Presented by Michael Segers, Brought to you by Peanut.org
What can I say about The
Mummy, especially on Mother’s
Day weekend? And, although Election
seems to be coming in with a landslide, I’m still trying to stay away from
comedies, romantic or otherwise, for a while. So, this week, I’m pleased to
welcome Chris Page to Peanut.org to help us out with ideas for great but
economical summer evening getaways involving classic films, good food, and
Internet fun to share with friends and family. Chris, a California native,
currently lives in Southern Illinois just a stone’s throw from St. Louis’s
Gateway Arch. When not immersed in classic-era films, she likes to watch cooking
shows, surf the ‘net, attempt to learn Latin, and dream of designing the
ultimate iris garden. Till next time, keep your feet dry, your heart full of
noble thoughts, your eyes full of these lovely movies, a hibiscus behind your
ear, and your kitchen full of the food that Chris describes so well that I
gained a couple of pounds just reading this! Mike
Copyright © 1999 by Christine Page, All rights reserved
You need a break.
Can’t hop the Concorde, take a slow boat to Tahiti, or even manage a weekend
at the beach? Here’s the next best thing: escape into the moods of summer with
any of these three food-and-classic film combos to enjoy in a single afternoon
or evening.
You’ve always wanted to window shop along the
Via Condotti, or stand in the shadow of the Colosseum. You’ve dreamed of
descending the graceful Spanish Steps, imagined the mist from the Trevi Fountain
against your face and the thrill of gazing at the dome of St. Peter’s (shading
your eyes against the brilliant Italian sun as you do). What else could compare?
Only two things I can think of: love, and Audrey Hepburn. Bring them together in
the Eternal City, and the result is magic with an Italian accent.
Roman Holiday, co-starring
Gregory Peck and directed by the great William Wyler, tells the story of a
European princess and a raffish American reporter who meet by chance in Rome. In
the space of a day, each gives the other a life-changing gift: his to her, an
unforgettable taste of freedom; hers to him, nothing less than a conscience. In
the context of today’s celebrity-driven culture—and particularly in the
melancholy wake of the Diana years— Roman
Holiday has a resonance its makers could not have foreseen. For the charm
and poignancy of its love story, however, credit largely must go to the
wonderfully-paired Hepburn and Peck.
Gregory Peck, a major star at the time Roman
Holiday was released, is on record as having personally campaigned for the
little-known Hepburn to receive equal billing with him. His thinking was that he
would be a fool not to, and indeed Hepburn’s performance as Princess Ann
earned her a Best Actress Oscar. From there, this gifted lady went on to secure
lasting fame as a uniquely captivating screen presence. Those who particularly
cherish her turn as Eliza Doolittle in 1964’s My Fair Lady will find
that performance hauntingly prefigured in Roman Holiday’s initial
ballroom sequence, as well as in the scene in which the princess, restless and
unable to sleep, stands on her ornate bed in a fussy Edwardian-style nightgown.
But it’s all too easy to become sad when
remembering the radiant Audrey, and summer is a time for savoring present joys.
For this classic escape, you’ll want to put together a festive, Italy-inspired
menu: perhaps a tangy antipasto salad, a basket of warm, crusty bread, sizzling
medallions of grilled sole, and a light and elegant pasta dish. To drink, a
choice of raspberry or mint iced tea, tiny cups of steaming espresso, and a good
Italian wine. (While you’re at it, champagne wouldn’t be out of
place—Princess Ann, after all, thinks it’s just the thing to sip at a
sidewalk cafe.) For dessert, perhaps rich tiramisu, or a fruity, refreshing
Italian ice. Just make sure to save a little of your favorite beverage for the
end of the movie. As the credits roll, you’ll want to raise a toast to
romance, to Rome, and to all the sweet surprises that summer may hold in store.
(Running time: 119 min. Black & white.)
You can continue your travels beyond the video
store and the kitchen at these sites on the Web:
www.inch.com/ maleman/audj.htm
An absolutely
ravishing Audrey Hepburn site.
www.highonadventure.com/Hoa97sep/Rome/rome.htm
A visit to Rome in
words and pictures—plus helpful links for the traveler.
www.food.italynet.com/default2.htm
Nicely put-together,
vastly informative site on everything to do with Italian cuisine.
http://ellinwood.com/ Carol.Lang/photos.htm
If you could gaze at
Gregory Peck forever, this page is for you.
If you’ve got a pineapple in the ‘fridge,
hollow it out and fill it with something cold, wet and refreshing. If there’s
a hibiscus handy, put it behind your ear. Donovan’s Reef
is an old-fashioned, uncomplicated good time—no deeper than a
footprint in the sand, but as warm and zesty as the breeze off a tropical bay.
Starring John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and Elizabeth Allen, and directed by Wayne’s
great and good friend John Ford, it tells the story of a snooty Boston heiress
who comes to French Polynesia to find evidence against the father she never
knew, and stays to embrace a family she didn’t know she had. Along the way,
the lady takes a strong dislike to some of the quirky local characters—the
rough-edged Michael Donovan (Wayne) in particular. Rough edges, however, have a
way of softening hearts of stone...
