The Natives are Restless

The native of southern California—whom the author calls a "Procal"—inhabits the area of Los Angeles and its environs. He came to California because he was tired of something—usually cold weather—and he has become the most hobby- and leisure-conscious citizen in the U.S., devoted as he is to his barbecue, his swimming pool, his beaches, his deserts and his television set. Cynthia Hobart Lindsay describes a long list of Procal habits and habitats: his outrageous driving—which seems to be the most marked manifestation of his "restlessness"; the Sunset Strip which is frequented by the closest thing to a southern California beatnik; Hollywood parties; the penchant for the occult; Forest Lawn Cemetery—which also serves the community as an artistic and cultural center; the out-of-bounds areas—notably Pasadena; and the most recent complexity—the Dodgers.

Presented with laughter, lifted eyebrows and affection, here is a wide-screen report on the Never-Never Land of Southern California, packed with bizarre but authentic historical, sociological and psychological facts and anecdotes.