Tuesday 7th : Today is Hollywood's big day – the day of the Oscars. It's curious that the whole world makes fun of it, but that all actors want to win one and in the obituaries of actors it is invariably mentioned as the summit of their achievements. Even in The Times or the Guardian.

For instance one of the reasons is that if the Oscar for leading actors is won tonight by John Wayne it will be out of pure sentimentality because, though I haven't seen his performance, I'm told that it is little more than his usual walk through.33 His performance is not comparable with Voight's or Hoffman's. I haven't see O'Toole's and I am no judge myself.

The supporting actress will probably be won by one Goldie Hawn because she is a famous TV personality. The leading actress will probably be Liza Minnelli because her mother died last year – Judy Garland a great and sentimental favourite here. And so on. That's what makes it absurd and still it's coveted, even by me! My only chance is that I am a Kennedy-Adlai Stevenson associate and a ‘Dove’ while Wayne is a Republican, ‘my country right or wrong’ Birchite Hawk, and the ‘artistic’ Hollywood fraternity is usually very liberal.

Also, John Springer says that a great many people thought we were robbed when I didn't win for Who's Afraid. We shall see. [...] The rest of the day is going to be chaos and I look forward to Vallarta with longing. One more day.

Wednesday 8th : Richard is the BEST That was written in his sups and cups last night – I mean this morning at 4.30 by a pixilated Brook. But cups or not I think he means it so shall leave it in. [...]

John Wayne won the Oscar as predicted. We went to the party afterwards and sat with George Cukor the Pecks and the Chandlers (owners of the LA Times) but were surrounded by scores of photographers, who, to my delight, took very little notice of anybody else including the winners Barbra Streisand who fancies herself a big star was completely eclipsed.

And a whole queue of people, literally hundreds, passed the table to stare at E and tell me that I was robbed and after all these protestations we began to wonder who in the world voted for Wayne.

We got out with a great difficulty because of the hordes of photographers, visiting Gig Young, who won best supporting actor, en route, who was stoned but sweet. Hawn won the supporting actress, also as predicted. We couldn't find Duke Wayne so came home, [...] Later still came Wayne himself also very drunk but, in his foul-mouthed way very affable. I survived another night without booze [...]

Anyway, I lost again, and am now the most nominated leading actor in the history of the Academy Awards who has never won. So I carved my tiny niche in the wall of Oscar's Wisden.."