# Polly Walters is on the tee-vee tonight (Sept. 29)! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011 "2011-09-29T14:46:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/1 "2011-09-29T14:46:52Z")
One of my \*favorite \*unknown actresses: she did a dozen films in 1931 and '32 and then vanished. Always played bleach-blonde, nasal, bored-to-death deadpan switchboard girls, secretaries, etc., and always stole every scene she was in. She (fleetingly) plays a switchboard girl in \*American Madness \*on TCM tonight at 6:30 (Eastern Time). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/2 "2011-09-29T14:55:06Z")
DVR set! “An idealistic bank officer is taken to task by the board of directors when they learn of his unorthodox loan policies.” Are you sure this is from 1932? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/3 "2011-09-29T14:57:56Z")
Yes, but does Polly Walters doodle all the day? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/4 "2011-09-29T15:06:49Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Yes, but does Polly Walters doodle all the day? Maybe that’s why her career didn’t last long. “\*Cut! \*Miss Walters, will you \*please \*pay attention?!” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/5 "2011-09-29T23:54:05Z")
Antone catch it? She was the very first person onscreen in the film, and had a bigger role than I remembered–accidentally started a run on the bank with her switchboard gossip. What she could do with just a few lines! \*Love \*Polly. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/6 "2011-09-30T00:48:04Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > DVR set! “An idealistic bank officer is taken to task by the board of directors when they learn of his unorthodox loan policies.” Are you sure this is from 1932? This was the movie Frank Capra recycled for **It’s a Wonderful Life**. Both feature idealistic bankers who believe in giving loans to the little guy and who are nearly ruined until – well, the ending of **American Madness** is essentially the same. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/7 "2011-09-30T12:20:50Z")
So what did she have to put in Patsy Kelly’s lemonade to beat her out of the audition? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polly-walters-is-on-the-tee-vee-tonight-sept-29/598011/8 "2011-09-30T12:53:35Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > So what did she have to put in Patsy Kelly’s lemonade to beat her out of the audition? Early '30s movies were rife with what my friend Mel calls hard-boiled “\*Say \*Girls,” as most of their lines begin with a tough, “Say . . .” Jean Harlow, Patsy Kelly, Glenda Farrell, Una Merkel, Dorothy Burgess, Thelma Todd, Pert Kelton, last night’s Polly Walters. Love 'em!