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Vilma's Beach Blanket Bingo

5/11/2016

Classic cars on the beach

Thursday June 26, 1952
Went to “El Monte” theater and saw Red Ball Express and Bronco Buster with Lorea tonight. Went up to the Pioneer Café after the show, that black music positively sends me over the edge.

You know I haven’t picked up a boy for really a long time, not that I’m complaining or anything. I wish all the boys in the whole world would go back where they came from, go and crawl back under their rocks that is.

Friday June 27, 1952
Stayed home tonight. I told Bill I was going to The Stomp tomorrow night alone because he was taking up too much of my time and we aren’t going steady, so I want my night out.

Saturday June 28, 1952
Went up to The Stomp tonight with Lorea and came home with Freddy, he took me to the Pioneer Café. Bill was also up there with a girl name of Johann, some cute looking witch. He told me he’d meet me after the dance, so he came down at quarter to 2am to the house. Well, I was in Freddy’s car necking, so I explained it to Freddy and anyhow I just got out of his car and switched to Bill’s. After a while I just couldn’t stand Freddy, he kept trying to feel me up and he made me hate him.

Bill was real plastered when he came down, and I had to comfort him. Oh God I like him so much. He told me he didn’t give a damn about Johann and wants me to go steady with him. I told him “Yes when I get the ring, and I don’t mean on the telephone.”

Sunday June 29, 1952
Bill came down today, I like him so much. He told me he loved me, he is my handsome baby doll.

Monday June 30, 1952
Buella came down tonight and we went up to Carpenter’s with Scotty this guy I know from The Stomp and Wayne this other guy Buella knew. They’re going to take us to the beach tomorrow. Hot diggity dog.

Tuesday July 1, 1952
Went to Huntington Beach with the guys and we went to some real secluded spot on the rocks and we had to climb down a cliff and be real careful. Damn we had a fine time there all by ourselves, all three couples. I’ll have to take Bill down there sometime. Some fun man.

Mary Alice came down tonight, she had a fine time on her vacation.

Wednesday July 2, 1952
I am suffering in silence, but I’ll clue you: my sunburn on my back hurts and my legs ache from climbing that cliff, and boy I feel like death warmed over.

Boy, it is July 2nd already. I’ll have to work like a streak of greased lightning if I want to finish knitting the argyles for Ted for his birthday on the 18th. (Ted Watt, neighbor)

Thursday July 3, 1952
Went to Confession.

Mary Alice came down tonight with some guy and we went on a supposed double date, except that we missed his friend by 15 minutes. We took off to Huntington Beach to find him, but we never did. We had our kicks though, the three of us cruising around.

I got in at 11pm and Bill was down, I hate his damn guts. He got mad at me and said a bunch of cruel things, I just think he wants to hurt me on purpose and he succeeded. I’ll clue you: That is the second time he’s hurt me and I’m certainly going to wipe him out for good because I don’t think feeling hurt is so nice.

Vilma’s Beach Blanket Bingo

When Vilma isn’t flitting around at Cliiffie Stone’s Hometown Jamboree (aka The Stomp), necking in two cars in one night and having a love/hate relationship with baby doll Bill, you can find her at beach!

I’ll clue you: Vilma had a lifelong love affair with the ocean. Swimming and salt air were as necessary to her as blood and oxygen. Born on the isle of Bermuda, she lived her toddler years on the soft pink sands and splashing in the clear warm waters of her own hidden paradise.

You can read more about Vilma’s Bermuda days in one of my special blog posts here.

Just a ride up the freeway, less than an hour from her home in El Monte, the beach beckoned to her like a mermaid’s siren call. For a teenager in 1952 it must have been magical. With the love affair young people were having with their classic cars, there was all-out sense of freedom and independence like never before in the decades prior. And the best part was you could pull your car up right up on the sand!

Huntington Beach was the beach to cruise around in the 1950’s. Not yet officially designated with the hard won title of “Surf City”, it was still busy making its mark on Southern California surf culture.

Huntington Beach originally started out as an oil town, growing rich with fresh oil strikes from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Naturally its population exploded.

So how did the surf culture find its way to this booming oil town? We can thank Hawaiian native and legendary surfing extraordinaire Duke Kahanamoku.

Huntington would not be what it is today without Duke. He popularized the sport of surfing around the world beginning in the late 1900’s. Finally landing at Huntington in the 1920’s, he introduced this newfangled surfing sport to beach goers. The trend was unstoppable, and by the 1950’s the surf craze was now fully ingrained. The city’s first surf shop opened in 1953.

Six years later, the first U.S. Surfing Championships were held in Huntington Beach. The following year, the Surfing Championships were covered on television, which rocketed Huntington Beach’s international fame as a surfer’s paradise.

With H.B. now immortalized as Surf City and summer just around the corner, here are some of my personal recommendations:

Visit Duke’s in the heart of HB, the restaurant that pays homage to the greatest surfer of all time. Its walls immortalize his amazing history and life.
Find the nearest beach and throw yourself into the waves.
Cruise down Pacific Coast Highway with all the windows rolled down, let the sun shine on your face and breathe in the salty air.

You could even cover yourself in seaweed and scare the kiddos by pretending to be a lagoon monster. Just have fun!

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Vilma and Bill...Is It Love?

4/2/2016

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Vilma's First Communion. Outside the family brownstone, New York 1942. Vintage Tydol gasoline sign in the midst.

The El Monte Drive In, formerly on Lower Azusa Road

Thursday June 12, 1952
Went to the beach with Ted and Roger and had one choice time. I’m so dark that I look like a real African Ubangee again this time.

Saturday June 14, 1952
Bill came down and took me to The Stomp tonight. He is one nice guy that is for sure, he doesn’t get fresh with me anymore or anything. It was all my fault, I mean about last Saturday night. Jeez-o, I sure do feel lots better since I went to Confession, just all that load of sins off of my soul. Bill is still crazy about me, but at times he bores me, but then at times I like him very much.

