I Really Have An Itch...

He was born a wanderer.  He was like a small panther when confined with the same people and surroundings for any length of time.--Harper Lee, GO SET A WATCHMAN
My UCLA screenplay teacher, Jeff Melvoin, commented on my first draft of ideas for my MICHAEL AND JENNIFER screenplay ideas.  It wasn’t too harsh but not the most uplifting either.  He gave me more ideas to explore.  He wrote:
A nice start.  I would keep collecting anecdotal ideas for Michael and Jennifer.  The description of the meetings each undergoes with other dates makes me want to know more about these encounters.
The structure may have to wait on a bit more of this type of exploration.What puts this story in motion, what keeps it in motion?  What’s the premise, the “what would happen if”?

These questions will help focus the raw materials and should suggest how to being putting it together.
We should also talk about overall length.  For a first project, it may make sense to conceive of this as a short or television movies rather than a full-length screenplay.  I say this because writing full-length romance is a tough chore for anyone, especially the first time out.
We’ll talk about it.
I decided to vent my feelings with Paloma in a card/letter during a break at work:4-17-90, Tuesday, 10:10AM Dear Paloma,Great NIKE tennis shoes postcard…And what a neat picture of you and Jonathan!  Is that swimming pool part of the Residence Club?  It looks nice.  I like.   So…when may I come to visit?  I’m jealous that Alison and Lisa are coming to visit.  I want to go too!  I miss you lots.
I have enrolled in this course at UCLE on Wednesday nights.  We watch films (foreign and contemporary American films).   The first four films are foreign.  I’ve already seen two of them.  Both were French.   One was called MONSIEUR HIRE and the other was called MAY FOOLS (by Louise Malle, he is married to actress Candice Bergen).  Have you heard of either of these movies?   They were pretty good.  MONSIEUR HIRE was a little strange and depressing.  MAY FOOLS was funny.American movies I recommend for you include THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS and SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE.  I’ll have to think about other possibilities.PHOTO:  Sex Lies And Videotape
I’m working on a screenplay now tentatively titled MICHAEL AND JENNIFER.  It’s about a man in search of the “right” woman and a woman in search of the “right” man in California in the 90’s, encompassing romantic introductions at gas stations, supermarkets, singles bars, movie theaters, etc.   Finally, the two main characters meet in a special and unique way.  The story continues with the growth of their relationship and whether or not the relationship will continue to grow.  Various arguments will be covered, allowing the audience to relate and enjoy the couple.   What do you think?   I have nine other story ideas but first things first.  I just hope the studios will like them well enough to want to buy them from me.  Time will tell.  

I went home for EASTER Weekend.  I had a good time.  The visit seemed so short.  I just got home to L.A. last night.  
I took a few photos while in Alameda.  I liked the solo pic of mom and of Ashley.  There was also a good one of Holly and Ashley.  I nabbed a touching one of Sherri and the new baby, Ally, too. 
The following day I sent my mom a postcard of THE BABY DANCE play that Alan and I went to see at the Pasadena Playhouse because I’d heard the news of an earthquake in the Bay Area.
4-18-90Hi Mom,WOW!  A 5.4 earthquake for you this morning…I hear.   I guess the best place to be during an earthquake is in bed (or in the bathtub all ducked and covered).  I guess you were in the right place.Here’s a look at the play I saw last night.  It was really good.It’s true.  Now that I am here I want to be there.  I really have an itch to visit NEW YORK again because there’s so much there.  I only got an itty bitty taste of it the last time I visited.  I also want to visit Paloma in France.  She is in the South of France now—not Paris.  It’s nicer where she lives now as it is near the beach and the weather is warm.  Oh well…we shall see. Until next time.   Love You!  Michael

I had more pleasure time and I decided to send Paloma a few cards (especially made by me):

Dear Paloma,  It’s 4-18-90 at 7:45AM.  I went to see this play last night.  It was very good.  There really is a lot to do in and around L.A. if you take advantage of it all. 

The California Lottery was 50 Million last week.  I played but I didn’t win.  If I won I would have bought you a corvette.  I’ll remember that.  I really like the convertible Jaguar.  It’s just a little crazy driving in and around L.A.  There are so many cars.  I live in West Hollywood, so I rarely get on a freeway unless I’m going to Newport Beach, Santa Monica or Venice Beach.
That’s OK that you’ve slacked off on your writing.  I figured you were involved with work and Jonathan and all.  It was great to hear from you.  I always remember you once said something like this:  “Do you have to wait until you receive mail from me before you write back to me?”  And I realized I don’t have to wait, so Ii like to drop a card every now and again.

