I’m very glad that my work colleague James tipped me off to an obituary in yesterday’s Guardian because that led me to check on my recipe spreadsheet to see what I had for Mary Carlisle.
I’d fully intended making Lee Grant’s Mozzarella Marinara for my dinner tonight as I’m going to be writing about this for the Lovely Lee Grant Blogathon soon…
but alas, my mozzarella had gone mental. It was all puffed up like an over blown-up lilo…
I didn’t want to risk it…
Luckily, I had all the wherewithal to make a tribute omelet for Mary Carlisle. Well almost, I didn’t have the extra bacon to drape over the top, but as it was a really big omelet for one (I made half of Mary’s recipe) the rashers weren’t missed. It was delicious.
This photo does not really do the omelet justice…
As I ate it, I was watching a Raquel Welch movie. I’m working my way through a box set. This one was a Western and I was very pleased that this film was no different to all the others in one very important respect. Whatever the role, whatever the location, whatever the era, Raquel will have the biggest bouffe known to mankind, apart from perhaps Marie Antoinette.
This photo does not really do the hairdo justice…
How can a mere mortal have so much hair? Do you think there are “pieces” in there as I believe extensions used to be called in ye olden days, or is it all hers?
Mary, by contrast, usually had very neat and complexly pin-curled hair.
I think it would be much easier for me to go to a fancy dress party pretending to be Raquel than Mary.
Mind you, if I could get hold of an outfit like this I might give it a go…
I’ve got a book of old Hollywood publicity shots and it’s full of random photos like that last one! I just looked because I was sure Mary Carisle was in there, and she is, in one of many sets of pictures she had taken with Joan Marsh, doing things like running on a sports track, playing beach dominoes and posing with toy horses on the beach!?
I had a quick look online and they were certainly in one film together, Champagne for Breakfast, in 1935. If you google it be sure to put the year or you end up at a very different film of the same name from 1980…
Ooh, that book sounds right up my street Hazel, what’s the name of it. I love those “cheesecake” shots of the 1930s. Does it have the ones of Joan Crawford on a beach with a gramophone?
Champagne for Breakfast sounds like it would be a rom-com, but the synopsis on IMDB doesn’t bear that out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Mary Carlisle film, I feel a bit of intensive googling coming on!
Actually, I’ve just been reading more about Mary. I have seen Grand Hotel so I must have seen her in that. Also Madam Satan which is possibly the most bonkers film I ever saw (there is a party scene in a zeppelin that has to be seen to be believed!). I’m pretty sure that the last photo of Mary in a fab outfit is from Madam Satan….
Madam Satan sounds like one to watch!
The book is Screen Dreams; The Hollywood Pinup by Tony Crawley https://www.amazon.co.uk/Screen-Dreams-Photographs-Collection-1984-02-02/dp/B01K3LXDAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533846853&sr=8-1&keywords=screen+dreams+the+hollywood+pinup
No Joan Crawford playing the gramophone but she is walking her poodles. Buster Crabbe is on the beach and so is Cary Grant, playing basket ball in the sand wearing his socks…
There are some unnamed starlets sitting in hat boxes or wearing see-through sugar dishes or dresses incorporating an octopus, that sort of thing.
Victor Mature is in the bath, Dorothy Lamour is wearing ferns. I love it!
Hi Hazel – had some internet issues so please ignore this message if you got my reply from earlier.
I went STRAIGHT to Amazon to get that book – I am most looking forward to Dorothy Lamour and her ferns – she’s my birthday buddy (10th December)!
I used to work for the Kobal Collection, where those photos came from, they ran a film archive too. I didn’t get to rummage around in the photo collection much – it was HUGE!
Best thing about working there was the annual calendar they produced with gorgeous pix of the stars – good Christmas presents!
Jx
I couldn’t be more glad that you had a recipe of Mary’s! I’m definitely going to try this as soon as possible! If you’re looking for a movie of Mary’s to watch, I would recommend Double or Nothing with Bing Crosby. I’ve seen as many of Mary’s films as I could get my hands on (I’m a huge fan), and Double or Nothing is by far her best in my opinion!
Yay Samantha! I had some internet issues so please ignore this message if you got my reply from earlier.
I loved your post about Mary Carlisle. How fabulous that she replied to your letter and what a lovely, lovely reply too.
I’ve got a few other recipes for Mary, I’ll gather them together and send them to you soon.
I’ve bought a Bing Crosby box set so I can see Double or Nothing! I might do a whole meal and write a Dinner and a Movie post, watch this space…
Lovely that you dropped by. Hope all is well – Jenny x
Hi, I didn’t get an earlier reply. Hope you like the book. I’m going to look out for some of her films now, especially Double or Nothing!
Yes, I’m really looking forward to the Bing Crosby box set turning up!
Lies. There is no way that woman (a thin flapper, no less!) could eat this omelet and have that figure. Someone is clearly wrong here. I give you the benefit of the doubt and choose to believe this recipe is like when today’s models swear they ‘eat burgers and fries,’ when they’re clearly making it up to seem normal. Because if Mary Carlisle could eat this omelet and keep her figure I might as well give up now. I’ll just live in pjs and sweats for the rest of my life.
Haha – yes Caroline! I suspect that Mary probably ate a tiny corner of omelet and her cook at the rest! Mind you, it doesn’t say on the recipe how many this omelet should serve. Lots of the old Hollywood movie star recipes seem to serve about 20, I guess they were all entertaining each other all the time.
Perhaps this omelet is to serve a few folks with mighty hangovers after an all-nighter at Mary’s…