Friday, April 3, 1964

Description

A diary entry written by Patience Cleveland that discusses her acting career, her book, “The Lion is Busy,” and her personal life. The entry is dated April 3, 1964 and is written on white, lined paper in black ink.

Transcription

Diet

Wake up call at 5:30-Put on coffee-set alarm for 15 minutes later + began the day at ten of six. Finished packing-not all that much actually to do. Put my new + beautiful Olivetti in my suitcase. Found my plaid slacks under (or inside) a shirt that came back from the cleaners. Bathed. Peter told Lauria’s I’d left. I made a little list of things for Peter to do-poor darling-but some of them for his own benefit. And we drove off to the airport at 6:50. A beautiful sunny day of the sort that makes one feel I always ought to get up at 6:00 am. Got to the airport at 7:30. Checked luggage-only a pound to spare + they’d felt way underweight. I bought insurance for Bill, Timmy + Peter + then upstairs where I bought a mystery + a copy of “The $100 misunderstanding” for Peter. We went + had coffee + sat by the window until it was time to go. I made a mental note to do the job as quickly as I possibly could so I could get back. The flight at the beginning was smooth + I finished my book “The Curtain” (?) by Cornell Woolrich + caught up on my diary. Had lunch-ate only a piece of fish + peas + a pear. Am firmly resolved to lose as much weight as I can during these next 10 days. As we came near St. Louis the fog got thicker + thicker + as we began our descent I began to panic. Well after the landing gear had gone down there still was nothing to see. Finally a minute before landing the earth came into view. Pouring rain + very windy. About 40 minutes wait in St. Louis-didn’t even go into the airport proper + then the little plane to Louisville. Never allowed to unfasten our seat belts the whole way. Rough + stormy + a little scary. Lightening outside the window. A rather picturesque old man sat next to me + I couldn’t understand a word he said. Landed at Louisville on time. Were handed umbrellas as we left the plane + almost blew off the stairs as the wind caught them. Liza there to meet me. Picked up my bags + we drove in her car to 1067 Cherokee-Gundy on hand to greet us. Nice apt very unlike a city place. We had a drink + then I went to coffee as we discussed the film. Actually nothing at all has been done. It isn’t a question of writing a narration-its a question of writing a whole damn film-putting it to together from absolute scratch + the person they should have here is Dick Kneeland not me. Liza had sent questionnaires to a school about “How would I feel if I had to wear a brace?” etc. etc. We went through several hundred answers to the 10 questions. Interesting but as far as I’m concerned not relevant. Tomorrow I’m meeting the agency people-I had 2 boiled eggs + an apple for dinner + coffee + one more drink before we went to bed. Liza modeled some beautiful clothes she’d gotten in Chicago from Hugh Evans. He incidentally has spent $140,000 this last year with nothing to show for it. Is going to “settle down.” It’s to be hoped. In bed looked at TV + saw awful, awful film of “Too Much Too Soon,” Diana Barrymore’s awful, awful book.