Sunday June 15, 1952
Bill stayed with me all day and had supper with us at home. Tonight we went up and saw Lorea’s new apartment and she’s hinting for me to come in and live with her, but she doesn’t know I’m not working and I also didn’t tell her.

I forgot and kept talking about a lot of guys with Lorea tonight in front of Bill, and he says “you must’ve been in a dream”. He asked me about saying yes to going steady with him, but I didn’t say anything because I don’t think I want to go steady. Sure as I’m sitting here right now, I know I’d go out with some guy on the week nights and two-time him. Anyway I want to go out with lots of different guys, and on the weekends too.

Mary Alice is going steady with Joe now. I’m happy for her, she’s only madly in love with him.

Monday June 16, 1952
Mary Alice took off for Tucson tonight for her vacation.

Wednesday June 18, 1952
Got a letter from Bill today. I sure hate like heck to write letters, I think I’ll just forget to answer his.

Thursday June 19, 1952
Ted came down tonight as usual.

Saturday June 21, 1952
Went out with Bill and Glenn tonight. We went to the El Monte Drive-In and then later on I wanted to go to The Stomp, but they didn’t feel like going in. So I says “Well how am I going to get in, on my looks?” So they dished out the dough. I went in on my own, stayed until they closed and had one flawless time, but they waited for me though and they took me home.

Boy I had one big fight with lover Bill tonight. One of the main reasons was because I didn’t write back to him and he was real, real mad, then he also told me he didn’t love me. I guess he didn’t mean to hurt me, but I was sure stunned to put it mildly. He did hurt me by telling me that, I don’t know why. But I guess he still likes me anyway. I think I’ll wipe him out though because I want somebody that loves me not just likes me.

Sunday June 22, 1952
Well, I was still mad at Bill today, but I got over it. Met his folks and part of his family today. He is a pretty fine guy…when he wants to be. He says he likes me very much and he calls me his queen.

Monday June 23, 1952
Wrote to Bill today. Our neighbors Joe and Kay are over the house, and Joe is under the influence.

Tuesday June 24, 1952
Ted came over. Went into town tonight and two guys in a lush Ford convertible tried to pick me up, but they didn’t appeal to my eye.

Wednesday June 25, 1952
Bill came over today and I had supper with part of his family, his mother has ten children you know. We had another argument tonight, I don’t remember what it was about, we have so many arguments. True love never runs smooth, or so the saying goes. Sometimes I like Bill very, very much and then other times I just don’t know, I’m all confused. Right now I don’t like him, but he told me he loved me tonight though.

The Prodigal Son

Still Fickle and confused

Vilma has only known Bill for a couple of very short weeks now. If you read the prior blog post here, you’ll remember that the relationship started out with an intense physical attraction and got a little too hot and heavy after only their second date. Vilma knew she had to dial it back and stop the momentum of those runaway passions…or else.

We know that “lover” Bill has fallen for Vilma. He does make that long drive up to El Monte from his San Diego naval base just to see his new gal pal Vilma on the weekends, so at the very least he does like her. Is this young handsome devil the ONE, or is he just trying to sow his wild oats? Well, Vilma had to discern if this was really “true love” or not. She needed time to discover if there was any real depth of character to this man, aside from the physical attraction, and a good start was meeting his family. She had to ask herself some good questions too: Is he husband worthy? Is he really just giving her a ‘line’ that he loves her just to make a home run? Has he played this ball game before?

Luckily this tough, street-smart ruffian girl from New York learned the fine art of being a good B.S. detector early on. However, with Bill and his flowery, oh so gooey love talk, it’ll be that much harder to figure him out. The jury is still out for now, and another good confession is in order.

It all comes down to mercy

Remember, Vilma lived by a certain moral code deeply imbedded in her bones, but always had the perpetual angel and devil riding gallantly on each of her shoulders. One asking her to raise her eyes to the realm of heaven, the other fiercely shoving her with his pitchfork into the trappings of this world.

She sure did like to have her fun, flit around, and play all those female reindeer games, but funny how she seemed to have a serious knack for escaping those traps before it got too far out of hand (winding up like her friend Betty Jo that is). At the end of the day though, she acknowledged she was sinning and fell back on using the weapons in her arsenal for this spiritual battle: the Sacrament of Penance.

The mystic Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Italy is quoted as saying: “Confession is the soul’s bath. Even a clean room gathers dust, return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again”.

Before going to confession though, Vilma always followed the recommendations of the church to first “examine her conscience”, or in other words, simply to root out the stuff in her soul causing spiritual harm. Afterwards, she describes the feeling:

“Jeez-o, I sure do feel lots better since I went to Confession, just all that load of sins off of my soul”.

It’s such a simple statement, but in it there is an air of something tangible that was felt, her whole being was different, lighter, free to see more clearly than when she first went in. As she stepped out of the small wood-paneled room, the final words of the priest would have echoed in her mind: “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”

In that time and space, God’s relentless mercy was experienced. She thought so much of it that she recorded it in her diary. Perhaps it also served as a reminder for the next time she needed a good soul cleansing.

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Clifton's Favorite Family Recipe's

3/28/2016

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Must of been some damn fine grub, someone is too busy eating to pose for a picture with the Camera Girl!

Since I shared this recipe on my Facebook page a few weeks ago, I've just been dying to try this out. I happened to have the day off and it’s one of those rare rainy, blustery days here in Southern California so I figured it was perfect baking weather. I quickly gathered all of the simple ingredients and whipped it right up.

Photo courtesy of Esotouric Secret Los Angeles, Facebook

The results? So scrumptious! The torte was thick, lightly sweet and buttery. The balance of fruit and walnuts seemed to offset the sugar content for a more savory flair.

As I was feasting on this old Clifton's family recipe, I kept thinking how indicative it was of the meals Clifton's Cafeteria used to serve to the multitudes over the generations. All of their meals were home-made, with fresh ingredients and purposely hearty and nutritious. True comfort food that illustrated the Clifton’s family vision, and especially needed to serve the poor families in the Los Angeles area who could thankfully afford a good hot meal by "paying what you wish".

