LONDON AND NEW ENGLAND, SUMMER 1949
For years, Gloria had been accustomed to being passed over for movie roles on account of her age. Despite all the compliments she had been recently receiving, she still assumed her acting days were long past. Now, the “Heroine of Hollywood” was overjoyed to have the opportunity to audition for new roles for films that were already in production in England. At the same time, she realized she was not being invited to play supporting roles for her acting abilities. The producers were interested in taking advantage of her current publicity value and its ability to improve revenues at the box office.
Fortunately for Gloria, the same British film producers who had issued her their earlier invitations were in attendance at Sir Colin’s reception. They had been able to see, firsthand, the inspirational, highly poised, and the charismatic way she had developed for introducing a very serious problem.
In recent years, a limited number of British film distributors had found a promising market in American boutique theaters located in the East Coast college towns and cities. The small theaters were locally owned and operated well beyond the influence of the Hollywood studio system and the network of theaters dependent upon its production.
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WHEN GLORIA APPEARED FOR HER AUDITION, SHE ARRIVED ON TIME and well prepared. The directors were even more pleased with her consummate on-set professionalism and her ability to provide more than one interpretation for each character. One director, upon seeing Gloria’s film tests, became so impressed with her performance, he decided to include her in the film he had recently finished shooting. New scripts were prepared. The cast was recalled, and the new scenes incorporating Gloria’s performances were spliced into the recut master.
Distribution of the film was delayed, movie houses were required to reshuffle their schedules, the replaced actress was upset, the studio had to reschedule use of its sound stage, and the film was going to come in over budget. When people complained to the director, the only response they would receive was his knowing smile.
By the end of summer, arrangements were made to premiere the recut movie at Covent Garden, home of the Royal Ballet, and long appreciated for its extraordinary acoustics. News of the unusual event began to permeate through London’s entertainment community. Budgets for advanced promotion of the film were doubled, and then doubled again. Enthusiastic movie fans were beginning to submit requests for reserved seating.
On opening night, the sight of Sir Colin Meyer helping Gloria step from his Rolls-Royce limousine and escorting her along the red carpet had a captivating effect on the large crowd assembled to see the celebrated and muchadmired American actress.
Impressed by the people’s reaction to the forgotten actress, British moviemakers were watching as the film’s director decided, at the last minute, to escort Gloria out onto the stage before the curtain was pulled open. With a spotlight focused on the two of them, he signaled for quiet before introducing Gloria Adams and briefly explaining how Miss Adams and Natalie Cummins had come to London as part of their effort to find work for Hollywood’s blacklisted unemployed.
Before he could finish his remarks, a strong voice in the audience was heard shouting, “Gloria, love, tell us about Hollywood blacklisting.”
Unafraid to respond to unrehearsed, spontaneously asked questions, the seasoned veteran found herself comfortably replying to the wide array of questions being asked by different members of the audience.
Concerned people in the audience who had come to see the movie were growing impatient. The theater manager said, “Who has the last question for Miss Adams?”
The film critics present that night were generous with their review of the film, but they reserved their stronger praise for Miss Adams’s preshow performance. One critic was moved to say, “Rarely in recent history have I had the pleasure of witnessing a more entertaining and timely presentation of satirical wit and humor. In a time of global adjustment and change, Miss Adams’s voice has emerged as a clear reminder of our need to remain vigilant of the values and ideas we most cherish.”
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BY THE TIME GLORIA’S FILM WAS RELEASED FOR SHOWING IN THE small New England movie houses, her preshow town meeting services had been contracted. Filmmakers in Hollywood, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and Rome were paying close attention. The improved size of audiences, the higher ticket prices, and the longer runs were not going unnoticed.