Diary of Vilma, The Unconquerable
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Vilma, the Clifton's Camera Girl

9/18/2015

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Charming the socks off the boys at "The Pacific Seas"
Wednesday March 5, 1952
I sure did feel like hell today, especially in the 8 hours I was working. I felt like quitting and going home early and going to bed but I stuck it out. I doubt if I will go to work tomorrow. I got up feeling miserable but the only reason I got up enough strength to go was looking forward to my paycheck.

Betty Jo is in the first day of her 5th month of pregnancy.

Thursday March 6, 1952
Stayed home today and stayed in bed all day. My legs and arms hurt me and also my head and eyes. But at least I had a rest from that damn Comptometer Operator job. I sure know I can’t stay there as long, as some people have stood there as long as 15 years or more or less. It’s driving me nuts right now, doing the same thing minute after minute day after day.

Friday March 7, 1952
Stayed home in bed today. Felt miserable. Think I have the flu. Guess I’ll sit on my rump this weekend.

Saturday March 8, 1952
I shouldn’t have gone to the dance tonight but I did. Picked up a sailor and got in free and then ditched the jerk. Told Mom I would come home early about 11 or 12 and get a good rest. Got in at ten minutes to 4am. Came home with Paul Engel, another sailor, and you know how much I like that guy. I hadn’t seen him for almost 7 months or so and oh man what a double fine looking guy he is. If I ever went steady with that guy I’d be the happiest girl alive. He is the first guy that I’ve gone home with from the Stomp three times, and I never have necked with him. I’ve just kissed him good night. And so tonight we parked, and at least I have the satisfaction of necking with him.

He is leaving tomorrow night for the base. He’s one of those anchor crankers you know, and I won’t probably see him for a real long time again. He knows damn well I like him, that’s the trouble. I didn’t kiss him real heated up or anything, I kissed him like I liked him ever so much. And he kisses so fine. They were such nice kisses, not hot and bothered ones. And I sure do like him, but I don’t think he likes me any better than any other girl.

Monday March 10, 1952
I weigh 139 now.  Mom doesn’t want me to go around with Betty Jo anymore. That really isn’t anything new though. Anyway, on Saturday she saw Betty Jo stealing some things from a store and she also saw the detective catch her and now I don’t know what is coming off because that is the second time she has been caught and she will or might be sent to reform school this time. I haven’t seen Betty Jo since Saturday and she didn’t say nothing about it to me. She doesn’t know that I know or that Junie and Mom and some other people were onlookers. And she didn’t even tell me. We really are pulling away from each other I think anyhow. And mom has been nagging me so much to keep away from her that I guess I will.

P.S. On Saturday night found out that Don William’s is married! That is probably why he didn’t come back, thank heavens he didn’t. Really!
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The life and times of a Clifton’s Camera Girl
Oh the mundane Comptometor Operator job, and I mean really mundane. Vilma was just another one of those faceless office workers lost in a crowded room, keying in manual calculations over and over and over again, the never ending clatter lulling her into sweet oblivion. She is really aching to get out and do something fantastic. If I was a 17 year old with a sense of adventure and sassy wild side, I think I would go nuts too!

We don’t have to worry about Vilma working those boring jobs she loathes for too much longer. She’ll soon land her ideal job working as a Camera Girl at Clifton’s Cafeteria in Los Angeles! As you probably know by reading my blog, she worked at two locations: The redwood forest themed Brookdale on Broadway and the lush Polynesian paradise called The Pacific Seas, originally located on Olive Street.

I know I’m probably teasing you a little here, because we have yet to finish out her 1952 Diary. After that, we’ll time travel forward to the 1954 Diary, where we'll find Vilma working at Clifton’s. I had no idea when I started my blog five months ago that Clifton’s would be opening a short time later!  I just wanted to do a special blog post here because it’s now official: Clifton’s will be re-opening to the public on September 22nd.

So many people fondly remember going to Clifton’s with their parents or grandparents. Folks put on their best dresses, suits and hats, then took the old Red Line Electric Railway for a day of shopping and dining. They remember the hearty food classics like Jell-O, turkey and mashed potatoes. All those stories are remembered with the great love of an era gone by.  They are sure sweet and lovely memories.
 
But no one has the inside story of Camera Girl! Soon we’ll get to see more of her adventurous night life, hob knobbing with the tourists, the other camera girls, and most especially her beloved military men.  Think Vilma has a pretty wild dating life now? Yeah, we’re just getting started.  
  
Vilma’s young life is a part of Clifton’s living history, I’m so delighted to have the opportunity to tell her ongoing story.

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A New Renovation
There are worries by some that the iconic Clifton’s will be too altered, so that it is a shadow of its former self. From what I've seen so far, the place looks more magnificent than ever before. However the new space is re-invented, no one can deny there are some very good things coming:

1. The new owner has taken a cue from the original Mr. Clifford Clinton, incorporating his Christian principles of helping the poor and destitute. Mr. Andrew Meieran has dedicated to hire 10% of his staff from the Midnight Mission, giving many of these men and women amazing employment opportunities.

2. Broadway has seen its better days, with revitalization efforts this area may soon shine once again. The old is new and fresh again, it will bring in much needed injection of tourism, commerce and pizazz.

3. With the revamp of the old food menu, the new Clifton’s chef has promised to keep many of the same classics. For the die-hard Clifton’s fans, this should be a comforting thought.

4. Since the Pacific Seas was torn down years ago, the new owner Andrew Meieran has plans to open a version of this location on one of the five floors at the Brookdale location. Tiki kitsch, luau’s and tropical rain forests? That sounds all good to me! Let's hope there will be a couple of glorious neon palm trees thrown in.

For more information on the Grand Re-Opening of Clifton’s please visit their website here:

http://www.cliftonsla.com/

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Vilma and the Roller Derby Star

9/8/2015

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The "Terrace Room" at the Hotel Statler, Los Angeles
Friday February 29, 1952
Worked til’ 8:30pm tonight in downtown L.A.  Didn’t really mind it. It is kicks working with Leonard. He is just a regular card, all the time cracking his jokes. He keeps me in stitches, I laugh my fool head off all the time. He took me home tonight with his wife, and Emma came along too. Emma invited me to a roller skating party that’s coming off in a couple weeks, I think I will go. Got home about quarter to ten.

Saturday March 1, 1952
Went to The Stomp tonight with Mary Alice and she stayed overnight with me. We both had a crazy time. Chuck Roberts the Roller Derby star was there and also the beast Jim Bakker. Me and Mary Alice came home together with a couple of guys. I came home with an absolute doll, name of Larry Mossman from Whittier and Mary Alice came home with Jim York, pretty cute if you ask me, but she was real mean to him. I felt sorry for the poor guy. Larry can really French, but he can’t kiss American style. He’s a pretty nice guy. Went to Carpenter’s after the dance and saw Jim Bakker there as usual. He says to me “You don’t like me do you Vilma?” And I played coy and says no, nothing like that.

Because it’s Lent, I didn’t have smokes until 12:00am sharp and I was dying! All the guys knew I was waiting, and so 12:00am comes, so I says to them “Quick give me a cigarette and quick light it”.  Well the dumb thing wouldn’t light. Then Loreen says Quick! Quick! Light it quick! It still wouldn’t light, but then finally it got lit, and I let out a big “Ahhhh at last”, and I was finally satisfied. All of the guys got a big kick out of that too.

Sunday March 2, 1952
Ted and Roger came down tonight.

Monday March 3, 1952
Stayed in L.A. tonight after work and shopped a little. Got a new blouse, earrings, some angora, a scarf, a present for Mary Alice and a couple of other little things. I bought a good book for Mary Alice, I thought she’d like it.

Tuesday March 4, 1952
Gave Mary Alice her present tonight, she liked it. While I was gone Buella came over but then took off again. I got another raise at work today. It started on February 13th I think it was, and so I get the raise with my paycheck tomorrow. I now get $200.00 a month. Pretty average I must say.
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Roller Derby/ Legion Stadium
Roller Skating! This was a huge deal, one of the most popular sporting events and forms of entertainment for the time.  So let’s be whisked away to the past! We’ll take a closer look at the delightful world of skating that made for a fun night out on the town.

Vilma was sure a lucky girl to have lived in El Monte! The Legion Stadium was literally a few blocks away from her home on Esmerelda Avenue. The famous Legion Stadium was a venue that not only hosted major musical performers, but athletic events such as roller derby and boxing competitions as well. We have already explored “The Stomp”, better known as  Cliffie Stone’s HomeTown Jamboree in my past post here.

Roller derby was among America's favorite sporting events for decades, filling arenas from coast to coast and even around the world. The crowds thronged to the arenas to cheer for their favorite team, and the Legion Stadium just happened to be the perfect place to see such a fine performance.

Roller Derby was a serious athletic competition, at that time it was considered under the realm of track and field sports. It was pretty big business too, the players were seasoned professionals who honed their skills and trained just like the big athletes.  Hours of daily training were the norm before and even after each live professional game. There were even major Roller Derby stars that were comparable to the football and basketball stars of today.

Later, Vilma will be going out on a date with one of those Roller Derby stars, Chuck Roberts, who is pictured at the top.  Unfortunately, more information could not be found on him, apparently there were numerous stars who have now taken their places in the Roller Derby black hole of history. Being the photography inclined woman that she was, Vilma had the above picture snapped on their date at the once well-known Hotel Statler’s “Terrace Room” in L.A.  

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Roller Rinks
If you were not attending a Roller Derby sporting event, then you were at the Roller Rink skating to your hearts content, reveling in the current sounds of swinging jazz standards, rock n’ roll, rockabilly and the classic crooners.

Ladies: Imagine skating in a big, full circle skirt with matching cardigan sweater, your hair in a sweet up do. Occasionally batting your eyelashes to the boys who would pass you by. Gentlemen: Imagine your crisp shirt with your rolled up Levi’s, hair slicked back in a classy coif, always a comb in your pocket to look good for the ladies. The iconic roller rink became the perfect date night, family fun night or a place to hang out with friends. Roller skating rinks primarily became phased out during the 1980’s, after the 1970’s disco craze exhausted its course in history!

I’m still amazed that the decade of the 1950’s is still remembered so fondly, the music is still as popular as ever and the fashions are new and fresh again. All things retro are on fire right now and have no signs of fading away! I have to stop and ponder that the popularity of this time reflects our current culture's longing for the refreshment of the good ol’ days. Of sweet, simpler charms of an era gone by.  No, we can never return to those times, but at least “The Diary of Vilma” can do its part to keep the stories, memories and culture alive for future generations.


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    Author:

    Miriam Caldwell

    "A daughter's journey into her mother's long forgotten diaries".

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