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11/20/08 |
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On New Year's Day, after caddying at Lakeside, I went to the Italian Kitchen on Hollywood Blvd. I had two meat balls with spaghetti, plus two extra meatballs with a glass of dry claret wine. The charge was 52 cents. What I liked most about this restaurant was the delicious Italian bread, served with butter, and all-you-could eat. |
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My first entry was -- Heard the New Year come in on the radio and then went to bed. Siegert and I caddied ($2.00). Ate at the Italian Kitchen. Stanford 21 – Nebraska 13". On January 2, my second entry recorded the mailing of nine L. A. Times Midwinter Editions, writing a long letter home, listening to my radio and reading until late. This ritual of jotting down my thoughts and daily activities soon became a habit and a pleasant chore. On Monday the 6th, I returned to classes and to my job in the cafeteria. I had only three weeks to do the term paper and erase the "incomplete" of the previous semester. I began to read John Galsworthy's plays. The first two were "The Silver Box" and "Strife". On the 15th, I went to Royce Hall to hear a lecture by Rudy Vallee. The former crooner and movie star spoke on "showmanship". His intellectual performance surprised me. Without resorting to comedy, his academic lecture revealed earnestness and a sense of purpose. Final exams commenced on the 20th. My three were scheduled in the first three days. Needing more time to study, I decided not to work in the coffee shop during "finals". Took my first in Geology at 8:00 AM, and then had the rest of the day to study for Tuesday's exam in Philosophy. Biology followed on Wednesday January 22nd. With the semester officially ending on the 29th, I still had time to work on that term paper. What I could not do in a year, including the summer vacation in Bedford, I now had to do it in seven days. The next day, returning to my job in the coffee shop, I worked six long hours. Then Friday, I worked four hours and read Galsworthy's "Justice" and "The Pigeon". On Saturday I skipped the golf course, worked two hours in the coffee shop and I read two more plays, "Old English" and "Escape". Skipped the caddying again on Sunday, I read "Loyalties". On Monday, after working four hours in the coffee shop, I began the writing. On Tuesday, I wrote continuously except for working three hours in the coffee shop. I kept writing through that evening and all through the night, completing the term paper in the morning. Writing in longhand I had 24 pages, double spaced. There was no time to get it typed. With no sleep for forty hours I managed to hand it in on the last possible day. My title for the term paper was "John Galsworthy, Champion of Humanity". I thought this title was appropriate since he wrote with an abundance of sympathy for the underdog and downtrodden. I received a "C" on the paper but was pleased that my "incomplete" was removed. My final grades were "C's" in Geology and Biology and a "B" in Philosophy. After caddying on Sunday, I went to see Frank. He was drafted in the Army and was to leave the next morning for Fort McArthur. College students working towards a degree were deferred but Frank was in a different category at L. A. City College. After a nice dinner at a Melrose restaurant we walked to Frank's place. We talked about the war in Europe, how it was casting its shadow on our country. With a sense of drastic change looming on the horizon, we wondered when we would be together again. Frank gave me his hat and raincoat and a few other things he couldn't use. Sadly, we said goodbye. Between semesters, I earned $10.50 by caddying five consecutive days. But then I took a much needed respite. It felt good just to relax and loaf. Reading the newspapers at the library I caught up on the war news in Europe and our current political news here. I saw the Italian movie, "The Life of Giuseppi Verdi". I enjoyed listening to the Italian dialogue and understood it quite well. After this movie, in six days, I saw eight more films; all were double features. When I registered for the new semester I paid the $29.00 fee. This was the first time I did not have to borrow money for my tuition and that gave me a good feeling. I signed up for Speech, Astronomy, Italian, Music Appreciation, and Swimming. With a total of 13 1/2 units, it was prudent that I limit my work in the cafeteria to two hours. This meant, of course, that I would get my two meals each day but no cash flow into my bank account. I became ecstatic with news from home that Mom, Uncle Nick, and my baby sister (Scarlett) were coming here to visit me. They would travel on a railway pass. I told Vito to give me the date of their departure as soon as possible so that I could find a furnished apartment. On Saturday, February 22nd, I went to Hollywood, paid off the loan on my radio and then had a nice get-together with Frank. Receiving a weekend pass, he hitchhiked the 350 miles from Fort Ord to Hollywood. We again had dinner at Ma Hall's restaurant. Frank was assigned to the Artillery and was driving a truck. Explaining what it was like in the Army, his advice to me was to stay out of the Infantry. I told Frank that I would avoid the Army draft by volunteering in the Navy. I passed Frank's advice on to my brother Vito. He had already received a questionnaire from his draft board. He had devoted all his time to helping Mom, Dad, and the family. To be drafted now, at age 30, would really sadden us. I told Vito that I intend to apply for work at a defense plant before June. Failing that, I might try for the Naval Reserve School since I would have completed the required two years of college credit. If my draft number wasn't called by September, I might enroll at USC. However, if the war started, I would join the Navy. Come what may, I knew this would be my final semester at UCLA. In Music class I sat next to Joanne, a pretty girl with reddish hair and a few freckles. We got acquainted gradually as we walked out of the classroom and when we occasionally walked to her Sorority house. We had one date. It was for a "special movie" that was to open at the Cathay Circle in Beverly Hills. Purchasing the tickets in advance, our date was set for Friday, March 14th. On Tuesday I received Vito's telegram that Mother would arrive on Thursday evening on March 6th. I didn't find a furnished apartment until Thursday morning. It was a small cottage, located at 1276 Armacost only six