"My first day at MGM they decided to bring this lion out, male, and it was not the best time for him to see me. All of a sudden he thought I was in heat and this lion went into the dressing room, which was just a trailer on the sound stage, and went crazy"

In this quote, Kim Novak, a renowned starlet, shares a humorous and rather dangerous anecdote from her very first day at MGM Studios. The narrative reveals the unpredictable and typically disorderly nature of dealing with animals in the film industry, particularly during Hollywood's golden era, where such encounters were not unusual due to making use of live animals on set.

Novak begins by setting the scene: it's her inaugural day at the prominent MGM Studios, a location renowned for its splendour and its sign, the MGM lion. The reference of "this lion out, male", indicates she came across a genuine male lion, highlighting the studio's penchant for authentic and grand eyeglasses, which extended even to initial experiences for their stars. The presence of a live lion on a soundstage itself shows the typically larger-than-life conditions actors needed to browse, adding a layer of unpredictability to their workplace.

The crux of this anecdote depends on the lion's unanticipated response upon seeing Novak. The expression "it was not the very best time for him to see me" suggests an unforeseen and unsuitable reaction from the lion. This is humorously intensified when Novak describes that, from the lion's viewpoint, it appeared she was "in heat", a term usually used to explain the reproductive cycle of animals. This anthropomorphism includes a layer of comedy to the situation, as it ridiculously attributes animal breeding behaviors to a human context, indicating a case of incorrect identity on the lion's part.

The escalation of events is strongly captured in Novak's description of the lion going "crazy" and taking sanctuary in the dressing space, humorously defined as "simply a trailer on the sound phase". This chaotic climax not only highlights the unforeseen perils of her occupation however also highlights an aspect of vulnerability and improvisation actors typically deal with when dealing with live animals. Novak's anecdote, for that reason, acts as an emblematic, light-hearted reflection on the unpredictable nature of life behind the scenes in traditional Hollywood.