Wow!   Allison is already ten years old!  Oh well…Ashley will be six on 5/8/90.   They grow up so fast.  Did that outfit I sent to Jonathan ever fit him or has he grown out of it? 
Here’s Kim Basinger.

That picture that you sent of you and Jonathan is a good one.  It looks like Alexandre took a great picture this time.
No…Sherri’s not working.  She just plays the housewife role for now.  It must be nice, huh?   I think John and Sherri wanted a boy but they are brave to have a third one.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried for a boy in one to four years because I mentioned it in passing and they didn’t object to the idea (so who knows?).   I must have all of the male offspring sperm cells.   Now all I need is a gorgeous woman (the “right” woman).  Do you know any gorgeous French felines with great personalities who know a little English?  John and Sherri named their third girl “ALLY ELIZABETH”.

I vaguely remember Caroline but it’s hard to picture Coco with a baby.  Enzo, huh?  That’s different.   What ever happened to those two other guys I met?  The dark-haired guy and his friend (I forgot their names).  How is your brother, Luis?  What’s new with him?  Do you ever hear from Bernadette?  And how is your dad and stepmom (who is born the same day as me…Ha)?   And your mom, too?   How’s she doing?   I bet she wishes she could see her grandson more often. 

Paris is a distance from you but I think (or hear) that it’s much nicer where you now live.This girl that I work with (Laurie) lives in West L.A. and came by my pad.  She looked through some of my photo albums. 

She said, “You improve with age…and look better today than in your younger day photos.”I thought that was a nice compliment.

How do you like this card?  I think it’s so cool.  Yet again…another homemade version card.  I have an eye for what makes a good card.   That’s why I thought I’d be useful at an advertising agency (for copy, layout and design).  Oh well…time will tell. 

I should move to France and get a job there for a couple of years.  I could learn French.   Wouldn’t that be an escape?  It would also be very daring and adventurous.    And if I did it we’d probably end up having an affair (Ha-ha).  I hope that made your eyes widen.I should be working by now but I’m not.   It’s so “cushiony” here.  I can get away with a lot of things (including very little work in one day).  You know me I’m a natural hard-worker.  I always tend to get things done.
I have a doctor appointment (physical exam) tomorrow, April 19th.  I have a dentist appointment April 23rdand an eye doctor appointment on April 24th.  I am going to try and get my doctor to recommend a psychiatrist.   Then I hope the psychiatrist will write-up an excuse slip for three months off due to short-term mental stress on the job.

It was so funny about what you wrote regarding Jonathan and his cousins getting together and how it was like an earthquake.  That made me laugh because I sure do know what you mean…with five nieces now…can you imagine in another few years with all of them screaming and running!Christmastime is going to be a MAD HOUSE.  I told my mom about what you said about all of the kids being all together (like an Earthquake) and she laughed.  She just had Lauren (age 4) and Leigh (age 2) for a week while Tony and Helen left for a Caribbean Cruise.   My mom was so relieved when Tony and Helen returned.
Oh…here’s another card I really like.  I figured you would like the scenery (if you know what I mean, the tennis player).  I don’t know if this is ROME, Italy or where…but I love the look of the building and I’d love to be sitting on those steps on a hot day in my lounging summer wear, reading a good book or having a picnic lunch with you.

Do you think that if I come to visit you this year (or next) we could go on a picnic lunch in the park (or somewhere nice)?    That would be fun.  My current US PASSPORT expires in 1993.  I have to visit you soon since I have the ease and capability now.  I should really just arrange my flight plans to go.   When is a good time for me to visit?  I think I’ll call you in a week.  Is your telephone number 67-48-73-21?  Well, I will soon find out.  How does Alexandre feel about our friendship?  Is he cool?  Would he mind if I come to visit?  Tell him I’m a nice guy, ok?This is a photo from somewhere in Canada (I believe).  I thought it was unusual.
Oh yeah!  The new ROB LOWE movie called BAD INFLUENCE is pretty good.  You’ll really like PRETTY WOMAN with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.  I know you like Richard Gere.  PRETTY WOMAN is really good.  I have some interesting gossip about Richard Gere.  It’s kind of gross though.  Apparently there has been a trend of men being hospitalized to have a “gerbil” removed from their asshole.  A “gerbil” is a little gray mouse.  It’s gross but this lady I met who is married to a doctor told me that Richard Gere was checked-in to CEDARS SINAI Hospital in Beverly Hills to have a “gerbil” removed.  I guess they put the “gerbil” in a plastic or rubber type of contraption while it’s alive and the sensation of it moving around is stimulating while fucking.  This is “hush-hush” inside gossip that you will not read in the National Enquirer.  Isn’t that gross though?  Sorry to spoil your sweet image of the AMERICAN GIGOLO. Ha-ha.  Who knows if it’s true?

