SEGMENT: JAMES DEAN
As referenced prior, I purchased a 1955 Porsche Super Speedster from a freind of Sallie's. We drove it all over and Sallie loved to run around in it.
Sallie loved the car but at first could not stick shift, but later learned and loved it.
One evening Sallie and I drove to a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood. We saw James Dean in his white 1500 Super Porsche Speedster like mine; he was wearing a maroon color wind breaker. We left and the next day Sallie bought me a maroon wind breaker, just like James Dean's.
A while later I went to the same drive in and saw James Dean parked getting served from the waitresses on skates. I pulled up close to him and when he looked my way, I waved at him wearing the same wind breaker sitting in the same white 1500 Porsche Super Speedster. He smiled and gave me a "Thumbs Up." I felt like a hokey celebrity!
One cool eventing Sallie and I decided to drive to the Hollywood drive-in and get a couple of chocolate sundays. We drove around to find a place to park and order but all spots were taken. We parked nearby and walked to the drive-in restaurant. Sallie pointed to James Dean sitting in his Porsche with a tray on his door drinking something. We walked by and Sallie pointed to my plumb colored jacket and Dean chuckled. Dean invited us to sit in his Porsche and order. We said yes and got in his Porsche, Sallie in front and me in the back seat. We chatted for a while and Sallie said she was getting cold and was going to go get her jacket she left in our Porsche. Dean said there was a leather type jacket in the back seat and told me to hand it to Sallie, which I did. Sallie loved it because it felt like velvet.
We chatted for a while and Sallie said she had to get home and had things to do. Sallie took the jacket off and handed it to Dean. Dean said keep it for and keep warm. Sallie was elated, not only to wear a nice warm jacket but wearing Dean's jacket!
He told us he was driving to Monterey for a race in a few days and said he would see us back at the drive-in again after he returned.
SEGMENT: HOLLYWOOD, SLO AND JAMES DEAN LATE 1955
I had moved to Southern California early in 1955 where I met Sallie. I travleled back to Petaluma several times and loved to drive the Porsche back and forth.
Years before I had made an effort to attend Cal Poly University in San Louis Obispo before I attended Santa Rosa Junior College. My high school friend Steve was enrolled there and he said we could meet at LA for a visit with his other friend. We all planned to meet September 30th weekend, 1955.
Steve drove to the Hollywood area and met me. We waited for Steve's friend Donald Turnupseed driving down from Cal Poly, SLO. We waited at the motel for Donald to arrive and did not hear from him. We were concerned. Then we got a phone call from Donald and told us he was involved in a car accident with some guy named James Dean. Steve and I were shocked. We had recently watched James Dean in a pre released movie of "The Giant" and were speechless. We decided to leave and go home. I felt like another Synchronicity in my life had occurred.
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