European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 not photo hopeful moms and their tots getting a commercial is like winning a the Derby casting Call for babies by Sherry Sontag new York times Susan Cagle wore Pink flowered overalls for her audition and peered at her Competition with Large Blue Dana Tropeano showed More interest in her not one of the would be actors who crowded into Marji Wollins casting office on fifth Avenue in Manhattan the other Day could deliver a line and few could but for these tiny a smile can be Worth thousands and dimples May Clinch the parents had brought the who ranged from 9 months to a year hoping they would be picked to Star in a television commercial for Hasbro the toy getting a commercial is like winning a said Lynn who carried her 11monthold lil stars of one of the largest childrens management estimated that thousands of babies compete each year for a few dozen Erma Bombeck a baby who actually appears in a National commercial can earn As much As if the advertisement is broadcast for at least nine at the recent nervous mothers pressed into the tiny waiting room and overflowed into the their offspring ignored the focusing on rubber toys and occasionally on each nine Montgold Kristy and Melissa Jones from drank from Matching Donald Duck Dana who is 11 months old and whose family lives in the Bensonhurst Section of Brooklyn was first to audition for the Hasbro she had smiled and cooed while sitting on her mothers but when her big moment she looked around and thanks said the casting the audition lasted two she cries too so she never gets Michele Tropeano said of her daughters five despite the she she will keep trying since i was a i always wanted to have my daughter or son be in a Oney Earold Susan Cagle of did not cry when her turn but she did not smile she tends to be too said Margaret her by the time Shes warmed its All a Veteran among a roomful of an architect who has taken her daughter to 10 casting Calls without fielded questions from other How Long before you hear asked Jane who had just carried her year old from his first if they just thank you didst get Cagle a few of the parents seemed a bit dejected at that if they ask you to have the baby crawl or strip the baby to see her in the youve got a Good Cagle at this casting any child who showed enough interest in a yellow music Box shaped like a could crawl and played with a squeaky toy sewn onto a Blanket seemed to have a Good Wollin has been both casting agent and what is known in the Industry As a baby or on commercial sets for 11 almost Ever since her now retired from her career As a baby a Hal dozen managers and producers said that Wollin works with most of the children featured in the commercials taped in new York she acts As a go Between for advertising Agency producers and childrens casting the commercials and then prompting her tiny actors to follow the babies Weed themselves Wollin in looking for babies with Good in not interested in looks there but a child who plays and who will go to strangers is As for babies who they May be perfect next she babies go through because changes in disposition can be Wollin will recast the commercial if More than 10 Days elapse Between casting and of the 50 infants she saw in the first three hours of this casting Only two or three will be called Back for a second they will then compete with about the same number of children selected from second or even third casting and usually five will be picked to be on hand for the actual Ryan Kostner was one of the children who impressed a Veteran of infant gymnastics Ryan gurgled As he played with the music Box and crawled like a but a Call Back is not a guarantee of who knows Wollin he might cry next a shot in the said Lynn who travels from Elmwood to three casting Calls a week with Ryan and her of the five or so children picked for each each will earn for a Day on the some May not even appear before the and Only the baby who turns in the Best performance during the taping will be and even that decision can we had wonderful footage for one said Anne who produces luvs diaper but when it came time for the scenes with the actors playing mom and the kid  have anything to do with another baby got the for travelling has been one step above primitive youre thrust into a wilderness surrounded by hidden Light foreign Shower spi gots and strangers on All sides of you who Are consumed with their own there Are a lot of people who Tell you it Doest have to be this Foremost among these Are the catalogues that list Page after Page of travel sure theres your rubber Duck and your change of but wait you need an Iron that weighs 13 ounces and folds up to the size of a ballpoint you need a hair dryer and a global clock that tells you what time it is in Amsterdam when you Are in you need an adapter to use All that stuff in Case you have the wrong dont forget your personal Coffeepot and your walk you can either listen to music on it or take along a special carrying Case for your language cassettes that have you speaking German or Boston be fore you get if youre clawing your Way up the corporate then take your Choice of the scores of self improvement tapes on How to win when you Are born they recommend taking along your hobbies like a pocket Telescope for Bird who Are we kid Ding Here if youre a theres a special Case for your Tennis Racket or a sport bag that takes care of your shoes and running dont Overlook a portable bicycle if youre into fit Ness or a 5inch television set if youre into body there Are cases for your Contact your your neckties and Little socks that Slipcover your and dont worry about leaving your put it under the seat in front of theres a Lap a portable word calculator and compact desk there Are shoe polishing Swiss knives and Lead laminated pouches to protect your film from xray a the Only thing the catalogues dont list is a to lug All that stuff it was the same Way with the first time we we threw everything into a Pillowcase and hit the Road in five then we started to add things like a an ice Chest and a couple of Lawn later it was a portable a tent with a floor in a lanterns and we were Tak ing a Lawn ice food processor and Valet parking As Yogi Berra once its Dejavu All Over los Angeles times Syndicate