Frank Wilcox

            On Friday morning I searched for the chords for "Sans blague" (No Joke) by Boris Vian but no one had posted them. I worked out the first two. 

            I memorized the chorus of "Trompe d’érection" (Missed Erection) by Serge Gainsbourg. 

            As usual, a squirrel attacked another squirrel on the wire and chased it across. But this time the fleeing squirrel lost its balance. It caught itself on the underside of the wire and ran most of the way upside down with the other squirrel on top of the wire in hot pursuit. The upside-down squirrel made it and headed west on another wire. The aggressive squirrel was triumphant in chasing the other out of its territory but it was visibly breathing hard afterward and had to pause to recover before going back across. 

            I weighed 84.6 kilos before breakfast. 

            I read some more of Marie de France's fables but I got sleepy and took an early siesta from noon to 13:30.

            I weighed 83.9 kilos before lunch. 

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride downtown and back. 

            I weighed 84 kilos at 16:10. 

            I was caught up on my journal at 16:45. 

            I started working on the Saturday homework for my English in the World course. We have to write a 300-word essay on a particular passage from the story "No Sweetness Here". It's only worth one point but I want to do something I can be proud of. It's annoying though because I want to get on with the main essay which is due in one week and worth a lot more. 

            I had a potato with gravy and my last slice of roast beef while watching episode 14 of The Beverly Hillbillies. 

            In this story, the Clampetts arrive at Jed's old cabin. Elly May immediately heads for the woods to catch up with all of her animal friends but they won't come to her. Elly comes back to the cabin and gives Pearl her mink coat because it makes the animals nervous. After that, her friends come to her. 

            Mr. Brewster the oil man has been staying at the cabin but he says he'll move to a hotel in town while they are there. But the Clampetts know that Pearl is still trying to land Brewster as a husband, so they help steer him towards taking the guest room at Pearl's place. But when Jethro tries to protest that there is no guest room because it's his, Pearl keeps kicking him. 

            Elly's friend the eagle steals Granny's and Pearl's mink coats for her nest and so Elly has to make her give them back. 

            Everyone including Brewster is invited to Pearl's place that night and to come to the theatre where she plays piano. The movies are all silent films and the original Ben Hur is playing. Brewster tries to get away but Jethreen catches him. Homer Winch declares his love for Pearl and gets down on one knee to propose. He won't leave until she gives him a kiss and so she does. 

            Brewster was played by Frank Wilcox, who moved to California in his 20s and worked at various jobs while becoming active in local theatre. He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and became best friends with George Reeves. They later did eleven films together. He was spotted during a theatre performance by a talent scout who was looking for someone to play Henry Clay in The Monroe Doctrine. After signing with Warner he was never without work for three decades but his roles were always supporting parts. He played Federal DA Beecher Asbury on The Untouchables.

            I didn't make it past a week of not seeing bedbugs. I found a tiny one in the corner of the west and south walls just above the foot of my bed.