This is probably why so many people have never and will never forget the memorable food they had when visiting this most famous landmark. When folks start reminiscing about Clifton’s you’ll usually hear about an array of hot bubbling trays full of buffet style classics, such as the full turkey dinner, meatloaf, mac and cheese, in addition to the endless display of fresh desserts, and let’s not forget about that famous Jell-o. It was a true feast for the eyes...and a Disneyland for the stomach.

You may not realize this, but there are actually hundreds of treasured family recipes that the 'new' Clifton's still has in its archives! They have even promised to incorporate many of these time-tested old recipes in with their new menus. (on my recent trips to Clifton’s none have yet surfaced thus far- boo!) And after the recent, shall I say "challenging" food reviews, it may be time to go old-school.

Here are the actual archives hidden mysteriously away somewhere inside Clifton's

Photo courtesy of Esotouric Secret Los Angeles, Facebook

If and when they do incorporate the old-timey recipes, let's hope this Fruit Nut Torte makes the cut!

By the way, I added fresh whip cream (please no partially hydrogenated non-dairy whip… ugh) and a sprinkling of cinnamon to finish off the plate. It comes highly recommended by yours truly.

One more thing, I just thought I would post the results of my baking accomplishments just for fun, but not to worry a new diary episode will be coming your way soon!

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Vilma's Fickle Heart & The Glass Factory

2/14/2016

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"To my Blonde Bombshell, and to all the great times we're going to have together. Love Bill"

Tuesday June 3, 1952
Have to get up bright and early tomorrow morning, well early anyway, to start my new job over at Ball Brothers in El Monte. It is strictly temporary, they are going to lay off girls in a couple of months. I have different shifts and they change every week. They are from 7am in the morning till 3pm, 3am to 11am, and 11pm to 7am. I have to take every one of those shifts, one at a time that is. I’ll probably quit when I get tired of it. Went to bed at 8:30. It only costs me $0.10 cents a day for transportation.

Wednesday June 4, 1952
Oh boy, am I dead today, all I do is make boxes all day on an assembly line. All of my muscles that I never use are all beat. Oh well at least my arms are getting limber, might as well look at the bright side of it. I make $1.13 an hour, pay $0.10 cents for transportation, no other expenses, and I come out with the same amount of money I made in L.A., and I don’t have to make that long trip back and forth.

Thursday June 5, 1952
Worked today and I feel beat down and trampled. Don’t have to work tomorrow thank goodness, so I can sleep till noon. Tonight me and Lorea went to see some friends at Senior Class Night at El Monte High School, and in one word it was terrific. Afterwards we went to The Pioneer Café and had a drink and listened to all the black musicians. Got in about 12:30 am.

Saturday June 7, 1952
Worked from 11pm to 7am last night and this morning, I didn’t get up till 3:30pm. Went up to The Stomp tonight and really had the ball. Met Bill Weller, he’s 6-foot tall and 165 lbs, and a good looking guy. Me, him and his buddy Glenn went to The Pioneer Café after the dance and it was really jumping tonight. Then we were invited to a party and we had a lush time, I must have looked extra nice tonight or something because I sure was popular. Bob the “Oddo” even asked me to go out with him. Bill was sure having a rough time keeping me for himself, not that I am conceited, it’s just that I’ve got a high opinion of myself. I like Bill, he is pretty fine and he told me he liked me.

Sunday June 8, 1952
Went to the beach today with Bill, and got Caroline my new neighbor for Glenn and we took out for Belmont Shores. We had a terrific time.

Tonight Bill took me to a drive-in, but I sure didn’t see much of it. He told me that he loved me tonight and he kept calling me “darling.” I guess I got him terribly heated with French kissing him and rubbing him and all. I felt him about all over, except for the main part of course, and I sure shouldn’t have done any of that. God darn I like him so much.

I also got into a terrific fight with him tonight because he wouldn’t let me go, he had his hand clear down the back of my girdle, so I told him “Let me go, and I want to go home.” Then he asked me to go steady and I said “NO, at this rate you’ll make me in a week. You’re just going farther and farther and its only two dates since we’ve known each other.”

He told me he was so sorry and he took me home, and said he’d never try anything like that again. He said “Don’t go in yet, I don’t want to say good-bye like this.” Then we just talked and talked, and he told me a bunch of stories about the Navy and when he was overseas and all. I told him I didn’t believe he loved me, but he said he’d write me every other day. So I said “God Bless You and goodbye”, and then he took off for the base in San Diego. So we will see, at least I didn’t commit myself any by telling him that I love him. I wouldn’t even tell him that I like him, so if he doesn’t write it's not going to break my heart any.

Monday June 9, 1952
Worked this morning till 4:30 am and got fired today. Oh boy what a life I lead, the Boss said I was too slow. Oh well, didn’t like the assembly line anyhow.

Wednesday June 11, 1952
I forgot to tell you last week I received a letter from Charles Wallace’s mother, she says she hasn’t heard form Charles in two months and wants to know if I’ve heard from him lately. (He is still serving in Korea). I wrote to her tonight and told her I haven’t heard from him in about that time. Oh I hope I didn’t grieve her too much, but I most probably did.

I got a letter today from Bill. He says he really meant it about loving me and he wasn’t feeding me a line like I said he was. Wrote back to him tonight. Man I sure do like him, but it probably won’t be for long. I’m too fickle.

Vilma's Fickle Heart & the Glass Factory

Well, the assembly line and Vilma was most assuredly not a match made in heaven! You may of course recognize the name Ball Brothers as the creators of the iconic Mason jar. Since the company originated in the 1800’s, the Mason jar has been reliably used throughout the decades for preserving food, particularly jams and jellies. Original vintage glass jars are a treasure to find and are highly desired. Nowadays they have grown in popularity for, well, just about anything you can think of!

Once upon a time, 1947 to be exact, the Ball Brother’s Company established a glass plant right here in Vilma’s very own home town of El Monte, California.

The substantially sized corrugated building was formerly located on the North East corner of Valley Blvd and Arden Drive. Probably torn down sometime around the 1980's, the original lot now houses a newer Department of Motor Vehicles and in the very near future, El Monte’s first Wal Mart. (for better or worse)

An effective way to date your old vintage canning jars is by knowing the specific typestyle

I recently asked an older, wiser family friend what he remembers about the Ball Brother’s factory. He quickly exclaimed “Well just about everyone who lived in El Monte worked there at one point!”

So at least for a few days Vilma dabbles in factory work, along with dozens of other young men and women trying to make their way in the world. Obviously this factory lacked the fancy automated machinery of today’s world, so one can only imagine that they needed some really fast hands to assemble all of those card board boxes. All day, every day, painstakingly tedious, one after another, after another, after another. No thank you!

Even though she hates the work I still love Vilma’s spirit of positivity here, as she always tries to see the silver lining in the situation. “Oh well at least my arms are getting limber, might as well look at the bright side of it”.

But oh my, what to do with that fickle heart of hers! An irresistibly handsome, and most importantly tall Navy guy named Bill has arrived. Now that Jim, that lovelorn fiery halitosis-breathed dragon is finally out of the picture for now, Vilma has moved on to her next victim.

Is it true love? Will good ol’ Bill be the one guy who can tame her wild heart? On this Valentine's Day, the passion flower tale of Bill and Vilma is only just beginning… in all of its fickleness-y glory. Stay tuned!

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Vilma's Secret Sins Racy Content

1/17/2016

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Monday May 26, 1952
Sid and two other guys came down tonight. We went to go get Mary Alice for Sid and the other guy for me and then we went over and got Lorea for the other one. We went to Carpenter’s and then we drove up to the mountains to look at the lights. Ha! Man, I got that poor guy so hot he begged me to let him make me. I really didn’t mean to get him so heated, but I had to get it out of my system because Tommy doesn’t French kiss or hold me close like I want him to.

So he was French kissing me and I got extremely close to him and hugged him terribly close and rubbed against him like mad. He was gasping for breath and he said he please wanted to touch me. He is an alright guy, he told me he liked me but I don’t care for him. But I mean I am sure getting awful! I remember when I wouldn’t even let a guy hug me, but now that is my number one thing to do is to get real close to him and maybe rub against him. I’m getting worse and worse. I’m sure glad I’m not going steady with one guy. I don’t know if I’d be strong enough. I mean I’m going a little further each time I go out with a guy. I’m going to have to watch myself from now on.

Wednesday May 28, 1952
Well I thought I got rid of jerky himself, but old faithful Jim came down tonight and asked for a date for Friday night to go to The Pike, so I gave him a break by saying yes.

Ted and Roger came down later in the night, I’m going to the beach with them tomorrow. We are the Three Musketeers. We really ought to stick together, they were laid off of work and we all have time on our hands. Since they have a car and a cycle we might as well spend it together.

Thursday May 29, 1952
Went to Long Beach today with Ted and Roger. I’m not kidding you, I’m positively black like an African Ubangee.

Tonight stayed over with Mary Alice and had a gay time.

Friday May 30, 1952
Went to The Los Angeles Theater with Floyd and Jim and saw “Pardon my Sarong” and “The Great Sinner”. Virginia is sick, so we three went on. The Great Sinner was extremely good as it was about gambling and suicides and all that.

I felt so sorry for Jim when I wouldn’t let him kiss me goodnight. I am so mean to him though, I treat him like dirt under my fingers. I hate to hurt guys like that, but he should have given up a long time ago.

Saturday May 31, 1952
Me and Mary Alice went up to The Stomp tonight and we got in about quarter after 3am. We came home together in a lush 1951 cruiser, the guys were both good looking but mine was a positive jerk. In the first place, he irritated me beyond my limit by pawing me from the minute I stepped into the car. I took it so far and then I didn’t want to go farther. And then I got real, real mad and was real rude to him. I wouldn’t go out with him again if he even changed his ways because he wouldn’t even let up. He is only 19, you’ve got to expect this from inexperienced punks.

Paul Engel was there tonight and I danced one dance with him. I still wish I could neck with him again, because for the biggest reason I like him a lot. Oh well.

That damn guy I went home with gave me a couple of hickeys and you can see them plain as day on my neck.

Sunday June 1, 1952
Went out with Don somebody tonight. Lorea came down and got me for him and then we got this other couple and we all went to a drive-in. We saw “When in Rome” and some other pictures. He wasn’t very cute so I didn’t let him kiss me at the drive-in, but I gave him a break and bent down and kissed him good night.

Oh brother, I didn’t know how short he was till he got out of the car, so I laughed and said “How’s the weather down there man?”. He’s a good guy, but who likes short guys? Sure as hell not me.

17 yrs-old till August

The Decision:
What an amazing week. Vilma started out not just on a double date, but a triple date! She went to Carpenter’s for some vittles (food), hit the beach, The Pike, saw some movies at the local drive-in and the historic Los Angeles Theater, (just can’t get enough of those movie posters) and she finished it all off with some Country Western Swing at The Stomp. Whew.

I just have to admit though, these diary entries are some of the most difficult ones to publish so far. I’ll explain a little further…

Have you ever stumbled across a close family member’s diary? Perhaps your older sister’s, or even your daughter’s diary? In the hushed silence of that moment, when you’re holding that book of secrets in your hands, time seeming to have stopped, you’re left standing there faced with a terrible decision: Do you dare slip away to read it? Why of course you do! Well, most of us would at least!

The appeal of finding some juicy tidbits are just too strong to hold back the urge. After all, a young girl’s diary wouldn’t be a real diary unless it had some pretty racy passages would it?

I guess I’m in a unique situation, I’m now an adult reading my mother’s long forgotten teenage diaries. Now that she’s in heaven, the decision was an easy one to crack them open and read them. So as I’m reading, what do my big saucer eyes stumble across? Those fateful and intimate moments of indecency!

When I say it wasn’t easy to publish these entries, it’s obvious because this is my own mother we’re talking about here, I’m naturally inclined not to put her in a bad light. We’ve already seen Vilma in some compromising situations while dating, however, these passages are a bit different. You see, we are witnessing her testing the limits, going a little further than what we’ve seen before. Her faith provided a moral compass, so she recognized that what she was doing is sinful. Although remorseful, she does it anyway and even enjoys it. It’s quite telling that Vilma even calls her own self out! Among all of the fun and fabulous nostalgia of living and playing in Southern California in the 1950’s, this is her backstory. How does this wildly popular young girl balance both her dating life and her faith?

Now, I realize that by today’s X-rated pornographic culture, these entries are probably PG-rated at best, but I still struggled. Do I use the magic of editing to soften up the more graphic passages? But that wouldn’t really be true to her story would it? If I do publish them is that contradicting my own Catholic faith? So I turned to my pastor for guidance. Mind you, he is very traditional and has deep theological insights. So when he turned to me and said “put it all out there” I was quite shocked! He said “Look, you shouldn’t whitewash what it’s really like to struggle with one’s faith, morals and purity. Her story is REAL and that’s what people are drawn to, it’s her authenticity that is appealing.”

So after much prayer and pondering, the good priest's advice kept ringing true in my thoughts. Knowing there are more of these passages peppered throughout the diaries, the decision was made to “put it all out there”. RAW. No editing. It just feels like the right thing to do.

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Vilma's Dating Do's and Don'ts

1/5/2016

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Why yes, I do like men who smoke pipes...

Saturday May 17, 1952
Went to The Stomp tonight. Went home with three little punks. Got in at a very respectable hour at 1:30am.

Tex and his brother came down tonight before I left. Say man is his brother good looking, but he is still married and getting a divorce, so he is positively nowhere in my book.

Sunday May 18, 1952
Wrote a nice cool letter to Tommy today, but cool. I accepted his date for this coming Saturday night. He better come too, nothing I can do about it if he doesn’t though.

Wednesday May 21, 1952
Tommy called me today at my work, all the way from the base in Oceanside.

Thursday May 22, 1952
Sid and that other guy that I picked up May 13th came down tonight, but I was in my pajamas so I couldn’t go out with them.

Friday May 23, 1952
Quit work today. Got a letter from Betty Jo today. I really think it is time enough for her to say something. She says she hasn’t heard from Dannie or David in a month, not that she cares. She says “all men are a bunch of dirty rats anyway.”

I had my first cycle race today with Ted, and say I just haven’t been living right before tonight. I’d sure like to buy one of those and drive it all around.

Doug came down tonight with his new 49’ Ford. I don’t care two hoots about him. I used to like him last summer and I used to think he could kiss positively, definitely, perfectly flawless, but his kisses are strictly stink-o now I think. He is strictly for the birds, but I don’t believe the birds will have him. Oh well, everybody can’t be perfect.

Saturday May 24, 1952
Went out with Tommy tonight to the Riverside Rancho with Bonnie and her boyfriend and the other kids. I guess he’s a pretty nice guy. I got in at quarter after 3am. I don’t think I ever drank as much beer, I was just guzzling it down like crazy! But man it sure was lush. I wish Tommy would hold me closer to him. The tighter and closer I am to a guy as far as chests are concerned the better I like it. I’d sure like to neck with Paul Engel again. I feel so secure and safe when I am in his arms.

Sunday May 25, 1952
Tommy took me to Long Beach today and I got a flawless tan. The water was heavenly, but Tommy didn’t go in. I love to swim, if the water is lukewarm and mild anyhow. I wish Tommy would French Kiss me sometimes and hold me real close, but I guess I should be satisfied with what I have.

Vilma in the waters at Long Beach

I’m afraid I didn’t play it cool tonight when saying good-bye to him. I mildly threw myself at him for a few minutes there. He said he’d write me a letter, but now I’m not so sure. So I’m sending him a post card telling him I’m down with the measles and not to come this weekend. If he intends to drop me, at least I made the last move anyhow, and if he really likes me he’ll be back anyhow. It’s a bit on the cool side, the post card that is.

Vilma’s Dating Do’s and Don’ts

Oh no, poor Betty Jo! While she’s been away at the maternity home, are we really surprised that she has not heard from either of her so-called boyfriend’s? Betty Jo’s dating exploits have turned into real serious life consequences, a child is going to be born! Will Dannie the father ever show back up? We’ll still have to wait and see…

Of course Vilma’s dating escapades are not as serious as Betty Jo’s dramatic life, as we’ve seen she likes to try to keep things more fun and light. So as we’re coming to the half way point of the 1952 diary, I hope to amuse you and provide a refresher on some of Vilma’s toughest dating do’s and don’ts:

When you throw yourself at a guy and want it to look like you didn’t really mean it, play it cool, real cool. Avoid the next date by telling him you have the measles.
No Halitosis…. Ever. Don’t be afraid to let him in on the bitter truth.
If you’ve planned a double date with your girlfriend, and your girlfriend can’t make it, don’t let that stop you. Two guys are better than one!
No dough? Flirt with a guy in the parking lot at The Stomp so he can pay your entrance fee, then ditch the jerk when you get in.
Never date a man who is just not that into you. Why waste your time when there’s a sailor on every corner just waiting to be picked up?
Don’t go steady with a man until absolutely ready (remember, you’re too young to die)
No married men. Vilma’s go-to line when a married man asks her out? “Hit the Road Bum”
No arrogant men or men who think they are God’s gift to women. And certainly not the kind with those newfangled automatic car door locks, you’ll never be able to escape from the car if he gets too fresh!
Don’t go past the point of no turning back, you’ll end up like Betty Jo.
And the most important one of all: Do go to church and confession on a regular basis. It provides strength for the soul.

