The Annie in The Window

   Missy Mouse pulled her car to a stop outside the building for KLOR-10. It was a modest building, nestled in rural surroundings. Apart from the broadcast tower and huge call letters lining the roof, there was little indication of how complete the local television station really was. Inside was an up-to-date facility housing professional broadcast equipment and electronics, several offices, and a line of sound stages for the production of local shows. Though KLOR did it's best to keep up with the times, producing local news and kiddie programs, it was also true that the station got it's best ratings from programming it didn't even produce. The arrangement with C.B.I.P. offered a newer selection of movies than other stations offered, and the nearness to Los Angeles meant professional shows could be acquired with comparatively minimal licensing fees. Aside from the weekend movie slots, the station's highest ratings came from episodes of The Twilight Zone and reruns of Space Patrol.

   The local programming had it's points, however. Though she had yet to be courted by C.B.I.P., annie weather girl Simone Grace was a welcome personality in most homes. Because of her, the ratings for the local news were higher than they might otherwise have been. The public likes a pretty girl, and the news staff boasted two. Simone Grace was one, lady reporter Gail Tryon was the other. The two of them countered each other physically, though both were knock-outs. Simone was an annie with pale skin and mounds of wavy platinum hair -complete with a long feline tail. Gail was a 'regular' girl with black hair and deeply tanned skin. She'd been born in Hawaii, the daughter of a Navy Admiral and a beautiful island girl. The tan of her skin and black hair were really the only features which betrayed this, as her accent was completely Californian.

   The station manager liked to goose ratings from time to time by giving the girls excuses to wear Creek Bend bikinis on the air. What might seem like an obvious ploy was welcomed by Gail and Simone, given how hot and humid Creek Bend seemed to be year round. It was even worse under the studio lights required to properly light the sound stages. Gail had wondered if her minuscule swimwear could actually become adopted as her official uniform while on the air, but she knew it would look pretty silly to wear a Creek Bend bikini as she commented on the farming conditions.

   Missy entered the stage for the news desk, a reel of film tucked under her arm, as Gail turned to greet her. Gail was doing a retrospective on C.B.I.P.'s first annie glamor starlet. Louise Beaumont was also on hand to help with the segment, since Louise was a glamor annie long before C.B.I.P. adopted the aesthetic. Simone Grace looked on from the control booth. She was awe-struck as she saw Louise enter the room and shake Missy's hand. Simone dreamed of being just like them. She figured just listening to them talk would be valuable, so Simone slipped out of the booth and took a position close to the action, as it were. Gail started up a reel-to-reel to make sure she didn't miss any good items to be used in the segment they were going to shoot later.

   "It used to be a lot tougher to be an annie," Louise admitted, "all the cartoons in the early days were drawn by studio cartoonists. We seemed to inspire them to draw cartoons, but it took 'em a while to figure out that they could also shoot us and draw around us."

   "What was that like?" Gail asked.

   "Pretty wild. You'd act out your scene in front of a white sheet, and then the film would just be you on a blank background. Then the artists would go in and draw in background plates and the like. It was a really complicated way of doing it, considering how primitive the movies still were at the time."

   "Those days were long gone by the time I got into the act." Missy said.

   "They figured out pretty quickly there were easier ways of doing it. By the time I got to be a star, they'd figured out the best way to shoot a cartoon was to shoot it like a movie, with sets and props and everything in front of the camera. They were still doing a lot of full-animation, though. Most of it was full animation before the War, to be honest. Some of it still is, of course."

   "When you look like this," Missy motioned to her face, "it's pretty easy for animators to add stuff to the shot and keep it looking natural. Most of those extreme takes you see in most cartoons, those are done that way, with the animators drawing an extreme expression onto your face. It's really very few studios that do cartoons which don't play like cartoons. You know, the ones that let you use your own natural facial expressions."

   "I guess as long as the laugh is there," Gail mused, "that's what the directors feel is the most important thing."

