Wednesday, May 3, 1944
Down at 9:00 & breakfasted on Napoleons & doffee at “Hole in the Wall”.
Waited for Mary in the “Lobby” of our “Hotel” for 1 hr. I finally got worried & went to Fifth Ave. – Lord & Tablor’s & called Hazel. She said they slept late and Mary was on her way. She showed up 15 minutes later & we started down to Sixth Ave. Stopped at a Junk shop & got things that are hard to get. Pipe cleaners, rubber garters, a strainer, hair pins, pens, etc.
Then to Macy’s, but Mary couldn’t find a silk shirt like she wanted but I got a lilac linen dress. Such a system to get to try a dress on. You pick out your dresses, find a clerk who takes you to a fitting room where you receive a ticket with the number of dresses that you ahve on it.
She tells you her number and then you can try them on. But you can’t leave the fitting room!
Over to Gimbel’s finally & they were having a ration free shoe sale & were they being gobbled up. Wlly got a pair of black oxfords & I got a lilac hat. We had an ice cream & then started up the elevators. About 5th floor the William Randolf Hearst Collection is for sale – armor plate included. This staff really dates. Lot of 15th century stuff but I didn’t price it except for one pair of chairs at $785. Found a jug like the one I bought 75 jugs to get & paid 75 cents for and coincidence! this one cost $7.50. Long wooden seats like I’ve always wanted for the terrace ran $98.00
We ate at Riggs Restaurant & had finne haddice but don’t ever bother. And the mashed potatoes had lumps so I didn’t eat much until we came to the cream custard.
Took our things to the room & finished packing which was quite a job with this morning’s purchases. Took them over to Grand Central & left them in the parcel check – out 42nd St for a Broadway street car & it seemed awfully slow in the afternoon rush.
“Mexican Hayride” is at the Winter Garden. Broadway at 50th. Our box was the highest one & there were already 2 dames pretty well occupying them so our seats can be considered punk. Mine was the best so I hate to think what Mary & Walt could see.
I think the musical would have been very good if we could have seen it from the middle. Regardless, the costumes & settings were beautiful. The setting “At Caro’s” was aqua & a pinkish brown & the men’s suits were the same brown & the girls dresses – strut – were all variations of the theme. And red hats & bags.
The Carlotta Scene was beautiful – white & that brown & black. All the girls in period full skirted aprons. Bobby Clark played the lead tiwh June Havoc and such innuendoes!
The house was a sell out & Mary says this is a large theater. Not as big as the big movie but still plenty big.
The play was over at 5:10 so we finished our New York meals at the automat & then went through the concourse of the RCA building to the Plaza – stopped at a Mexican shop for some things.
Went into St. Patricks Cathedral across the street. People praying in pews & before statues set in niches all along the side. It is beautiful with 2 stories of stained glass windows all along – statuary, carvings etc.
Walked on down 5th Ave. to 42nd & to the station where we picked up our luggage & went to track 27 waiting for the gate to open. Mary left us about 6:55 to catch her 7:21 at Penn Station & we went down to our train at 7:10 & got seats in a nice coach.
Didn’t realize how much the vegetation grows in a week but the trees are a haze of green now instead of bare & on the hillside I could see occasional white flowers blooming. I expect our pear tree will be in full bloom when we get home.
It was completely dark by the time we pulled out of Harmon at 8:20 so I caught up on this diary & think I’ll go to sleep now & sleep til Cleveland.
[End of New York Trip diary]