It’s become pretty clear that she has her own unique way of handling the guys, doesn’t she? Oh how she can really dish it out! We’ve seen so many of her antics, female charms and let’s not forget that tough girl persona. I’ll now leave you with one of my all-time favorite one-liners that I’ve read in the diaries so far:

When you are really and truly through with a guy, you must declare: “He is strictly for the birds, but I don’t believe the birds will have him.”

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Christmas, Vilma style!

12/24/2015

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By this time, you've probably noticed how my mother Vilma was a notorious flirt in her single days. As I've sifted through hundreds of her pictures, I came across this little jewel that I just couldn’t keep to myself!

Oh you may think this is an ordinary picture with Santa, but that wouldn’t be Vilma’s style! What’s so special about this picture? Turning the picture over, in her writing, was the line:

“Hi Jack, wish this was you impersonating Santa Claus. Love Vi”.

Oh boy, the fella who was the recipient of that picture probably felt like the luckiest guy in the world! But not so fast… I found two more of the same pictures, each with a slight variation on the back.

“Hi Larry, wish this was you impersonating Santa Claus. Love Vi”.

Well now, it seemed it was too much to have to write in each of her boyfriend’s names, there were so many you know! So a generic salutation would just have to make do:

“Hi Doll, wish this was you impersonating Santa Claus. Love Vi”.

I just about fell off my chair in a bout of delightful laughter. Who else would find it necessary to mass produce pictures for all of her boyfriends? Only Vilma of course.

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you ‘dolls’ out there!

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Vilma and The Long Beach Wolf

12/14/2015

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Friday May 9, 1952
There’s a new girl next door, but she is just a punk 16 year old and only a sophomore, so I reckon I won’t lower myself. She just doesn’t rate.

Jim is supposed to come over tomorrow and take me to the beach, I’m going to just lie there and bake to a deep brown.

Saturday May 10, 1952
Jim stood me up, the damn guy. Bonnie and Margaret, some girls I made friends with up at school, took me and Mary Alice to the Riverside Rancho tonight. In one word that place is real crazy. Bonnie brought our boyfriends (who we met there) home with us in her car. I met a fine, double fine Marine named Tommy, and I like him. Bonnie and our boyfriends just stayed outside and parked. He doesn’t French kiss, but he is a good looking guy, and man I do like him for sure, absolutely, positively. Made a date to take me to the beach tomorrow. Oh man, by the time I got in it was quarter after 4:00am.

Sunday May 11, 1952
Tommy the Jirene* didn’t show up today. Well, Jim came over at 1:15 today and said his grandfather got a heart attack yesterday, which was his reason for standing me up. I told him anybody can make up a good excuse, but it was accepted. So we went to the beach and by the time we got there it was 5:00pm, I was madder than you could imagine because it was so late. I went swimming and the water was real nice and warm. Then we went to The Pike after our swim and had a ball.

I don’t like Jim. I was mad to start with because of Tommy not showing up today and then Jim didn’t show up yesterday. I feel like not going out with Jim ever again. I wanted to get a tan this weekend, and that idea is sure wiped out. Well when I got home Mom told me Tommy came down with a bunch of kids, including Bonnie, at 3:30 mind you. So Mom told him I went to the beach with somebody else. He said he was sorry he was late, it couldn’t be helped, but he said he’d have to make it up to me.

I got Mom two pairs of real beautiful stockings for Mother’s Day. I also gave Jim his present for his birthday.

Tuesday May 13, 1952
Three guys in a blue shiny bomb dropped over tonight looking for me, but I wasn’t home so don’t know who they were. I was out picking up some guys and I got in their positively lush Ford with lowered back and terrific twin pipes. Oh man am I impressing that little 16 year old new neighbor, she just opens her eyes but wide when she sees me with all these guys and snazzy cars. Also, Mary Alice came down tonight.

Wednesday May 14, 1952
Oh boy, I got a letter from Tommy, my little Marine boyfriend. He wrote me a big fat excuse and he wants a date with me a week from this Saturday. He says we’ll really do the town Saturday, so I am in blue heaven.

Man, tomorrow is pay day at last, I live again!

Thursday May 15, 1952
I made friends with my little 16 year old neighbor, Caroline. Say, she is a pretty nice kid.

Friday May 16, 1952
I think I have gotten rid of Jim at last, though I’m afraid I hurt his feelings. I made it very plain last Sunday that I would’ve had more fun staying at home and watching television. He still asked me to go out with him Friday night dancing, I said I’d consider it and call him up. I never did call him, so anyway he didn’t come down tonight.

*Authors Note: A Jirene is 1950's slang for "Marine"

The Pike

Long beach was another favorite hangout spot for Vilma. Not only did she love the beach, but she loved "The Pike". It was an essential part of Southern California living, you just did not know how to live until you saw and experienced The Pike.

Originating in 1902 as a Grand Bath House on the shoreline of Long beach, the resort style atmosphere attracted bathers, swimmers and sun worshippers alike. It even contained a giant indoor swimming pool with a large slide called “The Plunge.” In the decades following, The Pike eventually expanded and became one of the largest amusement fun zones in Southern California.

There was something for everyone!

A walk along the boardwalk greeted you with glimmering strings of electric bulbs hung high above your head to light your way. The salty sea air mingled with the intoxicating smell of fresh popcorn, as you heard the delighted squeals from children playing carnival games and riding the Carousel. Carnival barkers (or affectionately known as carnies) emerged to yell their sales pitch: “Step right up folks”, with the offer to pay only $0.25 cents for a visit to a side show, fortune teller or the ever popular girly show.

Hollywood on the Pike was one such “girly show”, it was a western themed venue offering cocktails, cowboys and beautiful gals. Believe it or not, this was a favorite stop for Vilma on her date nights. After her stint working at Clifton's Cafeteria, she continued her work as a Camera Girl at the numerous cabaret style clubs scattered along The Pike.