blocks west from me. The rental rate was twelve dollars per week. Without hesitating, I agreed to take it. We paid $19.50 for the ten days. Borrowing Jack Park's car, his nephew Aaron drove me and Bill Siegert to the Union Station where we met my Mom, Uncle Nick and my little sister Scarlett. We went to the Italian Kitchen for dinner and then drove to Sawtelle. Mom was very pleased with our cottage. It had a refrigerator, a gas stove, cooking utensils, dishes and silverware. The one bedroom had a double bed for her and Scarlett, and the living room had two sleeping couches for Uncle and me. The next day I took them to UCLA to see the beautiful campus. We entered the Library and also went into the Cafeteria. We met Jack Park at his shoe repair store and then visited with Mrs. Fernding in her home. Mom was pleased to meet my "California Mother" and to check out my nice bedroom. We spent the weekend looking up people from Bedford. We had dinner with Tony and Serena Campana. After dinner Tony drove us to the Observatory Building at the top of Griffith Park. Circling on its outer ledge we had a magnificent panoramic view of Hollywood. We met Tommy Carillon, Lou Vitous and his brother Ed. We also drove to Burbank to meet Bill and Millie Cook. For the ten days that I stayed at the cottage on Armacost it felt like I was "home again". During the week I managed to attend class and work in the coffee shop, but I went "home" for supper. It was a nice change to savor Mom's cooking. On Wednesday, however, we went out for dinner and to see a movie. Taking a bus to Santa Monica, we went to Crane's restaurant and then to the Criterion Theater to see "Gone with the Wind". As the long film unfolded my sister sat on my lap. I couldn't help but recall that she got her name from the author and the spunky heroine in the novel. Next month our "Margaret Scarlett" would be four on April 25th. The next day, March 13, we celebrated Mom's 48th birthday. On Friday, I had that movie date with Joanne. We took a bus to the Cathay Circle in Beverly Hills to see Walt Disney's "Fantasia". It was a fantastic film with beautiful music. Near the end of the film Joanne was holding my left hand in a tight squeeze, a fitting climax to a wonderful evening.
Saturday morning I took Margaret to the school campus. After taking some snapshots in front of the Gym we met Joanne at her sorority house. I was proud to show her off. When we returned to the cottage Mom and Uncle Nick were packing for tomorrow's departure. There was only time to say goodbye to Mrs. Fernding and Maude and to Jack Park at his shoe store. On Sunday Tony Campana drove us to the Santa Fe Bus Station in Hollywood. Carl Saxe and his wife came there in time to see them off. At 4:45 PM their bus departed for Bakersfield where they would transfer to the rail line.
A couple hours after they departed I felt sad with the thought of being "alone" again. The sadness lingered for a while as I got back to the routine of classes, homework and working in the cafeteria and at the golf course. At times, however, it was still hard to believe that my mom was here ten days with little Scarlett showering kisses on me each morning and evening.
Returning to classes I continued the routine of dinner in the coffee shop and then staying at the library until it closed at 10:00 PM. But now my homework, if there was any time for it, came after reading the newspapers and letter writing. The grim war news from Europe was getting worse. Since this was my final semester at UCLA I wanted to get a job by June, preferably in a defense plant. Several students were already working at Douglas Aircraft on the swing shift. On Sunday March 30th I went to Burbank to apply for a job at Lockheed. In six hours I completed a series of written tests and then underwent a psychological examination. I jotted down these notes in my diary: Three weeks had passed with no response from Lockheed. I was keenly disappointed because some students were called within two weeks. Returning to Lockheed on another Sunday, I inquired why I was not being considered for employment. The man that looked over my application asked if I was Italian. Startled somewhat, I blurted out that my parents were born in Italy but they are American Citizens and I was born in Maine. He told me that I had to be patient. Mortimer J. Adler, the philosopher and author of the Great Books Series came to UCLA on April 22nd.His lecture on truth and knowledge was summarized uniquely in three distinct categories: The most certain knowledge came from faith. It is intuitive. You just know it. The second most certain knowledge came from experience -- your experience in your own life. The least certain knowledge came from books and teachers doing research – all second-hand opinions. As I listened rapturously to those three categories I felt they confirmed what I already knew. My education in college peaked on that memorable day. During that lecture I sat next to Maurice Rapkin, the graduate student who had a Major in Zoology. Outside the hall we began a long heated discussion. He sided with the professors but I was eye to eye with Dr. Adler. Like the teachers and professors, Maurice was smart. But like them, he couldn't recognize the truth that was in front of him. I spoke of FDR's quote, "Old men can be foolish and young men can be wise". And I reminded him of my own experience here at the school where my path to truth and knowledge began to flower. Two days later, on Thursday, a letter from Lockheed requested that I phone that evening at 9:45 PM. When I phoned they gave me an appointment for the next day at 12:30 PM. Leaving school at 10:30 AM on Friday, I got to Lockheed in time for my appointment. It took five more hours to fill out more forms, answer more questions and then pass the physical examination. I got the job. I was to start working Monday on the swing shift from 4:00 PM to 12:30 AM. My pay would be 51 cents per hour, plus an extra 6 cents an hour for the night shift. That weekend I quit caddying at Lakeside. I kept thinking, retrospectively, how I loved it here at UCLA but that "era" was coming to a close. The remaining five weeks (classes and finals) now seemed irrelevant for the days ahead. With this "fork in the road" I had to take the job at Lockheed. There would be a little more vision by September. I could be at USC majoring in Cinema or stay on at Lockheed until my draft number was called. When called, I would join the Navy for "the duration". Whatever was to happen, I was anxious to get on with my life. Hugo P. Cipriani |
