Dear Los Angeles
Page 15
The most informal, easygoing street in the nation and everybody wears the clothes that suit him best—or attract the most attention. The most bizarre rigs, from sun suits to ermine capes, mingle on the boulevard without causing heads to turn or tongues to wag.
HEDDA HOPPER
1943
I have a private office in the MGM administration building with desk, typewriter, phone and two easy chairs and a view over a pretty flower garden and the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. I came West in grand style. I had a compartment as far as Chicago and from there on, a lower berth on the Super Chief. It was a lovely trip and I rested and enjoyed it.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, to his parents
MAY 12
1911
As I was coming here this evening and reflected upon the name of this association, my thoughts naturally went back to that great man whose name you have adopted. And I asked myself, what would Jefferson say….
The great antiseptic in America is public information and public opinion. You can clarify and purify the worst things in life by simply letting the eyes of honest Americans have access to them. So that we are driven to the conclusion that [“the political machine”] design[s] to accomplish things which they do not care to have exposed to the public view. They want privileges which are exclusive—they want those things which they alone should enjoy—they want protections to which they are not justly entitled.
Look at the other thing that is giving us trouble—it is simply another side of the same picture. Look at the corporations.
We are not hostile to corporations if corporations will prove that they are as much interested in the general welfare and the general development as we are….America is not jealous of wealth, but it is jealous of ill-gotten wealth. America is willing to give largess of infinite fortune to anybody who will serve her, but she is very chary, if she could have her own way, of giving fortunes to anybody who will impose upon her….The alliance of these men with politics is the most demoralizing thing that could possibly descend upon any country. And it has descended upon us. Those are the things that need correction in our politics, and these are the things to which a man who acted in the Jeffersonian spirit would have to address himself.
WOODROW WILSON
1920
We stage an orgie—so delightful that it knocks me out. Copulation is beginning to effect [sic] my heart.
THEODORE DREISER
1943
I had lunch with Christopher [Isherwood] today. I invited him to lunch at the Brown Derby. I recognized him at once, just by instinct, and he does look just the way I imagine myself to look—it was funny.
I like him awfully, and I think he must have thought me rather school-girlish about his writing which I place with Chekhov’s.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
2006
Pierre and I drove all the way out to UCLA last night, for a much-anticipated concierto de Richard Thompson….Bueno, first off, nos tomó más de dos horas y media to get there. Según Mapquest, it should take fifty-two minutes….We could never afford Westwood, ni siquiera any other of the even semi-close-to-UCLA barrios en un sueldo cacadémico, no matter how “good.”…
For the privilegio de vivir en el über-hip Westside, tendríamos que cough up.
SUSANA CHÁVEZ-SILVERMAN
MAY 13
1848
I took a ride with my friend Doña Arcadia Stearns to day—It was a lovely afternoon and I have seldom spent so pleasant a time—I have many fears that were it not for that hateful incumbrance of a husband she has I should never leave California! He was along with [us] last evening kept close to her side but he need not have been jealous of me—I did not know when I went to ride with her that a large party were going—I have never attempted any puppyism with her and never will—
…I leave here in a few days for Santa Iago on a visit of pleasure in company with Capt Smith, 1st Drag and Lieut Davidson, same corps. They go to visit the battle ground of [San Pasqual] for the purpose of having the bodies of the officiers who fell there removed to a better place—
LIEUTENANT JOHN MCHENRY HOLLINGSWORTH
1943
Yesterday, I had lunch with Tennessee Williams, the writer. He’s a strange boy, small, plump and muscular, with a slight cast in one eye; full of amused malice. He has a job with Metro. He wanted to buy an autoglide to ride to work on. I tried to dissuade him, but he insisted. We went to a dealer’s, and he suggested a very old junky machine which is obviously going to give trouble.
CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD
2003
My name is Kevin Roderick. I am an author, a journalist, an Angeleno and wear assorted other labels. I suppose I’m also now a blogger….
L.A. Observed is a logical step in my online evolution….You can’t be a serious consumer of L.A. news without registering at the LAT site, for instance. Submit bogus demographic data if it makes you feel better. I’m on the books as a 99-year-old woman with no income and an Alaska zip code at sites with the temerity to ask….
I can’t say yet how active this site will be. Let me know how you think it’s going by email. If you don’t want your email to show up on the page, say so. If you are rude and abusive I may use it anyway with suitable derision applied.
KEVIN RODERICK
MAY 14
1888
There is something in the crisp, rarified air of this pretty city that acts like a stimulant upon the human system. Take a walk down Spring street (the principal thoroughfare) any bright, sunny day, and you will be struck by the keen, tingling thrill of life. There are no loafers, no dawdlers, no gossipers, no obstructers of the public highway. Even the bootblacks are relegated to their apportioned recesses, and the transplanted bore forgets, in the pushing throng, to buttonhole his victim.
