1941-46 The Frustrating Years
[May 1946. A new job….or is it?]
On 5th May 1946, Shirley went for an interview at Pinewood Studios. The next day she wrote to Reggie.
….Honey…I’ve got a job! Continuity with the Crown Film Unit . Now I can see you not being too keen about it at first but listen. Firstly, I am very keen to do Documentaries as you know, and the Crown is about the best unit. Their subjects are very interesting, and also nearly all their unit managers ad production managers are women so there are definitely prospects. Also, I have full continuity responsibility – and on some films there is a lot, while on other not so much, you know how it is. And if I want to get out of it say after six months, I will go as Full Continuity on a Feature – no more assisting for me!
The people are simply charming. Dora Wright [a Production Manager with Crown] put in a word for me with Alexander Shaw [a producer with Crown] and I saw him and made friends with a couple of unit people and someone from Editing – all on the morning of the interview!
Everything was beautifully informal. I have to go out to Pinewood, which isn’t too bad, and the hours are 9 to 6, which is better than having to be there at 8.30.
The only drawback is salary. I am accepting less than I get here [at MGM]. Crown comes under the government and at the moment scales of pay are pretty poor. Actually, I don’t quite know what I am getting. That sounds crazy doesn’t it, but I’ll explain.They are putting into some Committee or something that they have engaged me at £5, and if they don’t object I’ll get that plus 12/6 cost of living bonus. But, if they kick up a stink and say it must be £4.10.0., with the cost-of-living that will make it about £5. Naturally I am not too happy about that, but Alex Shaw told me there is a new schedule at the moment under discussion, and which will more than likely be signed by the parties concerned, and under that Continuity get £7.15.0. But as much as I do need money – who doesn’t – that isn’t the primary concern at the moment. I feel I must get a job – so I am happy – comparatively. Anyway, I feel that being out at Pinewood, I am sure I’ll save more than I do here, because there just won’t be an opportunity to spend it. So you’ll be hearing more about me at Pinewood……
Two weeks later, everything had changed.
21st May 1946
Reggie dear, I have sad news. I am not working with Crown…..but I am now with Korda on the location unit for “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. It happened this way. I had given in my notice [to MGM] as Crown said, but on the Friday evening, after I had said goodbye to everyone, they rang through to say that the Committee which has to okay all engagements, would not agree to a Continuity, and, they had been arguing with them all day, but they would only agree to a short-hand typist at £3 a week!!! Which, as you can imagine, was not for me.
I was in a bit of a fix and, suiting the action to the thought, I went down to see Boxall, and thus got fixed up with this unit.
….My position on the Monday – coming on to the Korda unit - was a bit farcical. I had said goodbye to everyone – and then appeared again for lunch on Monday!
…I had a charming letter from Alex Shaw in which he apologised for the business, and said that, no doubt, they could, in time, get the committee round to their way of thinking but it was definitely better for me to have accepted the Korda offer.
It is not clear, from the diaries and letters what exactly happened after Shirley joined the crew of Korda’s ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ – whether she went on location or not. Probably not. But she was having problems with her appendix and went to see a doctor on the 17th May, while all the Crown Film salary ‘business’ was going on, and she agreed to have an operation to take it out. It seems, from her diaries, that she wasn’t doing much work during June, and went into hospital on her birthday – July 1st – to have the operation. She took a month to recuperate, and went back to work on Monday 29th July 1946. The diary entry for that day is as follows:
Go back to work. Everything in chaos. Feel very despondent – am not on ‘Bonnie’ but now ‘Man’ [Man About the House] . Don’t suppose I’ll go to Italy. Office is very pleasant – people. But still nothing.
It was a similar story all summer, until, on September 11th, Shirley went for an interview with Gainsborough Pictures at Shepherd’s Bush. The diary entry simply says:
Shepherd’s Bush – 9.30. Got the job – Continuity. £8 and C.O.L. per week. It happened so smoothly. Can’t believe it.
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