Crushing on George Peppard

You're welcome.

Cocktail Recipe du Jour: The Jack-O-Lantern

Try this cocktail to ghoul it up this Halloween season!

1 ounce Hennessy VSOP Cognac 

1 1/2 ounces orange juice 

1/2 ounce ginger ale 

1/2 ounce Grand Marnier orange liqueur 

Orange wheel and lime twist for garnish

Frankenstein for President!

With Halloween approaching, and the Presidential election not far behind, I thought this was appropriate. Now I know who I'm voting for! Thanks to Plastic Pumpkins for this beauty.

Must-See Movie: I Married a Witch

I Married a Witch (1942) 
This fantasy romantic comedy is the perfect find for some classic Halloween fun!  The film opens in 1672, where two witches were burned by puritan Jonathan Wooley. We are told that before her burning, the female witch cursed all future generations of the Wooley family; she deemed that all the sons will marry the wrong woman and be miserable. A tree grows over the place where they were hanged, trapping the witches' souls.

Fast-forward to the 20th century, and a bolt of lightning frees the witches, Jennifer and her father, from the tree. Jennifer assumes corporeal form (Veronica Lake) and decides to track down campaigning politician Wallace Wooley (Fredric March). True to the curse, Wooley is unhappily engaged to a shrewish woman and is miserable.  Jennifer concocts a scheme to make Wooley fall in love with her, thereby ruining his wedding and making his life even more disastrous. Wooley is not easily swayed by her charms, so Jennifer has to resort to a love potion. Unfortunately the potion backfires, and comedy ensues.

The TV show "Bewitched" was influenced by this film and later "Bell Book and Candle."  This film also solidified the iconic Veronica Lake hairstyle, platinum blonde and long, with her right eye covered. Many women copied the style during this time, which caused problems since they were working in war plants and their hair kept getting caught in the machinery. Lake was asked to change her style until after the war. When she did, she lost her iconic look and her popularity soon faded along with her career.

"Va Va Voom" Star of the Day: Bette Davis

Bette Davis
From the official Bette Davis website:

Often referred to as "The First Lady of the American Screen," Bette Davis created a new kind of screen heroine. She was a liberated woman in an industry dominated by men. She was known as an actress that could play a variety of difficult and powerful roles, and because of this she set a new standard for women on the big screen. Independent off-screen as well, her battles with studio bigwigs were legendary. With a career spanning six decades, few in the history of film rival her longevity and appeal.

Bette Davis was born Ruth Davis on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Just before her tenth birthday, Bette's father, Harlow, left the family. Although she had little money, her mother, Ruthie, sent Bette and her sister to boarding school. Upon graduating Cushing Academy, Bette enrolled in John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School. In 1929, she made her Broadway debut in "Broken Dishes." She also landed a role in "Solid South." In 1930, she moved to Hollywood to screen test for Universal.

Monday's This & That

Whilst I deal with Monday's "dog-eat-dog" feeling, how's abouts we see what's floating around the interwebs?

Let's start with this article of some "secrets" of Lucy and Ricky...you have to click a billion times to get them all, but hey - you had nothing better to do, right?

Here are 25 cocktail recipes that apparently everyone should know.  Study them all for the test on Friday (when you can drink yourself in to oblivion over the weekend).

So you like to read about grisly deaths on set, do you?  Well then this article is for you...some you may have heard of, others not so much.  Unfortunately, most deaths are from dear stuntmen just doing their job.

And lastly, here's a list of 10 Audrey Hepburn Quotes with fabulous photos of her to peruse. #3's about makeup is particularly inspirational.

Enjoy!

Recipe For the Perfect Slumber Party

It's 1983 and you're hosting a slumber party.  What do you do?  Here is the recipe for the perfect 80's slumber party:
1. Rent yourself a video machine from the nearest Wherehouse store.
2. Rent Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.
3. Watch Dad setup the machine to your Zenith TV.  Ignore the cursing and visible butt-crack as he can't figure out which wires attach where.
4. Pop popcorn.
5. Answer the door and welcome your guests.  Play said video and shush everyone.
5. Giggle incessantly.
6. Imitate dance moves.
7. Enjoy.
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My Name is Errol Flynn

As the poster on YouTube says: "This is the intro from a TCM TV doc on the life of Errol Flynn...This guy created the mold that Johnnie Depp has had so much fun breaking. Flynn would have absolutely approved." I just wish this clip was longer.
P.S. Special cameo by Don Knotts.