Entry One Hundred Nineteen
Thursday Tues., May 29 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Went Horseback riding with T.T. after wards we ate & sang around a fire. Audreys father took us to Temple. He looks much different than I thought. I’m very sore from the idiotic horse I was riding it was ready for the glue factory. It was an experience I hope never to forget. My horse’s name was Teddy.
Went miniature golf with kids—Erwin and etc got home at 1:20. Decorated for G.A.A. Spread.
Entry One Hundred Eighteen
Wednesday, May 28 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
BS
Entry One Hundred Seventeen
Tuesday Sun., May 27 Weather marked as Clear.
Butch’s Birthday
Dear Diary,
Cut out dress. T.T.
Entry One Hundred Sixteen
Monday, May 26 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Went in to No. Hollywood & Mommie & I got me a gown for the Sr. Prom & shoes too. I got butch a bathing suit for his birthday tomorrow. Baby sat for Fra.
Entry One Hundred Fifteen
Sunday Fri., May 25 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Bessie, Lois & Linds Kundler came over for dinner. Ditched 5th.
Entry One Hundred Fourteen
Saturday Thurs., May 24 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Nothin’ much.
Entry One Hundred Thirteen
Friday Wed., May 23 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Senior Play stunk. In the “mirror” (goosy’s) it said Harvey was engaged. My heart stopped when I saw that. Mom & I went down Ventura looking for a [illegible] formal for me. Saw a real purty one for $70. HAHAHA. Saw a white & gold one for $17. It was real pretty & I looked gorgeous in it except I couldn’t’ fill in the bust part. It was size 12 too. DAMN IT. Bob didn’t call.
Entry One Hundred Twelve
Thursday, May 22 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Hal came over. Audrey, Me, Norman & Bill went to Ina Ray Hutton Show. I started out with Norman & ended with Bill. After he took Aud & Norm home but before he had to try things. He tried to neck and pet. He really had Russian hands & Roming fingers. He’s succeeded in kissing but not petting hardly. Gads he tried hard. Got home at 11:10.
Mr. Platner said to forget it.
Editorial Note:
Ina Ray Hutton was a blond bombshell with talent. In the 1930s she parlayed a successful run with her band, the all-female Melodears, into the refracted limelight of Bing Crosby in The Big Broadcast of 1936, a huge accomplishment for a woman of her time. Her eponymous show began filming in 1951, when Lois attended a taping, and was picked up by a major network in 1956; the featured clip below is from the very first episode of Hutton’s 1956 season.
Entry One Hundred Eleven
Wednesday Mon., May 21 Weather marked as Clear.
Mommies Birthday
Dear Diary,
Norman asked me on a double date for tomorrow with a friend of his from New York. I asked Audrey to be the other gal—she’s in. Bill Gordon (Norman’s friend) came over tonight after he called. Gads!!! What a fast worker. He says I have a wise voice. But man! (as I said before) is he fast!!!!!
Mr. Plater (Science) gave me a failure notice today.
Entry One Hundred Ten
Tuesday, May 20 Weather marked as Clear.
Dear Diary,
Went to the Hollywood Bowl with Mr. & Mrs. Mendleson, Lynn, Ricky, Bob & me. We saw “I am an American” day. The show was good. But I had an awful time as Bob wasn’t in a very gay mood. His dad bought him a car. I cryed my eyes out when I got home because of him.
Baby sat for Frances.
Editorial Note:
According to Richard M. Fried’s The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! Pageantry and Patriotism in Cold-War America, I Am An American Day was conceptualized in 1938 by either Benjamin Edwards Neal, creator of the I Am An American Foundation, or The Helios Foundation, and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. The day was celebrated annually across the United States on the third Sunday of May, and commemorated the citizenship of newly naturalized immigrants and youngsters who had just come of age to vote (then the age of 21).
Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the popular event acquired a patriotic immediacy and was used to reinforce and publicly display one’s devotion to the American cause, as a citizen. The end of the war augmented the event’s rhetoric as Cold War tensions focused the narrative on a need to find and report subversive activities; understandably, the popularity of I Am An American Day suffered and it fell out of favor. In 1952, Congress changed the name of I Am An American Day to Citizenship Day, and the date was moved from May to September 17th. It was again reformatted as “Constitution and Citizenship Day” at the request of late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia in 2004, and now celebrates the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787.
Seen below, courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Negative Collection, 1950-1961 maintained by the University of Southern California, is the Hollywood Bowl decked out for I Am An American Day in 1951–the very same one attended by our Lois. Perhaps if you scrutinize the crowd long enough you can see her, seated between the Mendlesons and gazing forlornly at Bob.
Nostos Algos 