   "Yes." Louise fit a cigarette into the long holder she always carried in public. "It's always about how entertaining you can be. There're still individual styles, though. Obviously, what works for Disney isn't right for MGM, and so on. Some studios are about the artistry of animation, others are focused on humor."

   "C.B.I.P. is most interested in presenting it's stars as people rather than cartoons," Missy jumped in, "I think the idea is ultimately to get us cast in real movies."

   "Do you think the public is ready for that sort of thing?" Gail asked.

   "Why not," Louise shrugged, "the movie-going public is always interested in seeing something new. That's what made cartoons so popular to begin with."

   "Do you have any misgivings about full-animation, Mrs. Beaumont? It's been said that your star was eclipsed by Betty Boop, and that character is only pen and ink."

   "I suppose at the time I felt bitter about being replaced by a drawing, but you can't be bitter about things. The next good thing will always come along and you have to be ready for that. I was already a wife and a mother when my moment seemed to pass, so I wasn't lacking for things to do. I've seen too many stars get hung up on their own fame. I like the popularity, the glamor of it all, but I never let that take issue over my family. The kids are grown now, of course, and I still have my figure, so I'm all for getting back in the spotlight if the public will have me."

   "Joining C.B.I.P. would seem a smart move in that direction. Is it very different from, if you'll forgive me, The Old Days?"

   "New faces, less of them covered in make-up to make them look like forest creatures, obviously, but the business end of it is largely unchanged. You want to make a good product so people will buy it. I'm admittedly a bit of an opportunist, so I keep my eyes open for a good chance. Missy here started something good for annies. It's a lot more gratifying to be thought of as a girl rather than a mouse or rabbit or something of that nature."

   "That's not to say there isn't room to play animals," Missy admitted, "a lot of actors still do that for the acting possibilities it offers. Still, female annies have always been less featured than the men, so in that respect, the glamor approach has been a good break for actresses."

   "And there are so many annies that it makes me laugh sometimes to think of regular actors who make their living playing cartoon stars, like Mel Blanc does." Louise lit her cigarette. "But the man has talent, you can't deny that."

   "How'd you get noticed by the studios in the first place," Simone stepped forward, "what got you cast before the glamor approach was really in place."

   "Actors go to the studios looking for work," Louise offered, "it's really no different for an annie. I had the advantage of being married to a producer, so he was able to convince his studio to take a shot on letting me star in a series of one-reelers as myself. Missy, you got started with bit parts, right? How'd you get into it?"

   "I was in the right place, I guess. A talent scout was looking for mousettes to fill out a crowd scene in a short that was filming the next day. I was in the soda shop at just the right time for him to see me and some of my girlfriends having lunch off campus. I showed a good work ethic and I kept getting hired. I was blessed to be there, and I was where I needed to be. I met Randy Mouse on the set of my fifth picture. We got married and he kept making sure the director featured me a bit more and a bit more in his shorts."

   Simone thought it over. The right place seemed to be key. But the TV station hadn't seemed to be right in bringing her to the attention of the movie studio. Maybe she needed to make herself more visible in town during her time off. Simone made an excuse of taking Missy's film to the main office so she could double-check something she'd seen earlier. Yes, there on the manager's desk was an ad for the local furniture store. They were seeking a pretty girl to demonstrate products in the window display. This would be a good chance to be seen by the whole town, including personnel from the studio as they passed by during their break periods.

   Simone had second thoughts as she made ready to lie on a mattress in the store window. Her 'job' would be to snooze on a Sleep-a-riffic mattress as the townsfolk looked on. Somehow, wearing a Creek Bend bikini on television seemed modest compared to lounging around in her undies in full public view. It was a popular publicity stunt, though, and it would indeed guarantee public exposure -even if it was the most literal kind of exposure.

   "Are you sure about this?" Simone asked the manager. He considered the situation as he held the cord to open the drapes.

   "I think some girls do this stunt while wearing a bathing suit," he offered, "the girl we last used for this sort of thing was content to model her undies as a cross-promotion with the clothing store. She was just a high school girl."

   "How'd that work out?"

