Dear Diary,
I got several pictures of Bob today. Most of them were taken at Dottie Lamour’s wedding. Two showed Bob and Jimmy Cagney trying to out-dance each other at an army camp.
There was an article in one of the magazines about a recent meeting of the Actors Guild, where several stars, including Bob, Kay Kyser, and Jimmy Cagney, played it on some stars who have shirked their duty in regard to the entertainment of the armed forces. To quote part of the article: It isn’t an easy thing,” Bob Hope explained, “to tour the camps, especially if you’re a fellow. I know how it is. On our Alaskan tour, the day after I came so near to death up there that I don’t want to think about it, some boy from the audience heckled, “Yeah, you’d be funnier, fellow, if you were in a uniform.” It hurts. And, what’s more, you can’t explain about age or family or why you’re not in – mostly because the government says No. You gotta take it. But that’s only one fellow amount thousands who will never forget what you’ve tried to do. So please, please, friends, forget self and pride and inconvenience and get out there and do your stuff.
Dear Diary,
I worked at the rationing board more than eight hours today, and put out twice as many books as anyone else at our table. Not that it matter who does the most, as long as the job is done well in as short a time as possible. Volunteers are badly needed now to get the job finished by July 15, when the third ration books will be needed. It’s a tiresome day’s work, and it’s not exactly glamorous, but it has to be done. It helps me feel that Bob Hope and the armed forces aren’t the only ones doing something to win this damned war. I just realized that my entire contribution to the war effort has been: (1) a couple of days a week at the USO last summer; (2) three war bonds; (3) a first aid course; and not much else.
Dear Diary,
Today was the last day of school for three wonderful, hot, sweltering months. I got my report cards today too. I made A’s in all five subjects on the six-weeks’ report, and I made A’s on all the final examinations except Latin. I made my only B for the past two terms on that final. Oh well, from 91 to 96 isn’t so terrible, even though one of those A’s (96–100) would have looked much better. But to get back to the main subject, I now have the whole summer in which to read, cut out and paste in pictures of Bob, and see Bob in movies. When I’m not doing those things or helping my teacher mail out Ration Book Number Three, them I’m just going to loaf until it hurts. (I can just see myself loafing, with a war to be won.)
Dear Diary,
There was an article in a magazine today about the Hollywood war effort. There was an alphabetical list of practically every person in Hollywood who has ever starred in a picture, along with what, if anything, they are doing for the war effort. There was a name listed way down in the H’s that was rather interesting to me. If you don’t dig me, it read like this: “Hope, Bob – Indefatigable, Bob is an inspiration to all Hollywood. Everything he does is a war effort. He has toured most of the United States, not to mention Alaska, doing his bit for morale.”
Doing his bit is hardly the way I’d put it. He’s doing three or four people’s bits, or at least the equivalent. I especially like that second sentence. It sure is!
Muriel Windham's Diary 