Spencer Tracy_ A Biography - James C. Curtis [64]
Brown settled the contract with Cohan at the end of the following week. “It is the lead in his new play and written for himself,” Brown advised his client. “You’ve never heard of such a wonderful part. It has everything. He is giving $200 which is the best he will do, but worth it. He thinks a lot of you and you are surrounded by a great cast. I am very happy over it all. Rehearsals are July 11th and the opening is August 4th in Atlantic City … You will have to finish there July 9th and then we can take up all the details about Cromwell on your return.”
Tracy thought the news wonderful, more than he had dared to hope for. “It means the big chance,” he told Brown, “and if we make good, both of us should benefit.”
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1 Laurette Taylor was five feet five—a good height for the stage, she said, because she could make herself look tall or short as a part required. Louise was an inch shorter.
2 Chamberlain Brown, together with Wales Winter and the Packard Agency, handled most of the casting for stock companies nationwide. As a rule, however, Tracy got jobs in stock through referrals or by making his own contacts.
CHAPTER 5
Dread
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I am sure Cromwell will be the first to tell me to go ahead and good luck,” Tracy said in a letter to Chamberlain Brown. “He seems genuinely interested in me and would be glad for my chance. But, he has been very nice to me and I wouldn’t want to hurt him—that’s why I wanted the Cohan thing settled so I could let him know.” Cromwell, Tracy assured Brown, would understand and know that to pass up an offer from George M. Cohan would be crazy. “If necessary,” he added, “I will pay Cromwell two weeks salary, which will break any contract, but I know that won’t be necessary. Cromwell isn’t that kind.” Mr. Wright, he said, felt that as long as he was leaving Lima so early, he would rather have him go right away so that he could save some money by bringing over a man from his company in Pontiac, which would be closing the following week. “Mrs. T. is going on a visit, and I shall come right into N[ew] Y[ork].”
Not realizing his client had actually signed a contract with John Cromwell, Brown advised Tracy not to inform Cromwell of their deal with Cohan. “I sent your wire to Cohan,” Brown explained, “and he did not want Cromwell to hear of this, so that’s why I said so in the wire. He feels it might cause a lot of trouble for him, so be sure you don’t mention it. Of course, there is nothing set with Cromwell so you are protected.” By the time Brown more fully understood the situation, the damage had been done. Tracy was keeping quiet, as instructed, when an item in one of the New York dailies announced the casting of Grant Mitchell, a Cohan favorite, as the star of The Baby Cyclone. “By the way,” Tracy wrote Brown, “this clipping also mentioned me, so I hope Mr. Cromwell doesn’t see it and wonder why I haven’t notified him. However, guess I can explain.”
As it turned out, he couldn’t explain. Cromwell was furious when he saw the news and threatened actions against both Tracy and Cohan. Tracy was unable to mollify him and blamed Brown for the falling out. “After the terrible mess of this year’s contract, which has upset me terribly, lost me one man’s friendship, and nearly lost both jobs, I feel you have too much to do to handle all my troubles exclusively,” he told Brown, distancing himself. “I should like and hope to do business with you as an agent—and will pay [the] same commission as in [the] past.”1
Louise and Johnny boarded the night train to New Castle, Miss Krause seeing them off at the depot. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you are through,” the nurse told her bluntly. “John will be glad to have you. He needs his mother.” Johnny had just turned three. When they pulled away from the station and it dawned on him that he had his mother