Tues. July 20th
Dearest “Big-little girl”!
How have you been wiggling lately! Kid, you are certainly living it up! Guess that the good time will have to be cut short as Mom and Dad are most adamant about you returning for the party on the 21st! They said that it is so important to the family and also since we kids are officially “giving the affair” we all should be present! So it looks as if you will have to take the Lurline trip some other time! That's alright, “G”, we both shall take the trip sometime as I too missed the boat trip!
So glad that you go for the idea of having a brother-in-law. I know that you will like Benny so much! You know don't you that Mom and Dad aren't giving me any promise of marrying him until...they look, examine, check his teeth, check his scholastic records, his blood pressure, look to see if all his toes are there and accounted for, and see that he has had no previous wives, and no legit or illegitimate children! Poor guy, I feel so sorry for the ordeal ahead of him.
So all the busy-bodies are gossiping about me already! Boy, does news travel fast! But then it is so funny that they all think it is Olly who is my “intended”! Ah, if they only knew. But I do hope that I surprise some people. As it is, people in town are already suspecting something is up! As you know...Olly is squiring Betty about town and he wrote to Marie that he is serious but wants to take more time and think it over...“especially after the last time!” Humph, wonder what he was insinuating!???
How have you been wiggling lately! Kid, you are certainly living it up! Guess that the good time will have to be cut short as Mom and Dad are most adamant about you returning for the party on the 21st! They said that it is so important to the family and also since we kids are officially “giving the affair” we all should be present! So it looks as if you will have to take the Lurline trip some other time! That's alright, “G”, we both shall take the trip sometime as I too missed the boat trip!
So glad that you go for the idea of having a brother-in-law. I know that you will like Benny so much! You know don't you that Mom and Dad aren't giving me any promise of marrying him until...they look, examine, check his teeth, check his scholastic records, his blood pressure, look to see if all his toes are there and accounted for, and see that he has had no previous wives, and no legit or illegitimate children! Poor guy, I feel so sorry for the ordeal ahead of him.
So all the busy-bodies are gossiping about me already! Boy, does news travel fast! But then it is so funny that they all think it is Olly who is my “intended”! Ah, if they only knew. But I do hope that I surprise some people. As it is, people in town are already suspecting something is up! As you know...Olly is squiring Betty about town and he wrote to Marie that he is serious but wants to take more time and think it over...“especially after the last time!” Humph, wonder what he was insinuating!???
Hi, I just got my driver's license today. I have been enjoying all your letters and hope to hear from you more often. I have been loafing around lately accomplishing not one darn thing. If you ever run into Freda Yuen, please send her my best regards. That's all I got to say. Ron
Well, although parents don't like to speak of the wedding they almost have to. Mother is all hep for me and Benny to get married this Oct. 9th. She doesn't want me to create any scandal in New York being engaged to Benny for six months and then having him see me everyday. Johnny (Marie's heartthrob) and Benny come to dinner every night because otherwise the two boys have to eat dinner alone and out in a restaurant. Now...you wouldn't even treat a dog like this..so we girls see no harm in having the men over. But...you know Mom...this is the most scandalous behavior! So she thinks it much safer if I'm married before returning to NY.
Poor Benny, he doesn't have much to say about this...he wants to wait as he is financially embarrassed now as he never saved any money and then has been expensively engaged in furnishing a new office! So...who knows what may happen. You may be a bridesmaid in Oct. or April. But just in case this Oct. deal should go through, we already have the Westwood Community Church and the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel reserved for the 9th of Oct. And then yesterday we went to Bullocks Wilshire to look at the gowns! Saw two that Mom likes! I really have to fight hard to get my “one cent” in this show! All Benny and I will have to say about this wedding is “I Do” and that is with the condition that we ever get to the altar after all the obstacles.
