LOOKING FOR A SHOT AT THE BIG TRAM WANNABE GUIDES HIT UNIVERSAL.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

They took their acting classes, worked up some credits here and there, polished their resumes and chose their best head shots.

It has all led to a chance at a role with this famous line: ``Please keep your arms and legs inside the tram at all times.''

Universal Studios Hollywood gathered 70 of the best candidates for its summer season openings on the Studio Tour. By June, the luckiest will be sitting in that seat beside the tram driver, expounding on the back lot's illustrious history, revealing production secrets and vamping whenever an actual movie or TV shoot or possibly a technical problem requires it.

There are professional writers working up the guides' scripts, and they will be well-trained in cuing up the new video segments hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, so for many it will come down to their ability to think on their feet and hold the attention of their passengers while their tram sits idle for a minute or two. That means they must be able to improvise and be versed in pop culture.

``There are so many qualities we're looking for,'' said Michael Sington, who casts the tour. ``Personality, first and foremost. You have to be outgoing, enthusiastic, friendly, you have to have poise in front of an audience, you have to be mature. You have to be able to think on your feet and make quick decisions in front of an audience.''

At the judges' table on Thursday, a bell was pounded to tell the applicants, known at this stage only by number, to quit talking.

Interview questions ranged from the week's ``American Idol'' results (``I think it's down to Salt 'n' Pepper'') to forecasting how well Katie Couric will do on ``The CBS Evening News.'' One applicant may have dimmed his chances when he was asked to name the worst movie he's seen.

``The sequel to `Fast and Furious,''' he replied.

Ding. Doesn't he know that a mechanized stunt sequence based on ``The Fast and the Furious'' is the centerpiece of this summer's new, improved tour?

``A7: Tell me about your favorite NBC television show.''

``I don't watch that much TV.'' Ding.

A handful of individuals tried out for Spanish-speaking positions, reading from a script in English and ad-libbing in Spanish. Everyone on the stage was at ease with both languages, except for B4, a lanky young man who sheepishly admitted that he doesn't speak Spanish; he just got in the wrong line. Ding.

One improvisation exercise began with a partial sentence provided by a judge, to be elaborated on by all 10 applicants sharing the stage. That troublesome bell denoted each applicant's turn to pick up the story where the one before left off.

``On her way to hosting the Oscars, Whoopi Goldberg found herself ...'' became a tale about a lost Harry Winston earring and a dog in the street which may have been Rin Tin Tin or may have been Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell or may have been an imposter, but in any case it was an impressive dog because it could sign autographs and hit Whoopi up for a part in her next film.

Another 10 were given three minutes to put together a scene set on the red carpet of the 2006 Academy Awards. Out of their huddle came Billy Bush, Garth Kemp of KABC, and Joan and Melissa Rivers. Others played LL Cool J, Reese Witherspoon and a ``woo-hoo''-ing Tom Cruise.

The applicants also were asked to cold-read segments of a tour-guide script. One of them read his bit about Alfred Hitchcock's enshrined bungalow and then punctuated it with a profile turn and puffed-out cheeks, scoring a laugh.

Ronni ``Joan Rivers'' Valentine of Studio City is a stage actress and stand-up comedian. After playing a doctor whose one line was cut on ``Untold Stories of the ER,'' she figures she's ready for her close-up on the tram monitors.

``I love Universal Studios. I live three blocks away, I have a yearly pass every year, and I come all the time, and the studio tour's my favorite,'' Valentine said. ``And every time I go I always say, `I can do that job.'

``So when I saw the auditions I said, `You know what, I'm going to really try it.'''

Tim ``Tom Cruise'' Wright, 30, recently moved to Burbank from Aspen, Colo. He says he's ready to share his enthusiasm for the movies with 175 tram passengers every hour.

``You've got to be on top of it because you want your audience to feel like, wow, you're a part of it, they're a part of it, and it's just flawless because that's the image. It's just picture perfect.''

Jim ``Hitchcock'' McCaffree, 38, left behind a publishing career in Chicago to try his hand at comedy and acting in Los Angeles. (Look for him doing improv Friday nights at the Hothouse in North Hollywood.)

Talk about a cold read -- McCaffree admitted in an interview that he has yet to take the Universal tram ride. ``When I got here, I didn't have money, and when I started to make money, I didn't have the time.''

Having survived this round of auditions, taking the tour just moved up on his list of priorities.

Wright says he's heard that the tour guide position is a good springboard to other industry jobs, but he's not yet thinking that far ahead.

``My theory is you can't get too hung up on what the outcome is. You just gotta keep plugging away and keep doing what you want and just go for it passionately.''

Sington, a guide himself 26 years ago, said he's unsure whether he'll find the right individuals in this crop to fill all 30 openings.

``The group today overall I didn't think was that strong. I don't know whether it was nerves,'' he said as the last few left the room. ``But usually I see more warmth, more friendliness, more of a smile.

``These guys all looked really nervous to me,'' he said. The bell gave no opinion.

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) A line of hopefuls faces the judges -- and their bell -- at Universal Studios Hollywood's auditions for summer Studio Tour guides on Thursday.

(2 -- 4) From left, Jim McCaffree of Van Nuys gives his Alfred Hitchcock impression; Ronni Valentine of Studio City, left, and Olivia Balardo of Los Angeles portray Joan and Melissa Rivers; and Tim Wright of Burbank makes like an excited Tom Cruise.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer