Search the Community

May, 1937 Fiction by Angela Bauer As told to her by her loving husband, Don Davis In mid-June I would turn five. Since September 1936 I had been a child actor on network radio broadcast from New York City. Being on radio was fun, but there were also disadvantages. I was discovered while I was reading a story to other kids in my Kindergarten class. The advertising agency lady picked me because I could read and yet my voice sounded like an ordinary four-year-old. Then I was proud of having been toilet trained since I could remember. The primary downside for child actors was that we were required to wear diapers in the studio during performances and rehearsals. It was explained that because we performed live, it would not be possible to take potty breaks. Mind you this was a long time before disposable diapers were common, practical or even had factory-installed sticky tapes. At least in 1936 the revolutionary PlayTex stretchy latex baby pants were available from a single department store in New York City. We already had some of those because I needed diapers for bed. The washable diapers did improve during the 1930’s. Mine were the classic Curity rectangular 21x40” flat gauze diapers held in place with special “diaper” safety pins. My nanny was an expert at folding my diapers to fit me correctly for any situation. For bed she would fold two diapers together. For days she only used a single diaper so she changed those more often every two hours or less. Since the wet or soiled diapers needed to be taken home, diaper bags then were huge. Before I was discovered I did not think about toilet use. When I felt the need to go I went to a toilet. At school there were boy and girl restrooms connected to the classrooms. We did not need to ask permission. We just left our seat quietly, went to the toilet, did our thing and returned to our desks. I was not ashamed about wearing a diaper while on radio. The studio audience could not see the diapers inside our clothing. At the studio our restrooms were private from the audience. Over the first months I was hired for an increasing number of radio shows. Frequently I would be at the studio for many hours. If I was waiting between rehearsals or performances I would tell my Nanny that I needed a toilet. She would take me to the restroom where in private she would remove my diaper. I would then use the toilet as if I had simply lowered ordinary underpants. Once I finished and had cleaned myself my nanny would diaper me again. However, if I was in a rehearsal or performance I just used my diaper both to pee and to poop. At first my diaper was removed before the trip home and I was not diapered until I got to the studio. Then one time after several hours at the studio on the way home I felt the need to pee. I did pee, but since I was not wearing a diaper my trousers, underpants and the car seat got wet. I wasn’t spanked or scolded for wetting my pants, but the next day I was diapered at home before we left for the studio. I remained diapered until we returned home. The following week when I felt the need for a toilet my nanny told me to use my diaper and to only ask for a diaper change when doing so would be convenient. Of course at home I would forget I was not diapered. As a result I often wet my pants while awake and my bed while sleeping. Nanny must have spoken to my mother about the accidents and wet beds. One day after we got home Nanny told me I would remain diapered for the afternoon and for bed. I protested to my mother as soon as she got home from work. Instead of being sympathetic, my mother told me that if I refused to wear diapers at home I could no longer be an actor. I thought about that for several minutes before I told my mother I enjoyed acting so much that I would put up with wearing diapers at home and for the trips. What surprised me was that my mother asked my nanny to remove my diaper. Once my bottom was bare my mother put me over her lap and gave me the hardest spanking of my life up to then. She told me she spanked me for being an ungrateful brat. During April 1937 my work on radio slowed down. After a couple of days without work I no longer wet my bed. My mother told my nanny while I was in the room to not diaper me routinely and to go back to the old way. I did not have a wetting accident while asleep or while awake. I had a couple of radio jobs for which I was only diapered after getting to the studio. I would remain diapered until we got home. That seemed fair to me. Early in May 1937 I had a rehearsal and a performance on a Friday. I wet my diaper during the drive home, so I had to wear the wet diaper for about a half hour. At home Nanny removed the wet diaper. I used the toilet and put on underpants immediately. Saturday before lunch we had to go to a radio station. I was not diapered for the short trip. I just managed to reach a toilet before my bladder let go. Nanny was waiting with a diaper once I finished using the toilet. That evening I was sleepy before the drive home so I wore a diaper without protest. At home mother told me she had decided to return me to diapers full-time. I did not think I deserved to be diapered. My mother considered that I had thrown a tantrum, so she spanked me harder than usual. Then Nanny diapered me. Not wanting more spankings, I stopped complaining about being diapered. I also no longer asked to use toilets. Even my mother, who seldom changed my diapers, could tell when I needed changing. I was not in the least embarrassed about using the diapers I was required to wear. Friends about my age who were not actors were surprised I accepted being diapered. Those who visited our large apartment knew about the over-sized changing table and diaper pail in my room. Nanny never bothered to close my door when changing me. At the radio studios of all the networks the restrooms for child performers all had changing tables and cubbies for storage of diaper bags. Away from home and studios Nanny took me to ladies’ rooms. None of those had changing tables large enough for me even when I was only four. Most had no changing table. Nanny was ingenious and made do. Long before I was on radio I knew better than to squirm or wriggle during a diaper change. Nanny had unlimited authority to spank me if I failed to cooperate while being diapered.