Screenland Plus TV-Land (Jul 1959 - May 1960)

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"IF I WERE MARRIED" continued One day we passed a car agency and saw a beautiful convertible. "Let's buy it," I suggested. Mom looked doubtful, "We shouldn't." "I know we shouldn't," I agreed. She couldn't suppress a smile. "Okay," she said, "Let's". And so we bought it. with all that wonderful aliveness he has. It's only natural that anyone capable of such love would be subject to great anxiety. If Tony has to be away from home any longer than two weeks, he insists that the family come along. But no matter how briefly he is gone, he worries. No matter what he's doing, no matter what else is on his mind, he has to call the house at least four or five times a day to make sure personally that everything is all right. I couldn't join him until a week later, so when he went to Florida on location for "Operation Petticoat", he had to leave by himself. I knew where he was every mile en route. I kept getting collect calls from every whistle stop between Los Angeles and Miami. "How is everything?" he would ask. He was particularly concerned because Kelly had caught cold. "Is she better? Is she all right? How is Jamie? Are you all right? You're not too tired or nervous, are you? That's fine. That's wonderful. I love you. I love you all." Some of our friends wonder why I don't make a big joke of Tony's worry streak. I couldn't. I wouldn't. It's too real with him. I reassure him. Then he's fine. He's certainly one of the most caring fathers I've seen around. One thing I don't have to worry about is Tony not wanting to spend time with the children. There's nothing he loves better. He can't wait to get home to be with them. He drops his things in his room. He says hello to me, and kisses me, and he's off to find the kids. Tony is so much at ease with them. So many men seem lost with children. Most men don't know what to do with them. Not Tony. Tony is not inhibited by children. He always has had such a wonderful way with them. This goes for any children, not only his own. They all love him. Part of it may be due to the fact that Tony was 15 when his brother, Bobby, was born, and he helped take care of him. When Kelly was an infant, Tony was better with her than I was. I've never had any brothers or sisters or cousins. I never was around newborn children. It didn't take me long to learn, of course, but it sure was a comfort to have a husband who knew his way 66 That sort of thing could ruin a marriage. At least my husband could always be sure of one thing — that I will try to look well at all times. I feel it terribly important for a girl to always . be attractive to her husband. If she isn't, it could be the end of a happy marriage. And the one thing I'd want more than anything else, if I were married, is to make my husband happy. END around a diaper, and who wasn't afraid to hold a baby in his arms. Nothing involving the children is a chore to Tony. When Jamie was born, his biggest treat was to change her, burp her, hold her and give her a bath. He adores playing with Jamie, and vice versa. Her big blue eyes go wider and wider, and she's overcome with delight every time she sees her daddy. He throws her up in the air, goes ga-ga with her, and all that kind of stuff. But not to hear Tony tell it. He says the trouble with the rest of us is that we just don't understand Jamie's language. He talks with her practically by the hour. He spouts his frightening gibberish at her, and she comes right back. They carry on the most incredible discussions that way. Tony is such an imaginative, active and fun-loving father. Everything he does with the children is spontaneous and fresh. He plays a running game with Kelly in which he spins tales of a girl named Alice, who in reality is Kelly. Alice goes on imaginary trips all over the world. Tony tells about all the animals to be found in each country, and Kelly listens, entranced, or chimes in with observations from her own experiences when she was in Europe with us. Tony razzle-dazzles her with card tricks, and makes her guess which hand the penny SO MANY men seem lost with children but not Tony. He has a grand way with them. is in. Last night, he was in the kitchen baking cakes, and he made a game out of that, too. He used one of those squeeze things — oh, you know, one of those tubes of whipped cream or icing — and he drew all sorts of things on top of the cake for Kelly's edification. She called for a flower, and lie drew a flower. Then because we have mushrooms outside the house, he drew mushrooms. He makes everything fun. Kelly's getting to be quite a swimmer, and Tony thinks up so many ways to help her overcome a child's natural fear of going underwater. He throws her in the air in Superman games in which she is Superlady. They hunt for their hands underwater. To quote a Hollywood cliche, they have a ball! Of course it's important that the children realize he is a parent, not a playmate. Tony recognizes this, so he gladly takes a hand in mundane things as well. He hears Kelly's bedtime prayers, sees to it that she washes her face and hands, that she brushes her te^th, and he often bathes her. Yet even when he directs Kelly through these chores, it usually winds up with sounds of quaking laughter. Kelly knows there are certain things she must do. She knows she can't do or have everything she wants, and that she has to obey. Most important of all. however, she knows how much Tony and I love her. We are just as quick to praise as reprove her. Tony and I are thrilled with her sense of security. A few nights ago, to illustrate, Kelly did something very sweet. "That was a very good girl, Kelly," I complimented her. "Oh," she agreed matter-of-factly, '"I'm a very nice person." Tony was so broken up that he had to run out of the room. His rapport with the children is beautiful to behold. Kelly thinks of Tony constantly. If she does something well during the day, she says, "Will Daddy be pleased?" Toward evening she says, "Has Daddy come home yet? Is he still at work? Is he bringing home the bacon, Mommy? Is he bringing me home a little money too?" No one needs to tell Tony how priceless the children are. So often we'll be talking about them, and he'll say: "I knew I loved you before, Janet. We had a wonderful life before the children came. Now with them, I just can't imagine our life before, and I love you more than ever. It's so much better now with the children. Sometimes I wonder how we could have been satisfied before." I wouldn't know how to rate a father, I suppose. I wouldn't know how to compare one father with other fathers. All I know is that I like the kind of father my husband is. On my report card I'd have to grade Tony Curtis as excellent. I can only offer amen to what Kelly says, and to what I know Jamie in her baby wav tries to say: "I love you, Daddy." END Papa Tony continued from page 27