A Quiet Week

Monday, June 30 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

I hear on the newscast that after several days of continuous rain you're all but floating. We had about two inches yesterday ending the unusual hot spell but the humidity is just as bad with today's 90°.

Got the prints back on the roll of black and white I took mostly at Arlene's graduation and then finished at home with one shot each of Stevie, Kathy and Mike outside. I had that old photo-attachment in the drawer for a couple of years and stuck in on to see what it would do judging the approximate distance. The printing was pretty bad in the Ritz pack but the negatives looked good so I sent to Pavelle for several, in fact three of each of the kids so we can send one along if they are presentable.

Friday night I minded the kids while Ann took a tour of Catonsville and spent an hour or two at her beloved Penny Wise Shop; no purchases, just talk. After she got home, we turned TV on about ten and, good news for John, it was Jackie Gleason's last show for good. I do believe, though, that he's coming back in the fall on another network (CBS) and Frankie boy, who was eased out and off CBS in March, is due on Dumont. As it was too warm to sleep we also saw Picture Playhouse; nothing worth telling about, but billed as a slapstick comedy called "Yes, Madam" with Bobby Bowes and Diana Churchill, if you've ever heard of her. She's a blonde with a close resemblance to Marion Davies in her prime. The announcer kept referring to them as Bobby Howe and Savannah Churchill. We sweated through Saturday around the house but did take a short drive after supper, and turned on your set in time for the Hit Parade. You would have enjoyed this one. It was also their last show of the season and, as they had announced the week before, it was televised from the new liner "United States". They must have had over a dozen cameras set up; started the show on the dock, followed the dancers up the gangplank, down corridors, into staterooms and Snooky, Dorothy and Eileen sang from the bridge, sun deck and ballroom respectively. As the cameras scanned the ballroom you could see they had it filled with an audience sitting at tables. We then turned over to the Gunther Playhouse and Kit Carson with Dana Andrews, Jon Hall and Lyn Barri. I don't know how old it is but it must have been an A and I had never seen it. Last night, in place of Red Skelton, they had a live play called "My Sister Emily", about the Bronte sisters and how they got started and starred Sarah Churchill. This hasn't been on in Baltimore all season yet they announced it was their final play for the year and Sarah made a curtain speech hoping they'd he back in the fall.

To cool off yesterday afternoon, I took Ann and the kids across country past McDonogh and over the Green Spring Valley Road, around and about and finally came out right opposite the Emerson Farm at Brooklandville which is also the home of the Hilltop Theatre. It will be only a short piece away when we're all out in the country as it is only 4 miles from Towson. I didn't see what they were offering yesterday but it must have been intermission and there was quite a crowd. Mrs. Burton called me noontime, by the way, and said she had told the people they had to be out in July. She also said the woman carried on and the husband also telephoned her but they finally agreed and said they had looked at a place in Bel Air and another on the Harford Road and would probably take one of them. As I said to Ann, in the beginning it was our understanding that the people wanted to get away and now you're almost afraid of putting in an appearance in the house. Ann also says it's not right to get something at the expense of someone. So, we're praying harder than ever for the solution.

We'll try to save some magazines for you when we get situated. I had the idea to Air Mail an entire Life but after wrapping in ordinary paper the fee was $1.80 and judging from parcel post, it would be a two month trip and a two pound item. I will, however, get a few of the smaller books in the mail in the next day or two until I think of something else.

You'd get a kick out of Mr. Bellis and his complex on shorts and bare skin. I believe I told you Ann can't send Mike out without his shirt as Jane and Edward won't allow him in the yard even when their father isn't around, and how he embarrassed one of Mary's girl friends and Arlene. Friday was his birthday and they got him two watermelons, among other things. Arlene and Sharon were playing in our backyard along with assorted Bellis' and neighbors and I was watching the kids. When it came time to cut the melons he told Arlene and Sharon, "well, I guess you can have a piece, even if you are wearing shorts". They got huffy and wouldn't accept. Ann was joking about it to Kay and Annie Clap when they were out and Kay, with that serious look she gets on her face as she doesn't laugh much says, "how did he get his 8 children?"

Ann and I walked up to Easton's yesterday morning to pay our respects to Monroe Tucker. Edith or rather Edythe was there and she weighs about 100 lbs. He looked so darn young and I guess he was only about 35. They told us he had been having trouble for about a year but what really gave him his first attack was that Mickey had been playing with a band saw in the back yard several months back when the saw jumped off and ran down his leg, cutting it severely including a tendon or two. When he dragged himself into the house and his father saw him, he suffered an attack. Mickey is all right now.

Earl's snowball stand opened with all the heat and is doing a roaring business mostly from passing traffic

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Charles works for Dr. and Mrs. Burton who have promised him the use of a larger house near their farms.
The Bellis' live next door at 23 Bloomsbury.

Next Posting: July 7, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner