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Between 1935 and 1939 Letch and I made ten films together, each less successful, both artistically and commercially, than the one before it.
Our last joint venture, Sainted Lady, a deeply religious film based on the life of Mother Cabrini, and timed so that its release date would coincide with the beatification of America's first saint in November, 1938, was a fiasco from start to finish.
As I was playing Mother Cabrini, the picture was actually `` all mine '', with nearly every scene built around me.
But in order to keep Letch in the public eye and out of trouble, I wrote in a part especially for him -- that of a dashing ruffian who `` sees the light '' and is saved by the inspiring example of Mother Cabrini.
And did he appreciate my efforts on his behalf??
Did he trouble to memorize the very small part which I had `` tailor-made '' to his specifications, a role eventually cut down to three short speeches??
Did he show the rest of the cast -- numbering four thousand -- the consideration of arriving at the studio punctually -- or even at all??
He did not!!
The `` shooting '' went on for eight months!!
Most of our working days were spent on the telephone calling `` bookies '', illegal gambling dens, a certain `` residential club for young actresses '', more than a hundred different bars or the steam room of the athletic club.
Whenever he deigned to appear at the studio he was `` hung over '', uncooperative, rude and insulting.
He made many tasteless, irreverent and unfunny remarks, not only about me in the title role, but about religion in general.
By the time the film was released we were three million dollars over-spent, war was imminent and the public apparently had forgotten all about Mother Cabrini.
Thanks to Letch Feeley and the terrible strain he imposed on me, the notices were few and unfavorable.
Only George Santayana seemed to understand and appreciate the film when he wrote: `` Miss Poitrine has perpetrated the most eloquent argument for the Protestant faith yet unleashed by Hollywood ''.
But it was small consolation.

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