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Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
22 November 1943

Dear Aunty Clara,

Monday

We had the rehearsal this evening and there isn't much good we can say about it. For one thing, everyone is trying to change this that and the other or eliminate something or another. That would be alright if I would agree with them but it seems that the changes they have been suggesting tonight either detract from the show or else take something away. To give you an example. They want to have one of the buglers act the part of a drunk and come in without a complete uniform. I object to it on the grounds that drunks are not funny (I realize that a great many people actually do get a kick out of seeing a drunk but it just disgusts me) and it was my idea that everyone possible should be in dress uniform i.e., khakis.

The lines, dialogue, numbers et al were all off and the fellows will have to brush up on things considerably before our next rehearsal which we intend to have tomorrow evening. What I think I ought to do is just take over the thing and act like the boss. I hate like anything to set myself up over them and make it look as if I'm trying to tell hem what to do in a cooperative affair like this but it seems that is the only way we are going to get things done around here. For another thing, I will have to rewrite the script for the third time and this time it will have to be complete with dialogue, stage directions and a full description of cues, entrances and performance.

Those assorted nuts of Aunt-Aunt's are going like hotcakes. The first thing I did was to fill up the can which Anita had sent the peanuts in. I gave this one to Larry Isaacson and then I filled up the Planter's Peanut can which I bought yesterday and saved that for myself. The rest of the nuts I left in the original container which I sealed shut once again with some more Scotch tape. I'm not going to take a chance that they might go stale on me before I get to eating them. I'm going to try to save the rest of them a day or two because it is a crime how fast those packages disappear.

I'm also still puzzled as can be about the contents of the package in which the hard candy is coming.

Censky picked up a French motion picture review magazine from some place and it was printed in Paris sometime in 1939 before the war broke out. While a great deal of the words are unknown to me, I didn't have much trouble getting on to what they were saying. Just about half of the review concerned American actors and actresses including such as Shirley Temple, the Lane sisters, Marlene Dietrich and Wallace Berry. They had quite a write-up about Jean Gabin but at that time he was still acting in French films and had not come to America to play in "Moontide". Maurice Chevalier was still playing in French films at the time.

Monsieur Fayard, who owns this entire valley, runs a veritable restaurant in his house. He even has two little huts built out in the back yard in order to accommodate an overflow crowd. What gets me is that a man who is so wealthy should be running a concession like that on the side. Perhaps just owning the valley doesn't make him rich in actual cash so he is taking advantage of the present situation. I believe the full meal costs about $2.75 per person replete with such specials as steak, French fries, corn on the cob and, of course, wine.

Although it was eleven o'clock at night when I tacked on the last word to the above paragraph, it didn't stop Campbell and me for taking a half an hour out to reminisce over old theme songs of famous orchestra leaders and singers and whistlers. When we got to Dick Jurgens, we could only remember him being introduced as "Here's that famous band again" with a long swoon like follow up on some instrument before they went into ant song.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman