In Esther Williams' autobiography, Million Dollar Mermaid (Simon & Schuster, 1999), she recounts a story about filming a segment for "Ziegfeld Follies" in which my father, dressed in naval whites sings "I'll See You Again in Honolulu" while she does an underwater ballet. After shooting the sequence, she found a note from him in her dressing room that said, "We will meet again, but not in Honolulu. I am in dressing room 10." Based on her past experience of being chased by nearly every man she met, she interpreted this as a seduction ploy. I'm not so sure it was. Especially since my father didn't wait around very long for her to show up.
Like many men at whom women fling themselves (or at least flirt with), my father was not unmoved by displays of affection. Although I don't believe he was truly unfaithful to my mother—until near the end of his life—he may have had (or hoped for) the odd fling here and there.
Busy day at the Museum today. Selections from the James Melton Souvenirs CD are playing on the sound system and visitors are photographing your dad's Peugeot so much that there is a constant flash glow from that end of the building. A lady visitor just told me she would go anywhere for a ride in that car. Perhaps your dad didn't need to leave notes... a ride in the Peugeot would have been enough.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Roberto