I was supposed to go to Salt Lake City this next month to spend a week with Benny and his friends and sister and brother. But...parents again say, “NO”! They think it scandalous that I should even go, and even more selfish on my part that I consented to marry him WITHOUT them seeing him and approving of him first! So I'm an ungrateful, inconsiderate, shameful girl and daughter.
All this changing of minds is getting me down! Don't know from one day to the next what parental opinions will be! One day, the mere mention of wedding bells will set off a tirade and the next day, they are all discussing the wedding plans as if they were wholeheartedly approved! Can't win! So everything is up in the air until Benny arrives, and is approved! Then we shall all sit down and discuss whether or not we will be married in Oct. or April!
To add to all this confusion...as you might know...Lil DIDN'T graduate from college. Whew, you might know how this affects said parents! They no likee!! And to make matters worse, Lil didn't prepare them for this news...she just played along as if she had graduated and even had her graduation picture taken in cap and gown. So when this week, a notice from S.C. came stating that Lil didn't grad and that they refused to allow her to return to S.C. until she completed one year make-up work in junior college. Then after this...she could return to S.C. and complete her work for her degree! But it seems that now she may have a chance to stay in S.C. and finish if she does some kind of paper this summer. So don't know how this will turn out. And to embarrass parents more...most of our friends thought she finished and sent gifts.
So “G” I hope that this sets a good example for you too! I know that I shouldn't lecture but...this has hurt Mother and Daddy so much. They have given us so much and the least we owe them is to make good grades or the best of our effort and graduate from our respective colleges! And you being the brightest of all of us kids should do exceptionally well in school. So “G”, play hard and study hard, but know where to draw the dividing line! Humph, lecture for the day over, class dismissed!
“G”, you should see the puppies now! They are darling and getting so fat! The Brooks took the male, and the female was given to Uncle Guy. The kids named the white one “Ming-ming”, and of course, simply adore the puppy. I got the last one...the little tan one. You will be surprised how these pups have changed their color! They are getting lighter all the time. I named mine “Mei-Mei” and will take her via air freight back to New York providing that I don't get married!....Well, what surprised us the most the other day was that they mastered the swinging door. So after much heaving and pushing, each pup coming falling into the rumpus room. They have to put so much of their weight in pushing open the door that they literally fall into the room! The most darling thing to watch.
Say, Lil and I are now movie extras in the John Wayne and Susan Hayworth picture “The Conqueror”. This is for RKO and directed by Dick Powell. Bessie Loo sent us girls and the Loo twins down to the studio for interviews and they took us all! After we lined up, like the police line-up, they immediately chose me for “one of the four wives” and then had the other girls too. As I soon found out...I'm one of the four wives of Genghis Khan who is played by John Wayne. This is the picture of Genghis Khan as you may have guessed by now. So many Chinese are needed. Sophie Chun, Sue, Chow are also in the picture with us. The others are wives too but of tribesmen. So went in for fitting already and end of this week we will be used! We may work from 2 to 4 days so not bad...since they pay $19 per day! Boy, moola, how we could use some! Huh?
Very eager to see you. Don't get all those dates too mixed up! Do you mean that so far you haven't met any eligibles? Well, chalk up everything to experience it sure comes in handy.
Love,
Al
Excuse, no reread!
Poor Benny, he doesn't have much to say about this...he wants to wait as he is financially embarrassed now as he never saved any money and then has been expensively engaged in furnishing a new office! So...who knows what may happen. You may be a bridesmaid in Oct. or April. But just in case this Oct. deal should go through, we already have the Westwood Community Church and the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel reserved for the 9th of Oct. And then yesterday we went to Bullocks Wilshire to look at the gowns! Saw two that Mom likes! I really have to fight hard to get my “one cent” in this show! All Benny and I will have to say about this wedding is “I Do” and that is with the condition that we ever get to the altar after all the obstacles.
I was supposed to go to Salt Lake City this next month to spend a week with Benny and his friends and sister and brother. But...parents again say, “NO”! They think it scandalous that I should even go, and even more selfish on my part that I consented to marry him WITHOUT them seeing him and approving of him first! So I'm an ungrateful, inconsiderate, shameful girl and daughter.
All this changing of minds is getting me down! Don't know from one day to the next what parental opinions will be! One day, the mere mention of wedding bells will set off a tirade and the next day, they are all discussing the wedding plans as if they were wholeheartedly approved! Can't win! So everything is up in the air until Benny arrives, and is approved! Then we shall all sit down and discuss whether or not we will be married in Oct. or April!
To add to all this confusion...as you might know...Lil DIDN'T graduate from college. Whew, you might know how this affects said parents! They no likee!! And to make matters worse, Lil didn't prepare them for this news...she just played along as if she had graduated and even had her graduation picture taken in cap and gown. So when this week, a notice from S.C. came stating that Lil didn't grad and that they refused to allow her to return to S.C. until she completed one year make-up work in junior college. Then after this...she could return to S.C. and complete her work for her degree! But it seems that now she may have a chance to stay in S.C. and finish if she does some kind of paper this summer. So don't know how this will turn out. And to embarrass parents more...most of our friends thought she finished and sent gifts.
So “G” I hope that this sets a good example for you too! I know that I shouldn't lecture but...this has hurt Mother and Daddy so much. They have given us so much and the least we owe them is to make good grades or the best of our effort and graduate from our respective colleges! And you being the brightest of all of us kids should do exceptionally well in school. So “G”, play hard and study hard, but know where to draw the dividing line! Humph, lecture for the day over, class dismissed!
“G”, you should see the puppies now! They are darling and getting so fat! The Brooks took the male, and the female was given to Uncle Guy. The kids named the white one “Ming-ming”, and of course, simply adore the puppy. I got the last one...the little tan one. You will be surprised how these pups have changed their color! They are getting lighter all the time. I named mine “Mei-Mei” and will take her via air freight back to New York providing that I don't get married!....Well, what surprised us the most the other day was that they mastered the swinging door. So after much heaving and pushing, each pup coming falling into the rumpus room. They have to put so much of their weight in pushing open the door that they literally fall into the room! The most darling thing to watch.
Say, Lil and I are now movie extras in the John Wayne and Susan Hayworth picture “The Conqueror”. This is for RKO and directed by Dick Powell. Bessie Loo sent us girls and the Loo twins down to the studio for interviews and they took us all! After we lined up, like the police line-up, they immediately chose me for “one of the four wives” and then had the other girls too. As I soon found out...I'm one of the four wives of Genghis Khan who is played by John Wayne. This is the picture of Genghis Khan as you may have guessed by now. So many Chinese are needed. Sophie Chun, Sue, Chow are also in the picture with us. The others are wives too but of tribesmen. So went in for fitting already and end of this week we will be used! We may work from 2 to 4 days so not bad...since they pay $19 per day! Boy, moola, how we could use some! Huh?
Very eager to see you. Don't get all those dates too mixed up! Do you mean that so far you haven't met any eligibles? Well, chalk up everything to experience it sure comes in handy.
Love,
Al
Excuse, no reread!
Summer of ‘54: The Scene | 1: Al: Have I been busy | 2: Jigi: Orchid leis | 3: Lil: Go crazy, kid 4: Wally: Don’t change | 5: Ron: Damn nice of you | 6: Mom: A grand success | 7: Mom: My fashion plate | 8: Lil: Who’d’ve understood? | 9: Jigi: The sexy bastard | 10: Mom: That gleam and glow | 11: Mom: So proud of you | 12: Al: Fast Casanova | 13: Lil: Free coaching | 14: Mom: Simply heartbroken | 15: Al: Most scandalous | 16: Lil: Men!! | 17: Jigi: Gush it up | 18: Mom: Keep it to yourselves | 19: Lil: Bitter today | 20: Lil: Your future brother-in-law | 21: To the convent | The Anniversary Party