Movie of the Week: Rebecca
I've read the book, watched the movie several times and even seen the two television miniseries and I never get tired of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. While it's not totally the same as the book, Alfred Hitchcock's film version much more closely matches the source material than his versions of Jamaica Inn or The Birds. Plus, the casting is spot on. Laurence Olivier is charming yet tortured Maxim de Winter; Joan Fontaine is his adorable and bewildered second wife; George Sanders is oily and sinister Jack Favell; C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Denny and Nigel Bruce play three examples of English (gentle)manhood and Judith Anderson is menacing and creepy as housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. Just go watch it! You won't be sorry. Rebecca is available on DVD and will be on TCM next Tuesday.
This issue also has a Four Roses ad with a recipe for Hot Toddies. Four Roses Single Barrel is actually one of Paul's favorite Bourbons, so we used that in our drinks. They were tasty, but boy howdy are they strong. You might need a bigger vessel and more hot water. I had to keep topping mine off!
Hot Toddy
1 strip lemon peel
1 sugar cube
1 jigger Bourbon whiskey
dash of mixed spice
boiling water
cinnamon stick
Place the lemon peel and sugar cube in the bottom of a teacup. Pour over the whiskey, add the mixed spice and top off with boiling water. Stir with cinnamon stick to combine.
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I know she's supposed to be terribly unglamorous, but I think Joan Fontaine's unsophisticated wardrobe is the berries. Check it out:
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Hey, I love the new look! This hot toddy recipe is great timing...it just turned normal-cold again and is snowing here, hurrah!
ReplyDeleteI love Rebecca (the book and film), and I almost always am more interested in "normal" or day-to-day wear of old film characters than in their glamour-wear.
Enjoy your snow! I love Rebecca, too. I read it for the first time in high school. I think the Jeremy Brett miniseries is the closest to the book. Have you seen that one?
DeleteRebecca is one of my favorite movies, and I love the book, too. I've never seen the miniseries. I think I feel like I'd be cheating on Judith Anderson and George Sanders. They're so perfect in the Hitchcock!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's the problem with every other version of Rebecca. No one, absolutely no one, does Jack Favell as well as George Sanders!
DeleteRebecca and Hot Toddies???? Oh I want to have one and watch this, RIGHT NOW!!!!
ReplyDeleteGo for it! :-)
DeleteFun post - enjoyed reading about Paul's favorite bourbon and Joan Fontaine's wardrobe!
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that we only found out about Four Roses from reading old issues of Life magazine!
DeleteI love Rebecca too - only ever seen this version though. I do very much like the idea of the hot toddies too! Might have a rummage around in my drinks cabinet...
ReplyDeleteWho knows what a rummage in the drinks cabinet will turn up! When we cleaned ours out we found an unopened bottle of grenadine from 2007.
DeleteI could use a few more Laurence Olivier movies and hot toddies in this drab, drecky winter weather we've been having in the southland... that Olivier mustache! Le swoon. I'm going to use your Life toddy recipe but appreciate the forewarning of the "kick" it might carry! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly a bit of a whiskey lightweight--I like it with lots of soda. If you're used to it neat, you shouldn't have any problems!
DeleteOh, forgot to say that I definitely think watching more Laurence Olivier movies sounds like a good idea. I haven't seen Fire Over England in years...
DeleteGlove this post! Three of my favourite things..warm drinks, fabulous movie costumes and the year 1940!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing missing is cake!
DeleteI love this movie! I haven't read the book, so I'll have to grab a copy. Sounds like lovely winter reading. And I do enjoy hot toddies - I've been sipping them during episodes of Downton Abbey. I really like your new look here! :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely read the book. I actually haven't sat down and read it since high school but I loved it to bits then. One of my teachers saw me reading it and made me promise I'd read Jane Eyre as soon as I got finished. Then, she lent me the videos of both movies. I thought Joan Fontaine was just awesome.
DeleteWe're about to get some really cold weather here. Time to ready the toddies and I must try that bourbon.
ReplyDelete