In the roaring twenties MGM was starlet boot camp. Young beauties that had passed muster at the front gate and the front office contracted with the studio as little more than artistic chattel. Tall thin, talented ingénues were at the beck and call of Hollywood's contractual whims as they performed required calisthenics, took diction lessons and dieted diligently under boss Louis B Mayer's iron thumb.

One young hopeful with...