As if on cue, Mr. Mayer tapped the microphone to begin the awards ceremony.
My gaze slipped to Spencer Hayes, who sat in the back corner of the darkened room. He’d been nominated for best actor, though the award had gone to Emil Jannings. It surprised many people that Spencer would show up to the ceremony, since the scandal was still so fresh.
He was a handsome man, and it didn’t surprise me that he was a popular actor. His fresh face and all-American good looks were exactly what the public clamored for. It was the reason he’d been so believable in the part of Cole Goodman in the Sydney Ducks movie.
Did Spencer know the history behind the movie? Could he answer my questions? We’d hardly ever said a word to each other in the past. Would he be surprised if I approached him now?
He must have felt me watching him, because his dark eyes shifted and his gaze pierced mine, even from across the ballroom.
The awards ceremony lasted fifteen minutes, and then a dance began after the room was cleared and the potted floral trees were pushed to the edges of the dance floor. Prohibition had made the production and sale of alcohol illegal in the United States since 1920, but people still managed to sneak in spirits. Several pulled flasks from their inner coat pockets and spiked their drinks as I turned away.
“Congratulations, Janet,” I said to the winner of the best actress award as she walked past me. She’d been honored for three movies she’d starred in the previous year.
Janet kissed my cheek. “Perhaps next year it will be you. I’ve heard you’re going to play Jo March. A part tailor-made for you. Every woman in Hollywood would love that role.”
I only smiled. Our production window was going to be dangerously small, since Papa wanted to release the movie before Christmas. And without our Laurie, we were already behind.
As the orchestra began to play and couples started to pair up on the dance floor, I moved toward my parents, who were talking to Louis B. Mayer. Vicky had found a friend, and they were busy chatting at a nearby table. Both of us had moved out of our parents’ home years ago, but with the sudden decline in revenue and the lack of income we had received from the studio, we’d both agreed to move back home. It hadn’t been easy learning how to live with my adult sister again, especially with so much unpleasantness between us, so on a night like tonight, it was good for us to spend some time with other people.
Papa’s arms were crossed as he shook his head at whatever Mr. Mayer was saying. L.B. was a big personality in Hollywood, and his company was flourishing because it was hard to say no to him. Would Papa be the first?
I moved closer to them as Mama’s concerned gaze fell on me.
Both Mr. Mayer and Papa also turned at my arrival.
“There she is now,” Mr. Mayer said with a congenial smile. “We were just talking about you, Ally.”
“Oh?”
“Where is Spence?” Mr. Mayer looked over my head to scan the room. “You know him, don’t you?”
“Spencer Hayes? I can’t say that we’ve ever been introduced.”
“Let’s change that.”