One of the surprises, and assets, of this movie
is its unusual cast, which features not only the volatile combination of Wayne
and Marvin—a treat to watch—but Hollywood veterans Cesar Romero and Dorothy
Lamour, in showy roles that allow them to ham it up. Students of John Wayne’s
personal life might recognize the Duke’s grown son Patrick (playing a Marine)
and little daughter Aissa (a village child). I’ll wager, however, that even
the sharpest-eyed movie buff might miss the glimpse the film provides of silent
screen ingenue Mae Marsh, in a cameo as one of a trio of proper Bostonian old
maids.
Sticklers for political correctness should be
warned that the humor in Donovan’s
Reef is applied with broad brush-strokes, and stereotypes abound. However,
it soon becomes apparent that just about everybody comes in for kidding here:
Bostonians, Asians, Australians, the English, drinkers, military men,
independent women, and women "of a certain age". And it should be
noted that, beneath and beyond the laughter, the movie’s strong central
message takes a page directly from the enlightened South Pacific: we are all one family.
So kick back and enjoy—and afterward, see if
you don’t find yourself humming the liltingly beautiful "Pearly
Shells" (Pupu O Ewa), whose melody accompanies so much of the film’s
action that it’s practically a member of the cast!
The mood here calls for a feast with a touch of
the tropics: perhaps grilled shrimp and pork kebabs with pineapple and mushroom,
fresh crabmeat salad on a luxuriant bed of lettuce (Boston Bibb, in honor of our
heroine), and warm banana-macadamia nut muffins topped with toasted coconut. To
drink: any tall, cool beverage should do nicely—provided it’s the color of a
Polynesian sunset. (Running time: 109 min. Color.)
Find food, Hawaiian songs, movie stars, and the
South Pacific at:
Although Donovan’s
Reef was filmed on Kauai,
its story is set in beautiful French Polynesia (otherwise known as Tahiti). Go
there via these lush, clickable images from Tahitiweb.
http://members.aol.com/fortscott/index.html
If you’re looking
for a terrific John Wayne site, Pilgrim, look no further.
http://ukediner.ukulele.org/ukelesson.html
"Pearly
Shells" is NOT cheesy!--but it’s a treat to have the Hawaiian words,
which are used in the film. Grab your ukulele and go for it! (Then, click on the
toaster and explore this exceptionally witty and creative site.)
www.hei.com/heco/ekitchen/ekitchen.html
Scrumptious-sounding
Pacific Rim recipes!
I will state up front that I’m more than
usually prejudiced when it comes to Mr.
Hobbs Takes a Vacation: it was formed in the capable hands of my favorite
director, Henry Koster. Henry WHO? That’s okay, I understand. Koster’s work
was never flashy or self-consciously "artistic"; it was just quietly
classy and enduringly, deep-down good. This film is all of that—besides being
one of the funniest movies ever made.
Jimmy Stewart plays mild-mannered family man
Roger Hobbs, who needs—badly—to get away from the workaday rat-race. Hobbs
plans a month-long vacation for himself and wife Peggy (perennial knockout
Maureen O’Hara), carefully arranging alternative care for their moody teenage
daughter and precocious pre-teen son. Awash in travel brochures, he envisions a
romantic Europpean idyll—until Peggy, overcome with maternal guilt feelings,
radically revises the program to include the kids, extended family, and a
rambling old house at the beach. Initially aghast, once behind the wheel of the
family station wagon our hero becomes his old, optimistic self—unaware that
somewhere among the suitcases, board games, and beach umbrellas, Murphy’s Law
is along for the ride.
To say more would spoil the fun. Nunally
Johnson’s top-notch script allows Stewart to take deadpan humor to the limit,
and the supporting players—among them John McGiver, Reginald Gardiner, and
teen heartthrob Fabian Forte—capably sustain the mood of controlled wackiness.
The laughs are gentle—in the Koster style—but so relentless that you might
actually welcome the film’s one out-of-kilter moment: a syrupy duet between
Fabian and Lauri Peters that one can only assume was written into the former’s
contract. Take the opportunity it affords to raid the buffet table or visit the
littlest room—and give your facial muscles a rest. You’ll soon be grinning
again.
Laid-back, classic American cookout fare is in
order for this escape: potato salad, cole slaw, corn on the cob, watermelon, and
of course plenty of barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers, washed down with ice-cold
lemonade or your favorite soft drink. For dessert, homemade brownies and apple
pie.
See, staying home can be fun! And after watching
this movie, you’ll think twice before leaving the driveway. (Running time: 116
min. Color.)
Make your vacation complete at these web-sites:
www.happyfamilies.com/vacation/browse.cfm
Think YOUR vacation
was a disaster? Read, compare, and even share...
www.jetcity.com/ beck/j_stewart.html
A page that says a
great deal, in a few short paragraphs, about a wonderful actor and a perfect
screen partnership.
www.robinsfyi.com/moneypit.htm
This site is a
hoot--and very practical. Somewhere, Roger Hobbs is smiling. He can relate.
http://avant-gareth-studios.com/me/sandcastle.html
To restore the faith
of the most burned-out vacation veteran, Gareth’s lyrical tribute to
sandcastle serendipity.