Submitted by
Mark Fuller
A Day In The Life Of An Extra
Picture Post, January 14, 1939
There are about 2,000 film extras in this country. Almost all of them are good looking. All have to own smart clothes. Many have hopes of becoming stars. But they're glad to stand around all day to earn a guinea, less expenses.
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The Film Extra's Day Begins At Night
It's six o'clock when Stephanie Janes' alarm goes. She wastes no time in putting on her slippers.
She has a long way to go by eight. By seven o'clock she is down at the station waiting for
a "Workman's special" to take her to the studios.
[NB the bedside photo of Conrad Veidt!!] |
A minimum of glamour and a maximum of hard work go to make up the lives of the two thousand men and women in this country who try to make a living by working as film "extras." Few of them receive more than a guinea for a day's work, and out of that amount must be taken five or six shillings daily for fares, food in the studio, and agents' fees.
In addition to recognised members of the profession, some of the agencies had on their books in the past, the names of society women, pin-money girls and the simply film-struck. In 1935 it was keenly felt by members of the profession that, in some studios, amateurs and friends of executives were getting the jobs that they themselves were better qualified to have. But since that time almost all studios have come to the conclusion that the professional is a much more reliable person than the film-struck amateur, and give out the work accordingly. On the other hand, the 1938 slump in film-making has caused many people to give up trying to make a living as an extra who before just managed to keep going.
For the two thousand men and girls still left in the film-extra business, a typical day is something very like this :--
The girl's alarm goes off with a shattering flourish at six a.m. It's a temptation just to switch it off and drop to sleep again, but duty calls. Ugh! That linoleum is like a sheet of ice.
Fumbling in the half-dark, so as not to disturb her sister who works in cabaret and wasn't home till three, she feels for brassiere, panties, petticoat and the rest on the arm of the chair where she left them. Her little suitcase was packed and ready last night. Downstairs she creeps in her stockinged feet, puts her shoes on at the front door and then - out into a January dawn.
In the suburban road it is still gloomy and a wretched misty rain is falling. Life is at its lowest ebb. At last comes a 'bus - and so to the station, through shining, empty streets. She hops from the bus and runs into the booking-office with two minutes to spare. No need to say where to. The booking clerk slams down the ticket with a grin. At that hour smart young women all go the same way.
"Workman's return, one shilling!" Here are some of the others! "Hullo girls!" Together they rush to the barrier. One minute to go. In the compartment the girls put on their make-up to save time. She opens her case and takes out a tube of N0.26 for ground work. It must be patted on till it is quite smooth all over. "Am I O.K. behind the ears, Mary?" How the train rocks; impossible to do one's eyebrows now. One by one they stand up to examine the result, peering into the large bevelled mirror which the railway company provides.
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They Make Up in the Train
Left to right: Corinne Lewis, Stephanie Janes and Pat Prior - three typical film-extras - on their way out to the film studios for a day's work. |
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They Queue Up at the Gates
It's only just gone eight - and here they are at the film studio. One wraps herself in a rug; most put handkerchiefs round their heads for warmth. |
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Girls Get Into Their Costumes at the Denham Studios, Just Outside London
"Blast! now I've laddered my last stockings..." Of the film-extra's hardly won guineas, a fair number go every month for clothes, make-up, hair-dressing. "Hurry up, girls" comes the voice of the Assistant Director, as he bangs on the door. But the girls know that, however much they hurry, they probably won't be wanted till this afternoon. |
Out at the studios the rain has stopped, and it is daylight - more or less but cold and grey. the extras, as crowd artistes are called, queue up at the entrance for their salary vouchers. "You're late" cries the checker-in, "it's after eight!"....
"Well, we've got our make-up on"...."That's no good - you're on a colour picture to-day"...."Well, I'm...."
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She Gets Made Up Again For Colour
Colour photography requires quite a different kind of make-up from ordinary photography. The make-up man spends the best part of an hour before Stephanie Janes is ready to go on. |
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This is How She Spends Most of Her Time ...Waiting
Stephanie Janes is one of two thousand film extras in this country. She doesn't think it's great fun as a life. But she's used to it, and she hopes. Perhaps, one day..... |
For colour photography the make-up must be quite different, so all the work of the train comes off and the girls run to the make-up room. Here, with a towel over her head and a sheet round her neck, sits our glamour girl, while an expert pats and re-pats her ground work, shades her eyes and outlines her lips. The best part of an hour has passed before she is out of her chair, and then there is another half-hour for hairdressing.
By the time she gets back to her dressing-room an Assistant Director is banging on the door with cries of "Are you ready, girls?" Chorus, "No!" At last they really are ready, and off they run down the long, draughty corridors to the stage, only to find that things there are far from complete.
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Mid-day....And Still They're Waiting
She was waiting at nine. At twelve o'clock she's still waiting, very likely she'll have to wait all afternoon as well. If she's wanted to stand about all to-morrow, too, she'll be lucky. |
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Time Off for a One-and-Six Lunch
When her scene comes on she may be a smart winter-sports girl staying in the most fashionable hotel....But in real life she gets a 1/6 lunch in the cafeteria. |
So up to the canteen for coffee. An hour passes, with no word from the stage. At last the head of the Assistant-Director pops round the swing door. Excitement. "You won't be wanted till the afternoon."
Dejection. Would anyone believe it? These delays....Oh well, at least they are free to go to lunch. Stew, potatoes, peas, jam roll, bread and butter, for one-and-six.
After lunch, on to the stage where the set is finished at last. Lamps are burning, spitting, glaring. Boredom settles down like a fog. This is too much. Life isn't long enough.
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And This Is What She Was Waiting For: The Film Extra's Day's Work
"Walk across there with that other lady and gentleman, will you?" "Now do it again" And again...and again....and again.
She does it seventeen times before the scene's approval, and her day's work is finished. Film being made is "The Spy In Black"
[Frankly, I doubt it, judging from the pic and the references to colour] |
Suddenly an American voice bawls through the air, "That tall, fair lady, Come here, will you?" "Oh yes, Mr Wincklebaum. Of course, Mr Wincklebaum. I will, Mr Wincklebaum."
"See here honey, you just got to walk across with this other lady and gentleman. That's all"
She walks across. And again. And again. Seventeen times she walks across. Then the American voice says "We'll take it now." Deathly silence, broken after a moment by a tiny whirr from the camera. A voice shouts, "Action!" She walks across.
And again. And again. At last the scene is approved - "In the bag" - as they say and her day's work is done.
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Being Signed Off So She Can Get Paid
Their work finished, the extras clamour round Assistant Director Jackie Clayton, to be signed off so that they can draw their pay. |
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Queueing Up For Salary
It's late in the evening now. They've been standing around most of the day. each one will get a pound and a shilling before leaving. |
"All right, girls" calls the Assistant Director. "I'll sign you off now" They crowd round, waving their salary vouchers for the signature which entitles them to payment. The cashier, a pile of £1 notes on one side and a heap of shillings on the other, drearily doles out the precious guineas.
At the artiste's entrance little groups form to discuss the quickest way home. "May I give you a lift?" "Oh Mr Wincklebaum - if my friend can come too!"
[A girl had to be careful]
Too tired to talk. Too tired to feel hungry. Too tired to think. The wet suburbs roll by. At last the car draws up. "Thank you so much and good night." Home...At last!
OSWALD SKILBECK