Parents also brought the kiddos to enjoy the beach along with all the carnival games, pony rides and especially the giant wooden roller coaster called the Cyclone Racer. To increase the thrill of it all, it was built on pylons extending out over the ocean. There was plenty of cheap eats too, such as salt water taffy, hot dogs, soda pop fountains and numerous Bar B Que joints.

Because Long Beach was a major Naval Base, the sight of Sailors were abundant. Who could miss these young men in their crisp white uniforms with black tie and flowing wide legged pants dotted within the throngs of people? Vilma sure couldn’t, after all they were her favorite “pick up”. Most of them usually had a short 24 hour leave from the ship and were looking to carouse the night away, and boy was The Pike the right place to do it. Many businesses catered to them and the locals who wanted to get drunk: seedy dive bars, open front liquor stores and tattoo parlors were plentiful.

Recognizing the rough "free-for-all" reputation it now had, the city cleaned it up and re-billed it as the Nu-Pike in the late 1950’s, advertising a more family oriented atmosphere.

Alas, the 1960’s and 1970’s were not kind decades to Nu-Pike, the seedy element once again graced its shores and the deterioration was evident. It was no longer able to attract tourists, as families preferred Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland rather than a depressed, decaying shell of its carnival glory days. It eventually became a cash cow for the city and was leveled in 1979.

You can find what is now called “The Pike at Rainbow Village” located directly across from the Rainbow Harbor/Shoreline Village. It is a mixture of big name retail shops and chain restaurants, the likes of which we can find in any city, at any given time. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful area with lots of fun things to see and do, but looking at it today you would never know that all of that concrete hides an incredible history.

There were such infinite options for entertainment in the 1950's weren’t there? So far we’ve seen The Legion Stadium, Country Western Swing, Roller Derby, Dancing, Drive In movies, Drive in Restaurants and now The Pike! And we’ve only just begun!

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Vilma, The Cat and The Mouse

12/7/2015

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Monday April 28, 1952
Lorea, Barbara and another girl with a bunch of guys came down tonight. I wanted to go out with them, but I couldn’t because I have to get up at 5:30 in the morning to brush up on my Comptometer practice.

I finally wrote back to Charles today, he is still serving in Korea.

Friday May 2, 1952
Kenny and Billy came down tonight. They said they hadn’t seen me up at The Stomp for quite a while and came down to see how I was.

Saturday May 3, 1952
Went on double date tonight in L.A. with Jim and saw “Steel Town” and “A Girl in Every Port”. As we were coming home he was feigning me and telling me how much he liked me, and how lucky a guy he would be to get me. Also, I am supposed to sleep on it, considering going steady with him. I’m supposed to give him my answer tomorrow. Also, I wouldn’t let him kiss me as usual.

Sunday May 4, 1952
Virginia, Floyd, Jim and I had supper over Floyd’s sister’s home and had chicken dinner. I told Jim NO and he was broken hearted. He said he prayed I’d go steady and say YES, for his day would’ve been complete if only I’d said the right thing. I wonder if he had a lump in his throat. Tsk, Tsk, I am a beast! Got in at 1:00 am in the morning.

Monday May 5, 1952
Went over and got interviewed this morning. Only got 3 ½ hours of sleep last night, although I’m not tired. I have to go get a physical check-up tomorrow and then start to work at Western Electric on Wednesday. Oh brother what gripes my rear end is I have to go and get a work permit for not being 18 until August! Well I’ve been lying about my age ever since I’ve been working and I decided to tell the truth this time since my birthday will be so near, so I have to go up to school tomorrow to see about the permit.

Tuesday May 6, 1952
My sister June is 14 years old today, big girl now. I got her three pure silk scarves.

Wednesday May 7, 1952
It is Virginia’s 24th birthday today. I got her a nylon blouse and a silk scarf.

Thursday May 8, 1952
I work on the payroll over at work, making out checks and so forth. I get to see how much everyone makes. Not bad, but I am sworn to secrecy. I make $1.33 an hour myself. I guess the job is alright, it’s a lot of variety and that is good… but I don’t like any form of work. I’ll clue you: If I ever get married it will be to a millionaire, and I’ll settle down and really live right. You know it is just as easy to marry a rich man as it is a poor man, so what the hell for goodness sakes!

The Tale of the Cat and Mouse

After graduating El Monte High School when she was just 16 years old, we find Vilma still struggling to find her way as a young lady in the working world of the 1950’s. Like most girls her age she is marriage minded, however, Vilma is no ordinary girl who will be satisfied with settling down with the first man to ask her to marry her (poor Jim). Nor is she satisfied with the dreariness of being at a job that bores her to death. But, if she has to work towards the goal of buying her own car, which would give her more freedom and independence, she’ll have to hunker down and accept the tedium of it all.

Typical Vilma, the sassy go getter, was also not going to let the technicality of her age hold her back from earning some dough. In her mind, she was practically 18 anyhow!

It’s unique to have an account of a young girl’s work life in the 1950’s, as we've seen here there weren't many career choices: Comptometer Operator, File Clerk, Payroll Clerk.

And let’s just remind ourselves of that salary situation:

Payroll Clerk: $1.33 an hour
Comptometer Operator: $200 per month

Well, it's no wonder Vilma muses about marrying a millionaire!

What about that poor Jim? He's certainly no millionaire, just a good Marine trying his best to woo the girl. But the saying “He/She is just not that into you” holds true in any generation. Vilma gets it, but Jim sure doesn’t. The poor guy is still on the opposite end of that one. As she says: “If I were him, I would have given up a long time ago.”

Oh the poor lovelorn sucker, what keeps him coming back for more torture at Vilma’s hands?