…Think of the amount of capital required to grade miles upon miles of streets, build reservoirs, bore artesian wells, plant flowers, lay out orange groves and construct city pavements; to build in such a place, without any surety of people! it is very much like putting the cart before the horse. There is no end to those newly-sprung places. They form a perfect net-work about Los Angeles.
It is the easiest thing in the world to be drawn into the land fever. Real estate offices are as plentiful as bees on an August day. You pass along and you see some such sign as the following: “Bargain! For one day, Tract of land, Utopia, $25 to $100 per lot.” This looks interesting; to buy a lot of land for $25 and sell it, perhaps, in a week or two for $50, titillates the mercenary palate. You are like a dull fly in the toils of an affable spider, with this difference, that, nine times out of ten, you take your turn at being the spider and someone else becomes the fly.
Undoubtedly Southern California is the garden spot of America, and judging from its past prosperity and progress it must hold a magnificent future. No one, even the most prejudiced, can dispute its advantages. The most stolid and lymphatic native must be stung into an appreciation of his country’s resources and dream that he has reached that Biblical land flowing with milk and honey.
HARRIET HARPER
1929
If I ever get away, I’ll never come within a thousand miles of the place again. Everything is commonplace and nothing is real. Even the mountains round about look like papier mâché movie sets….
The hotel clerk is a hero because he has a child that is “used” in the movies. A few blocks away a retired farmer from Iowa sits in a pseudo-Norman tower in his shirt sleeves eating pie with his knife; he saw the tower in one of DeMille’s pictures, and liked it and copied it. Not far from him are three bungalows that look like Egyptian tombs; they were copied from Egyptian tombs in the movies. There are strange cults everywhere—fake oriental, etc.: hermits in the canyons. Well, you would think all this incongruity might be interesting; but it isn’t. It is only dull. All the stupidities of all the wo
rld center here. Back of the stupidity is a cold, crooked-hearted commercialism—not merely in the movies, but in business generally—that is appalling. There is a veneer of free western heartiness over it. It is an outfit of skinners. They skinned the Indian; they skinned the Mexicans and Spaniards around the country formerly; they skinned the later settlers from the Middle West; they are here to skin tourists; they skin each other.
DON MARQUIS, to a friend
1935
This magnificent structure [the Griffith Observatory] will be of value not only to the scientists, but its greatest attraction will be to the masses of other citizens who will now have an opportunity to see how the universe is constructed.
ROBERT MILLIKAN
1935
I finally offered my resignation. In typical Hollywood fashion it was rejected. I was fired two days later.
ERIC KNIGHT, to a friend
MAY 15
1945
A day largely involved with [The Lost Weekend]…tried to work out a substitute for “The early morning sunlight hitting the grey tin of the ashcans” lines….I talked with Billy in New York about our proposed cuts and Billy purported to be suicidal about them….I’ve got to talk to Rosza about the music, which must have an excitement it now lacks.
CHARLES BRACKETT
1950
It appears that any Monday I shall go to jail.
DALTON TRUMBO
MAY 16
1928
A big step forward in modern civilization was made last night here in Los Angeles (the last place you would expect civilization to advance). It was a dinner given at $100 a plate, with the distinct understanding there would be no speeches. The place was sold out and everybody tickled to death. The funds from the dinner were divided among those who wanted to make speeches but were not allowed. Everyone in the hall received $100.
WILL ROGERS
MAY 17
1887
The train killed a man last night—mangled him. He was a laborer and a stranger here. Grand Opera co began in Los Angeles there will be five performances.
DON JUAN BAUTISTA BANDINI
1939
We had an hour to spare, and we spent it finding an apartment.
CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD
1982
Tonight we all met at the demonstration to protest CBS’ cancellation of the Lou Grant Show. If people took every Monday night to walk 3 km, meet with their friends and talk, it would really change their lives. As it is, they only get out into the street once in a great while. For demonstrations. And how many trees have I seen them cut down since I’ve been here? The people I know are caught up in their individual lives or their jobs….
I walked over to CBS from my place here on Orange Drive. The colors of the sunset were amplified by the smog particles in the air. The palm trees silhouetted à la Ruscha.
AARON PALEY
MAY 18
1847
Walked over to Don Luis, met a large party of ladies. Spent a pleasant time Had the band there, gave them some musick. Rode the Col’s horse home. Saw a beautiful Spanish girl there, gave her a bouquet, & murdered Spanish at her at a great rate.
LIEUTENANT JOHN MCHENRY HOLLINGSWORTH
1918
Came home. Spent the rest of the afternoon on the throne of China. I was constipated.
