When Phylis Isley resumed her classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on January 2, 1938, she met a fellow student from Utah named Robert Walker. They immediately became very close friends. They both shared a passion for acting.  As the semester progressed, Robert and Phylis were inseparable. They spent most of their spare time together discussing acting and the theater as  well as taking long walks around New York. They shared a common dream - to make a living in the craft that they loved best.  It was not long before they were in love. Toward the end of the semester, the students were  required to audition again for the following year.  Robert and Phylis  decided to do their scene together and they chose one from The Barretts  Of Wimpole Street, one of Phylis' favorites. Both passed the test and were invited back for another year. 

Phylis was to return to Tulsa for the summer and Robert stayed in New York to look for work.  He was not very successful, and in a spur of the moment decision, decided to work on a banana boat.  It was a subtle indication of Walker's restless nature and unpredictability. Phylis overlooked his odd career move but was surprised when they reunited in the Fall and Robert told her that he had decided to quit the Academy.  He felt that it was a waste of his time and he thought he could find work on his own.  Phylis agreed with him, and much to the dismay of her parents, she quit the school also.

They soon found that their prospects in the theater were bleak and they were unable to find work.  Phil Isley, worried over his daughter's situation, lured her back to Tulsa with a $25 a week radio job.  Phylis told him that she would accept only if Walker was offered the same deal.  Isley agreed and the young couple moved to Tulsa.  The new job would be a 13 week stint radio program called "The Phylis Isley Radio Theater".  The Isleys soon became very fond of Robert Walker.

Robert and Phylis were married on January 2, 1939, one year after they met.  Phil Isley urged the young couple to go to Hollywood.  In their brand new Packard convertible (a wedding gift from the Isleys), they headed West, stopping briefly in Utah to visit Walker's family.  However, once in Hollywood, even with her father's letters of recommendation, work was hard to find.  As a last resort, Phylis found work at the low budget Republic Studios.  She was immediately assigned her first film role in a John Wayne "Three Mesquiteer" western called New Frontier.  It was only a week's work and following that, she was put to work in a Dick Tracy serial called Dick Tracy's G-Men.  Walker had only found work in a handful of bit roles.  Disheartened, they decided to go back to New York. Phylis asked to be released from her contract at Republic. Republic at first refused but changed their minds after Phylis's father gave them a call and explained that the two merely wanted to leave Hollywood and not go to another studio.

Robert had better luck with job opportunities in New York.  He found steady radio work but Phylis could only find a job modeling hats.  She also found out that she was pregnant.  Their first child, Robert Walker, Jr. was born on April 15, 1940. She was soon pregnant again and a second son (Michael Ross) was born on March 13, 1941.  Walker continued to find success with radio work but Phylis was becoming increasingly bored at home with the boys.

Rose Franken knew that producer David O. Selznick was searching for an actress for the film version of Claudia.  She suggested that he see both Phylis Walker and Phyllis Thaxter. An audition was arranged with Selznick's secretary Kay Brown. She read for the part in Brown's office (with Selznick listening in his office) but became upset because she gave a bad reading and fled the office in tears.  Selznick apparently was impressed because he told Kay Brown to phone her and invite her back.

Phylis returned to Selznick's office where he did not ask her to read again but wanted to know all about her.  Phylis was cordial and told him all about her background but did not mention that she had appeared in earlier films for Republic. She went home and four days later she heard from the Selznick office again.  They were offering her a personal seven year contract!

Phylis and Robert did not realize it but she had met a man who was about to change the course of both their lives...

Continue on to Actress (The David Selznick Years)