   "Our sales shot up, and she's working at the movie studio now."

   Simone was on board in full upon hearing that. She nodded for the drapes to be opened as she took a breath and curled up on the bed. It wasn't going to be a bad assignment, really. She'd be asleep for most of it. The manager opened the drapes and scurried out of the demonstration set. Simone turned over and addressed him as he departed.

   "Say, some people like to watch television in bed. What say we set up a TV in here? A body can only sleep for so long, you know." The manager stopped in his tracks and considered the idea. He nodded. Soon enough, the scene in the window display had been altered to include a television set. As well, a night stand had been moved in, with a few books for Simone to read. The idea was to make the scene a little different each time the potential customers passed by. This would keep up interest as well as showcase the bed in multiple uses.

   By that afternoon, Simone had curled up on the bed with an ashtray near. She tried to look as glamorous as she could, puffing her cigarette through a long black holder just like Louise Beaumont. Simone was certainly an attractive sight, lounging in her skimpies in full view of main street. As was predicted, it was mostly men who paused to drink in the details. Simone was used to it, though, as any attractive girl must be. Still, she felt odd about the fact that she was seated in bed and wearing only her intimates while being scrutinized. It never bothered her at the beach, and in truth the garments she was wearing now were actually covering more of her body than her favorite Creek Bend bikini did. Still, it did run counter to the natural expectations of privacy.

   Simone was actually a little surprised to see that, as the day went on, more women began to stop and study the scene. Simone seemed to be doing her job well. The women walking into the store and asking to see the same model of bed obviously felt Simone had made the merchandise look good. One of the women who stopped by was C.B.I.P.'s own Lois Teppert. Of course, Simone knew Lois as Chickie Little, since that was how she was always billed. Simone found herself kneeling on the bed and looking over the backdrop screen and into the store to see Chickie speaking with the salesman. If not for Simone's rather bushy tail falling into perfect position, her fanny-out posture would have put on even more of a show for the men gathering outside the window.

    Lois was a very attractive girl for a woman with a beak. And she was currently one of the studio's most popular starlets. Simone had learned all about the stars who worked at the studio, certain that she would one day join them. Lois had started as a chorus girl. It was ironic that this would get her noticed by talent scouts, since the early cartoons Lois made almost always had her stuffed into a special harness to more approximate the features of a bird. "The bird suit" as actors in her position called the rig, was infamously uncomfortable. Lois was one of the most relieved of her peers when the glamor approach came along. It was funny, but after several years in "the bird suit" she could finally be seen on screen the way she looked when she was first noticed on stage.

    Simone saw Lois motion the salesman toward the display. Simone spun around and returned to her previous position on the bed. She kept an ear pointed toward Lois to hear the conversation. Lois was interested in inspecting the bed actually used in the display. Simone sat up as the salesman pushed aside the screen which separated the display from the rest of the store. Lois stepped in and smiled at Simone.

   "Don't let me disturb you," Lois said, "I just wanted to get a closer look at the display model."

   "By all means." Simone slid to the edge of the bed as Lois pushed down on the mattress. Yes, there was a model near the stock room, a bare mattress the customers could inspect, but Lois was curious to see how the model felt with actual sheets. Lois took a seat and bounced a couple of times before stretching out and looking up at the ceiling. 

   "It lives up to it's name," Lois noted, "I could nod off right here I think." Lois sat up and turned to Simone. "How long have you been sitting here?"

   "This is only my first day on the job, but it's a very comfy mattress. I'm going to get one myself." Lois nodded and smiled to the salesman. She'd take one. And a similar set of sheets. The store was doubly pleased, as this meant ads could include an endorsement from the starlet. Unfortunately, this meant that Simone's services were no longer required. The next day found the display housing a cardboard stand showing a shot of Lois Teppert. On it was a plug for the newest Chickie Little cartoon in addition to her glowing endorsement of the mattress. Simone couldn't be too upset about being replaced. Yes, she was back out of the public eye, but at least she didn't have to wear her undies on main street anymore.

   Simone decided to hit the beach instead.