d. In 1937 adidas superstar pride pack for sale , 26-year-old Chicago Cubs radio announcer Ronald Reagan had the acting bug rekindled in him. The former Dixon, Illinois native performed on stage in high school and college, but during the Great Depression he had drifted into the sports world. In those days, the Cubs trained in California and Reagan went with them to get away from the Iowa cold and pursue his movie star dream. Through a friend, he got a screen test at Warner Bros.; the studio executives had mixed reactions. He was no Robert Taylor, but he did have more of an All-American look than some of the stars that worked at the Warners factory, such as James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. The glasses and crew cut had to go. When questioned about his acting experience, Reagan told several lies to pad his resume. The casting director asked him to stick around an extra day for more tests. “No dice” adidas ultra boost mens black , Ron said, feigning indifference when he was really desperate. “Im on the train with the Cubs.” He left the studio thinking he had blown any chance to be signed by them. He was amazed later that same day when Warners made an offer to put him under contract at $200.00 a week, and hastily agreed before they changed their mind. In typical Hollywood fashion, the former radio announcer was cast as a radio announcer. It seemed like every film his big line was “Get me the City desk! I have a story that will break this town wide open!” Ronald, a former lifeguard who kept detailed records of all the lives he saved, preferred playing heroes to the drunken socialite he portrayed along side Bette Davis in Dark Victory (1939), even if meant hed be in mostly b-movies. He learned quickly that Hollywood could be a cutthroat place. He dated some of his leading ladies, who fell out of love with him after their movie was over. He worked with insecure stars like Errol Flynn adidas yeezy boost size 10 , who demanded that the one-inch shorter Reagan not stand next to her on camera. And there were tough Directors like the Hungarian born Michael Curtiz, with whom he made Santa Fe Trail (1940). In one scene, the young actor watched in amazement as Curtiz kept telling an extra playing a minister to keep moving backwards until he fell of a scaffold, severely injuring his leg. “Get me another minister!” shouted the angry director. In order to better his career, he suggested to his bosses that they buy the story of the legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne and Reagan could play the role of the tragic halfback George Gipp. Warner Bros. liked the first idea more than the second: he was told he was too small. Reagan produced a photograph of himself playing college football; he was actually bigger than Gipp. He got the part but Knute Rockne All American (1940) was not all fun and games. One day Reagan showed up to shoot the scene where Gipp ran the ball eighty yards for a touchdown. He was told he was not needed. They would film something else instead. He proceeded to eat a huge and unhealthy breakfast. Then he was informed they were going to film the run after all. After the third eighty-yard take Reagan dashed far past the goal line where he privately lost his meal. He was a political animal right away, driving his Hollywood co- workers to distraction with his praise of the policies of Franklin Roosevelt. It was mostly just talk; he rejected any suggestion that he might someday go into politics. One time he was yammering on about the necessity of government aid when a friend suggested he run for President. “You dont like my acting either!” He wailed. Ronald Reagans star rose with Kings Row (1942), where he gave a dramatic performance in which his legs were amputated and he screamed out, “Wheres the rest of me” Kings Row gave his agent Lew Wasserman the leverage to negotiate a solid movie star salary for him. But his acting opportunities slowed because of military service during World War II. Though his terrible vision kept him from seeing combat (he was told that if he was sent overseas he would accidentally shoot an American General and probably miss him) the short propaganda films he appeared in (for which he received military adidas yeezy boost 350 womens size 8 , not movie star pay) did little to help his career. He worked in propaganda films like the Irving Berlin musical This Is The Army (1943) where he received only his military pay. He overheard young women, who worked at his army base, swooning over newer, younger stars and when the war ended Reagan felt insecure and past his prime. He met Jane Wyman on the set of Brother Rat (1938). She was attracted to him right away, but wondered if his niceness was just an act. She convinced herself he was the real deal