AGNES DE MILLE
MAY 19
1961
New York is a real city—Los Angeles has no navel.
BRENDAN BEHAN, to his half brother
1968
My determination to eliminate RFK is becoming more and more of an unshakable obsession. RFK must die. RFK must be killed. Robert F. Kennedy must be assassinated….Robert F. Kennedy must be assassinated before 5 June 68.
SIRHAN SIRHAN
2004
The baskets are 10 feet high, with giant and very forgiving backboards. A couple of kids from the neighborhood start playing with a kickball at another hoop, and we invite them to join us instead. They are young, fifth-graders, so we split them up: Carlos plays on Steve’s team and Matthew joins me. We play two games of two-on-two and one game of H-O-R-S-E. Matthew’s third-grade brother, Justin, who can’t quite throw a ball up to the basket yet, watches from the sidelines.
Talking to Carlos, I learn that his father also works at City Hall. I realize that Carlos Jr. is the son of a janitor I know, Carlos Sr., who has told me before that he lives in the neighborhood. I have an extra basketball at home, so I give Carlos my ball and walk home to dinner.
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI, then a city councilman
MAY 20
1927
A letter at last came from Consuela, who took six or eight prints of mine to New York. I wanted to have her arrange for an exhibit, and to show the work to several persons, among them Alfred Stieglitz.
She writes: “Stieglitz seemed disappointed. He thought your technique was very fine but felt the prints lacked life, fire, were more or less dead things not a part of today.”
If I had sent my toilet, for instance, how then would he have reacted? And must I do nothing but toilets and smokestacks to please a Stieglitz! Is his concern with subject matter? Are not shells, bodies as much of today as machines?
EDWARD WESTON
1937
Through pristine San Clemente which I remember from Laguna days—all white bldgs. with red tile roofs—such an uncomfortable looking place—one rebel gas station has painted green bills on his windows and we bet the town council will soon see to him.
CHARIS WILSON
MAY 21
1846
All agree a separation from Mexico is absolutely necessary.
HENRY DALTON
1943
I think it is one of the funniest but most embarrassing things that ever happened to me, that I should be expected to produce a suitable vehicle for [Lana Turner]….I feel like an obstetrician required to successfully deliver a mastodon from a beaver.
…I no longer feel any compunction whatsoever about the huge salary I am getting, as I shall certainly earn it.
Christopher Isherwood warns me that I must not take to drink, as most Hollywood writers do.
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
MAY 22
1939
I walk along the sea on Sunday. It is a beautiful day—cool and sunny. The cottages that were closed are now being opened, those for rent occupied. Out of one cottage tumbles a family of Jews—mamma and three or four assorted children and papa himself stands in front of the door to his neighbor’s cottage—planted in the very middle of the sidewalk, right in front of the door. Mamma is on the stairs of her cottage and talking to her chicks; one is going back into the house, another to the sea, still another up the street….
The Gentile couple (a dark young man and a slender blonde girl) are trying their best not to see him, although he has placed himself, big belly, big smile and all, right in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the door. They enter the house, gazing intently at a dog in a neighbor’s yard and when they reach their door they almost hop into the house and close the door quickly behind them.
CHARLES REZNIKOFF
MAY 23
1850
Twenty times in our presence they stated that they were at war with all Americans, and the chief himself told us we were the last party that should ever cross there, and that he intended to keep “muchos” Indians scattered along the road, to kill the Americans as they came along and take their animals.
JEREMIAH HILL
1919
No one can imagine what this means to the young people of this part of the world nor what this institution will one day become.
UCLA VICE PRESIDENT ERNEST CARROLL MOORE
1940
Do you want parking meters in front of your place of business?
AL WAXMAN
MAY 24
1880
As this is my last evening, I am going to the library to play chess.
I am here but I don’t see any of the chess fiends. Ha! Here comes Mr. Gillmore. I don’t like to play him much on my last night here as he is the best player that plays here. He is too hard a game for me to tackle. But I’ll play him anyhow. He can’t do more than beat me.
We have played the first game and I got beat. We are in the second game and I have the advantage so far. Ha! That was a bad move I made. That beats me. I did not see his castle. Colonel Morey says I had the game sure, but I made a mistake and am beaten again. This is the last game we can play. I must win this game or be disgraced. Mr. Gillmore has a good deal of confidence now. He thinks he will beat me easily this time. At the fifteenth move the game is about even. After the twenty-fifth move I think Mr. Gillmore has a little advantage, but I think I can lay a trap for him here. If he makes a certain move, he’s gone. He makes it and I mate him very prettily in three moves. Mr. Gillmore looks rather sad. He says he could have won the game but Colonel Morey says I had the best of it all the way through. Anyhow I have won the last game I have played in Los Angeles.