Friday, May 14, 1943

Dear Diary,

I saw Robert in “They Got Me Covered” again tonight. Mother and Mattie Jo Compton went with me, or vica versa, and they came out raving about both the show and Bob.

I saw several articles today about the Academy Award Banquet. They all remarked on how dull they were, except in spots. A few of the excerpts are: “Awardless Bob Hope made one of his priceless wisecracks as he looked at the Oscars and quipped, ‘So near and yet so far.’ Hollywood has found no way to honor a man who can wake up its dead banquet and whose entertainment power is the equal of all Oscar winners combined.” “Every time Bob Hope (‘Bless you, you dear boy’) had a chance as m.c. he perked things up considerably. But there were long, dry non-Hope stretches. Typical of his nifties was the time he caressed the Oscars lined up behind him and sang, ‘You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To.'”