It is now 8:45AM.  I guess I better get back to work here.I just want you to know I think of you often.  I really do miss you!  I am “SO SO” glad we’ve remained in touch over the years.  Who would have ever thought “a baby” and “a cave girl” would ever be attached for so long after meeting at a Halloween Party in San Francisco.

Oh…UB40 (Red Red Wine) are performing in Los Angeles next month.  Maybe I should try to get tickets just for our sake.Have a GREAT day!  You have such style!
I hope you like these multiple cards.
ALL MY LOVE, Michael
Paloma sent me a postcard of an aerial view of the BALARUC-LES-BAINS area where she currently lives.   She wrote:
Le 23 Avril, 1990Dear Michael, I just got your cards today.  Thank you for the little PACIFIC BELL “book” (I don’t know the word for that).  Just like you American people like French things, we French people like American things.That was fun to hear your voice the other day.  I was so surprised that I really didn’t know what to say. 

Here is a picture of BALARUC LES BAINS which is really a very tiny town.  We’ve got pretty big cities close by, the one I was telling you about on the phone (MONTPELLIER) is where the closes airport is.   It’s just about a twenty minute drive from here.  I don’t think you’ll find a flight from L.A. to MONTPELLIER.  Maybe from New York…but you want to go to Paris first, right?  I can’t meet you in Paris.  July is the busiest time here.
A few days later I found a cute sketch of a kitty cat with blue eyes pictured on a card and bought it for Paloma.  I wrote the following:
April 23, 1990Dear Paloma, It was nice talking to you on the phone on Saturday.  Jonathan sounds so cute.  And since he is fifty-percent Paloma he’s got to be cute anyway.  Your English was fine.  You sounded great!  You haven’t lost it and never will.  Besides, you can read my cards and letters can’t you?  I write in a conversational tone, so that helps.Anyway, here’s how it happened…My friend, Alan and I, were walking along Venice Boulevard and there’s a street called PALOMA STREET.  I told him about you.  We discussed the idea of skipping town and “zooming” over to Europe.  And so…we are going to! 
Alan is separated from his wife, Susan (she’s really nice).  He has two daughters, Lauren (age 10) and Carrie (age 7).  I met him at LE DOME, a bar/restaurant around the corner from me.   We go out to clubs and check out the scene every now and again.  He’s shown me around a lot of the good spots in L.A.  Our tentative plan for Europe is as follows:
We fly out of L.A. on 7/4/90 and arrive in PARIS on 7/5/90 where we will immediately rent a car and drive from 7-5 thru 7-9 through the white wine Chateau Countryside towards Barcelona, SPAIN.  We will stay in SPAIN for a while.  Then, we will head toward MONTPELLIER and BALARUC-LES-BAINS sometime between 7-11 and 7-18.  I will call you when we get close.  We’d like to stick around your area for a few days, then head on by car through the French Riviera.  
By 7/19, 7/20 or 7/21 we plan to drive through MILAN, ITALY and GENEVA, SWITZERLAND and return to PARIS by 7/23.  So…it will be a lot of “by car” traveling.  This way we will see more and it should be fun.  We plan on being flexible.  We may extend our stay in certain places.  The 7-11 thru 7-18 is the key time that we will be in your area.  I hope we can crash in one of your units and/or on your living room floor.  I can’t wait to see you   I’ll keep you posted on the latest.
Oh guess what…Are you wondering how I’m going to get all of this time off?  Well, I’m going to say my Grandfather died in Barcelona, SPAIN on 7/30/90 and off I go…until I get back on 7/23.  Both of my grandfathers died in 1954 and 1978, so I know they both would have wanted me to visit my heritage country (SPAIN), so the trip really IS for my grandfathers and grandmothers before me.  See You Soon, Love, MICHAEL P.S.  I thought Jonathan might like the KITTY CAT, so I made a couple of copies for him to color or tear apart. 
It’s so HOT and I’ve been wandering around here naked at times, luxuriating in my own sensuality and having all sorts of fantasies about you. –Colin Channer, WAITING IN VAIN, a novel