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

I I ROGER SMITH continued "We've both changed an awful lot since our marriage, but b no means because weve tried to 'reform9 each other" claims Vicki During his convalescence people used to ask me if Roger was a good patient. Usually most of them were a little bit shocked when I'd answer, "I have yet to meet anyone who is a good patient." Then I'd have to explain what I meant. Simply that Roger, like most other people, wasn't any good at playing the charming host to visitors, however well meaning, while he was lying there in pain. But Roger was an excellent patient so far as doing everything the doctor told him to do — and without complaint or protest, either — no matter how hard it was to obey orders at the time. Later he told me he figured he didn't have any choice, if he wanted to get well. And you can be sure Roger did want to get well as soon as he could. The accident happened on the Monday before Fathers Day, which I think was in mid-June, and Roger didn't get back to work at Warner Bros, until around the middle of August, so you can see he had a long siege of practicing patience as a patient. Or maybe, as a friend of ours kiddingly suggested, he was just being stubborn and showing us how obedient and patient an independent, impatient man can be LISTENING to hi-fi, the Smiths are thoroughly absorhed. Vickie stars opposite Dick Clark in movie "Because They're Young." Roger really is pretty stubborn, and so am I, but we're m stubborn with each other. Only about things. Like work. C recovering from a severe accident. In personal matters, we'i each so ready — and even eager — to claim "It's my fault," w can almost start another quarrel about who's to blame for tfc first one. I must admit, though, that on the whole, Roger give in less than I do in disagreements. But we don't do a lot of arguing. Don't believe it's wort while. As Roger says, so many married couples argue usi lessly about things that are already past . . . things that can be changed . . . that nobody can do anything about anyway Arguing like that is a waste of time for people going throug life together, as Roger and I are doing. Maybe we got all our arguing out of our systems before w were married, because we certainly used to argue a great de? then. I'd say though that usually we argued more out c misunderstanding than disagreement with each other. Roger, of course, was brought up in California and Arizon< while I grew up in Australia. We've used the same languag all our lives — but we've used it differently. And that's wh and how most of our misunderstandings would spring up. I remember once after we became engaged I started to sa to him, "I have a boy friend in Australia and — '" That wa as far as I got. Roger flared up. What did I mean by having a boy frien in Australia when I was engaged to him here? I started ai guing that there was nothing wrong with a girl having bo friends no matter how thoroughly engaged she was. We cai ried on like that for quite a while. FINALLY we got the hassle straightened out. When I"' used the term "boy friend" I had used it in the Australia sense, meaning just a friend who happened to be a male. Bu Roger had understood "boy friend"' in the American sensf and thought I was brazenly romancing some unknown riva For a while there, he didn't know where we stood in on own romance. Thank goodness we usually' understand eacl other better now and use the same language in the same way Incidentally. Roger has a very quick temper. Both ways He can lose his temper in a hurry, but he finds it again jus as fast. Me, I"m exactly the opposite. While I go along brooc ing on and off about the same thing for hours, or even day3 Roger has gotten angry and recovered his usual good nature least four or five times about as many different things. There's one thing I must say that may get an argumen from a number of girls who loom up in Roger's past: couldn't possibly agree with what used to be his taste in girl — until the time he took up with me. Now. there he showe( fine taste! (Ed. note: He certainly did.) Naturally, Roger says the same thing about my choice o boy friends before I began going with him. From time t< time there's quite a lot of teasing between us about what coincidence it is that our taste in the opposite sex improve* so miraculously when we met each other and started goinj around together. Seriously, neither of us tries to pretend that we didn't hav< crushes on other people before our marriage three years ago Roger doesn't hesitate to mention his ex-girl friends am more than I try to cover up the fact that I used to have bo} friends in a past where he didn't yet exist for me. The way things are between us, if Roger has any secret: of any kind from me, he keeps them so well they have nc continued on page fl 18