When it comes to the nature of dating, I liken it to a cat and mouse game. Now as a man, Jim thinks he is the pursuer. But Vilma is the classic cat. Jim is only her play thing. He is the mouse caught in the complex trap of a young woman experimenting with her female charms and persuasions. And since he’s there, she toys with his heart and emotions: sending mixed messages like accepting dates, meeting his family, then avoiding the good night kiss. Like most kitties she quickly grows bored of her play thing, for a while at least. But Jim, the little mouse, just keeps showing up again and again...Vilma just can’t help herself!

How much longer will she string him along? And will someone more enticing show up soon? Hmmm, we shall soon see…

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Vilma, Vittles and Spade Cooley

11/29/2015

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A music lovin' Vilma

Friday April 18, 1952
Made some fudge for Betty Jo today.

Saturday April 19th 1952
Went to Spade Cooley’s dance tonight with Jim and it is sure lush. He has horrible bad breath, I wish somebody would let him in on the bitter truth. Tonight he told me he loved me and asked me to go steady again. Also I refused his good night kiss again because I cannot stand Halitosis on anybody. I wish he would wise up a little and just give up and go away.

Sunday April 20, 1952
Spent all day with Jim today and got in at 10:15 or so. He hinted around about marrying me tonight. He is sure stuck on me and when it comes time to shaft him he is going to be one hurt guy, I am afraid to say. I refused his good night kiss again tonight. Man, it sure must be love to have him coming back like this…. and for what? If I was him I would’ve given up a long time ago.

Monday April 21, 1952
Got a letter from Betty Jo today. She says she is so sick of candy it is pitiful, and I sent her some fudge on Saturday. She probably hasn’t gotten it yet, so I wrote back to her today and told her to hold her nose and down it real quick and then fast drink water to take away the candy flavor. Hah Hah!

Wednesday April 23, 1952
Went over Virginia’s today and visited for a couple of hours. We’re all going to the beach together Saturday. She is going to marry Floyd, I just found out today. I hope they’re both very happy.

Thursday April 24, 1952
Got an announcement today from Julia. What do you know? She is now married to a 1st Lieutenant and she was married in Germany. I’m glad for her. She looks so cute in her gown, she is positively a queen anyhow though.

Friday April 25, 1952
Called up Jim today and told him not to come down, as the weather is not so hot. It’s raining and who wants to go to the beach then?

Saturday April 26, 1952
Went to The Stomp tonight and had a real crazy time coming home. Came home with Lorea and Ralph and Floyd. Man that Lorea is sure crazy, she’s cute though, I like her.

Tex came over in the afternoon today while I was in town with Mary Alice. Got in at 10 after 4am this morning, but of course it’s the beginning of Daylight Saving Time so it was only 3am.

Sunday April 27, 1952
Virginia, Jim and Floyd came down tonight to see me. Virginia showed me her engagement ring, man is it sure lush looking. Me and Lorea went to the show tonight and we picked up some guy and he took us to Stan’s Drive In and we had some "vittles". Then we dropped Lorea off and he wanted to take me for a drive. But nothing doing, all I wanted was the food! We sure had a crazy time all of us.

Who was Spade Cooley?
Beginning in the 1930’s, an outgrowth of American country music which became known as “Country Western Swing”, was a prominent musical force throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and right here in Southern California.

According to Merle Travis, "Western swing is nothing more than a group of talented country boys, unschooled in music, but playing the music they feel, beating a solid two-four rhythm to the harmonies that buzz around their brains. When it escapes in all its musical glory, my friend, you have Western swing."

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve already become familiar with another big Country Western Swing musical variety show called Cliffie Stone’s Hometown Jamboree. This was Vilma’s favorite Saturday night hang out lovingly referred to as "The Stomp", which played right out of El Monte’s Legion Stadium.

The talented Mr. Spade Cooley entertained a generation from the mid-forties until he spiraled out of control in the late fifties, his being a tale of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Unfortunately a dark and disturbing one at that.

Spade Cooley was an immensely gifted musician that rode Country Western Swing to money and fame. But all the money and fame in the world does not make a happy man. His alcohol laden binges turned him into a raging beast, one day in 1961 that beast tortured and beat his wife to death. Regrettably, he seemed to be unrepentant of his crimes. He made parole a mere eight years later. On one of his final weekends in the big house, he was asked to play a benefit concert for the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County. He truly gave the performance of his lifetime and even received a standing ovation. He then walked off stage, had a heart attack.... and died.

Here is an amazing tune from Spade Cooley and His Orchestra on an episode of the Three Stooges (years prior to his demise).

Vittles at Stan’s Drive In

Peanut Butter & Jelly, Apple Pie & Ice Cream, Laverne & Shirley, Cars & Drive-In’s. You can’t have one without the other!

As we've seen, the 1950’s was one of the most innovative times for American car production. The manufacturing capitals of Detroit and Los Angeles switched from pre-war cookie cutter styles reflective of the limited metal rationing of WWII, to full blown state of the art designs and concepts. It’s safe to say that America was in the midst of a love affair with its cars. Naturally of course this created the need for all sorts of fun car related activities.

You practically wanted to do everything in your car. So when you wanted to go get some food (or “vittles “as Vilma would say), why bother to get out of your vehicle?

Stan’s was only one of hundreds of Drive-In Restaurants that had sprung up all around the country. It was classic comfort food served right up at your car window. They had several locations in SoCal, including Los Angeles and El Monte, which was right on the corner of Valley and Garvey.

To attract travelers passing by, Drive-In’s were typically located in heavily trafficked areas. By nightfall the glowing neon lights and mid-century architecture, often reminiscent of the space age, transformed them into beacons which summoned you in.

As a small child growing up in El Monte in the 1970’s, I was fortunate enough to remember the big A & W Root Beer Drive In stand which used to be located on the corner of Peck and Lower Azusa Road. My father used to pack us kids up in his classic 1958 Oldsmobile (with no seat belts), roll into an open spot and order us kids the best hamburgers, fries and root beer floats on God’s green earth. A simple effortless meal to feed his clan, and what a treat it was to eat in the car with Daddy! It was magical even in the 1970’s. Long may Stan’s and A & W live on in our memories!