I am, have been , and always will be, a huge film fan..Fan of current and old films (love the old ones), and it is always surprising for me to discover a film that I have not seen or heard of before...
This would be the case of "The Pumpkin Eater". This classic English film starring Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch, and James Mason, was made in the early 60's. A serious black and white film, depicting a couple trying to survive an unsatisfactory marriage, it is certainly one of the best of that genre. What a delightful surprise to come upon it! Come to find out, it won the Cannes Film Festival for that year...If you love Anne Bancroft, which I always have, you simply must try to get a hold of this film. In MANY ways, it reminds me of my favorite writer/director Ingmar Bergman, except it's in English! Oh how I love discovering a new film that completely absorbs me from beginning to end...Such a pleasure!
Speaking of pleasure, and adding a bit of fantasy to it, have you ever wanted to live in another time just because of the times themselves, or the fashions, or just because of the overall ambiance? I ALWAYS have...I have been in love with the most glamorous times in our country, since I was a little girl...For me, of course, it's always about the "look" and the "mood"...Mostly what I have picked up in old movies, where everybody has money, and everyone looks fabulous...By the time I was 10 years old, I fantasized about looking like Joan Crawford (in her youth!), or Rita Hayworth...I wanted the pouting huge red lips, the slim suit with the padded shoulders, the nylons with the black line up the back (that probably had to be constantly straightened...shh...I'm fantasizing!), the long dark red nails, the fox trim, and the cigarette smoke exhaled from my mouth, nose, and seemingly everywhere (I did not say that any of this was politically or in any way CORRECT...they just didn't have to care about that back then...It's probably why their skin was so very silken...they just didn't worry so much about EVERYTHING!)...
Anyway, there I am with my "coiffed" hair, (did you see Kate Winslet's hair at the Oscars? Not a hair out of place...that's "coiffed")...I digress...So there I am sitting at a fabulous Art Deco kind of bar, in one of those big round velvet booths, waiting for my date (that has an uncanny resemblance to Clark Gable...well, maybe it IS Clark Gable..)...in my smart velvet suit with the large gold buttons and enough shoulder padding to make me a threat to anyone standing next to me on the subway, a cute little velvet hat to match, big gold button earrings (not pierced of course..heavens NO!), white gloves (take them off in the bar? Absolutely not..they go with "the look"), and of course my long red nails, silken skin, and big pouting red lips, where the long swirling design of smoke exits from...My date is late, and the waiter asks me if I want a "Cocktail" (no, not a "DRINK"...ladies like this were ALWAYS offered "Cocktails")...I, of course, reply yes, and he asks me what I want...I answer, " Oh, I don't know..One tires of Martinis..Oh, just bring me something that you think would be best..." "Yes Madam, I know just the thing.."
He returns with a wonderful Cocktail, that he calls a "Fog Cutter"...It is delicious..
Well, maybe I cannot recreate this fantasy, but I CAN make a "Fog Cutter" Cocktail, and so can YOU!
1 1/2 ounces light Rum
1/2 ounce Brandy
1/2 ounce Gin
1 ounce Orange Juice
3 TBLSP Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Teasp. Orgeat Syrup
1 Teasp. Sweet Sherry
Shake all ingredients except Sherry and strain over ice into Collins glass.
Top with Sherry...don't stir
Makes one Cocktail
Enjoy (even if you ARE in a jeans and tshirt!)
This would be the case of "The Pumpkin Eater". This classic English film starring Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch, and James Mason, was made in the early 60's. A serious black and white film, depicting a couple trying to survive an unsatisfactory marriage, it is certainly one of the best of that genre. What a delightful surprise to come upon it! Come to find out, it won the Cannes Film Festival for that year...If you love Anne Bancroft, which I always have, you simply must try to get a hold of this film. In MANY ways, it reminds me of my favorite writer/director Ingmar Bergman, except it's in English! Oh how I love discovering a new film that completely absorbs me from beginning to end...Such a pleasure!
Speaking of pleasure, and adding a bit of fantasy to it, have you ever wanted to live in another time just because of the times themselves, or the fashions, or just because of the overall ambiance? I ALWAYS have...I have been in love with the most glamorous times in our country, since I was a little girl...For me, of course, it's always about the "look" and the "mood"...Mostly what I have picked up in old movies, where everybody has money, and everyone looks fabulous...By the time I was 10 years old, I fantasized about looking like Joan Crawford (in her youth!), or Rita Hayworth...I wanted the pouting huge red lips, the slim suit with the padded shoulders, the nylons with the black line up the back (that probably had to be constantly straightened...shh...I'm fantasizing!), the long dark red nails, the fox trim, and the cigarette smoke exhaled from my mouth, nose, and seemingly everywhere (I did not say that any of this was politically or in any way CORRECT...they just didn't have to care about that back then...It's probably why their skin was so very silken...they just didn't worry so much about EVERYTHING!)...
Anyway, there I am with my "coiffed" hair, (did you see Kate Winslet's hair at the Oscars? Not a hair out of place...that's "coiffed")...I digress...So there I am sitting at a fabulous Art Deco kind of bar, in one of those big round velvet booths, waiting for my date (that has an uncanny resemblance to Clark Gable...well, maybe it IS Clark Gable..)...in my smart velvet suit with the large gold buttons and enough shoulder padding to make me a threat to anyone standing next to me on the subway, a cute little velvet hat to match, big gold button earrings (not pierced of course..heavens NO!), white gloves (take them off in the bar? Absolutely not..they go with "the look"), and of course my long red nails, silken skin, and big pouting red lips, where the long swirling design of smoke exits from...My date is late, and the waiter asks me if I want a "Cocktail" (no, not a "DRINK"...ladies like this were ALWAYS offered "Cocktails")...I, of course, reply yes, and he asks me what I want...I answer, " Oh, I don't know..One tires of Martinis..Oh, just bring me something that you think would be best..." "Yes Madam, I know just the thing.."
He returns with a wonderful Cocktail, that he calls a "Fog Cutter"...It is delicious..
Well, maybe I cannot recreate this fantasy, but I CAN make a "Fog Cutter" Cocktail, and so can YOU!
1 1/2 ounces light Rum
1/2 ounce Brandy
1/2 ounce Gin
1 ounce Orange Juice
3 TBLSP Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Teasp. Orgeat Syrup
1 Teasp. Sweet Sherry
Shake all ingredients except Sherry and strain over ice into Collins glass.
Top with Sherry...don't stir
Makes one Cocktail
Enjoy (even if you ARE in a jeans and tshirt!)
1 comment:
Love the name for this coctail!
Post a Comment