Oh Humphrey, you had it right....
For Christmas, my daughter gave me the ultimate book about the heavy drinkers of Hollywood:
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| Do you think there's a message in that? No, me neither... |
Subtitled "Stumbling through Hollywood History", this little gem is chock-o-block full of the alcoholic escapades of Hollywood's greatest drinkers of the 20th century.
They're all there: W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, Liz and Dick, and many, many, more, along with a few surprises, like Mary Pickford, who hid hard liquor in an empty bottle of hydrogen peroxide she stashed in her medicine cabinet during Prohibition.
This is a rollicking good read, though you most definitely come away with the understanding that if you drink 3 bottles of scotch daily you will likely die young...
For good measure, the author includes sidebar stories of the many drinking establishments of the golden age of Hollywood, some of which still exist and wait to be drunk at. (they're calling you, Tabs, though I suspect you've been to them all!)
Oh and how about some recipes to go along with all of this? Want to know the recipe for Robert Mitchum's hangover cure, The Eye Opener? It's in here.
I've never been particularly drawn to Los Angeles - too much traffic and too many people for my liking - but I confess that if I had a time machine I would immediately set the dial for 1938 Hollywood, hie myself down to The Brown Derby or the Trocadero and start searching for Jimmy Stewart and Hank Fonda. We'd throw back drinks, watch Bogie battle with wife #2 in the booth next door and see who Joan Crawford was seducing tonight. And then? What happens in 1938 Hollywood stays in 1938 Hollywood....
I thought of GSL when I read this. If the Lion's Den doesn't have a House copy, you must remedy that immediatement, mon ami!
I give this book 4 stars out of 5, but only for drinkers or people who love to read wonderfully trashy stories about readers. Which is pretty much everyone I know, but might not be you!
Have a great Tuesday! xoxo Wendy
The Den will definitely be acquiring this must read Wendy and thanks for bringing it to our attention. Casablanca is such a joy to watch with Bogie and Ingrid Bergman quite good but the supporting cast of Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, and Sidney Greenstreet, Dooley Wilson, Paul Henreid, et al with the WWII backdrop, and pitch perfect writing, direction, and sets made it so special.
ReplyDeleteChicago's Golden Era movie star watering hole was The Pump Room in the Ambassador East Hotel; before transcontinental plane travel, trains going back and forth from NYC & LA would put in for a Chicago layover at Union Station which had cars waiting to whisk Hollywood Royalty over to the Pump Room that had a nationally broadcast radio show from Booth 1. All those names you mention and many more stopped in. As I have mentioned before my late friend King and brother Billy were busboys. An upcoming post at The Den will report on The Pump Room then and now.
Excellent post!
I can't wait to here!
DeleteI have never watched Casablanca. But I like gin it's my fave spirit. But I would like old Hollywood bc present Hollywood is rather boring...
ReplyDeleteCasablanca is almost a perfect film, as far as I'm concerned!
DeleteSeconded. I made my kids watch it when they were teenagers, under duress, with the caveat they could walk away after 20 minutes. Both were riveted until the end.
DeleteSounds fabulous, my kind of read. Funny how back in the Pickford age they were able to keep their secrets. Not sure which is more horrifying that she hid so much booze or that it was in peroxide bottle, well she sure was blonde that broad
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you're thinking of Jean Harlow Jody.
DeleteGENTLEMEN PREFER Well she was Can-merican, so can attest Gladys Louise Smith (Mary, born in a spot just down the street from me) also had some considerable bottled help with her hair. Even when she cut her ringlets (then Hollywood symbol of womanly virtue) into a bob, circa 1929 it made front page of the New York Times.
DeleteI think everyone's hair colour was from a bottle.
DeleteThere is a similar book out about writers... that got a lot of press. Basically it says capote, Hemingway et el were not better writers because they drank. They just happened to drinkl Their writing got worse as time went on. you almost can't read what Capote drank in a day, he started at 9am and sipped away all day at his desk
ReplyDeleteOh, but ALW, the lines they got from it, like:
Delete"Too much champagne is just right." -- Fitzgerald
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." -- Parker
"Write drunk, edit sober." -- Hemingway
Not sure if you are thinking of Olivia Laing's The Trip to Echo Spring, travel/ bio book about 6 American writer alcoholics? On my nightstand but haven't gotten to it, yet...
I like the Hemingway one...have not heard that before.
DeleteAnd yes...that's the book I was thinking about..
I love to read wonderfully trashy stories so this is right up my alley. I adore all those old films. That seemed a magical time. Count me in on the time travel back to check things out. Today's LA leaves me cold, but those golden days really appeal to me.
ReplyDeletexo
Jennifer, I didn't even touch on the orgies and other wild stories!
Deleteoh this does sound like a fun read. i just recently went on a history tour of our downtown section and found out that there is an elaborate underground tunnel system that linked bars during prohibition! can you imagine?
ReplyDeleteLucky those are preserved in both San Fran and LA. In Canada there's a network of them in a small prairie city called Moose Jaw that allowed smuggling good Canadian whiskies across border to Capone's Chicago.
DeleteJanet, I would love that! There's a few tunnels like that here, but not for the same romantic reasons!
DeleteFreshy, GSL calls the shots in Chicago now...
DeleteCapone had those same tunnels to move Canadian whisky from speakeasy to building sub-basement next door prior to a raid after being tipped off by a very well compensated mole.
I'd heard that. Have done a couple Chicago by water and in-depth architecture tours, but would definitely do something Capone-ish on a next visit. Trouble with Chi-Town for all its greats is windy-cold weather too similar to ours.
DeleteThree bottles of Scotch a day??? Impressive!
ReplyDeleteThat's one word for it, heehee!
DeleteNot a pretty way to die either; none of the variations are the way to go.
DeleteGINERALLY SPEAKING WMM, our Bourbon Bandinage Tabs already had me looking for a gin volume, Gin Glorious Gin. Indigo.ca is going to think I'm the "alcoholic." Enjoy your giftie, sounds like a DD who knows you (film, heritage, celebs, cocktails...) lovingly well and an ideal post-holiday, pre-Oscars read.
ReplyDeleteI bought that fir Barry for Christmas - he loves gin!
DeleteKnow what TWO of us are drinking next visit, will bring some good stuff you don't get in NB.
DeleteThere were tunnels in our Chinatown so that opium could be smuggled without the authorities knowing...I'd frankly be too claustraphobic to take a tour underground.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting...I love gin.
I've always wanted to do the catacombs in Paris. I loved the tour of the caves at Chateau Tattinger in Reims, but heights? Oh my...
DeleteSounds like a book written to be read during our deep January freeze!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is! Just started Us Conductors in advance of Sean Michaels coming here at the end of the month!
DeleteLooks like a fun read. I just rewatched The Thin Man and there are so many drinking references. Made me crave a cocktail.
ReplyDeleteI love those movies - have the box set and adore those two terrific tipplers! William Powell is a boyfriend. By the way, caught Steve coogan in the Italy trip over the holidays and think he is getting better looking all the time!
DeleteI've been looking for something fun to read.
ReplyDeleteYou deserve it after you less than stellar Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHello Wendy,
ReplyDeleteYour post brought back fond memories of a friend's Casablanca party. All white jackets, Ingrid Bergman look alikes( well, almost) and Gin.....plenty of Gin.
This book sounds like a jolly good fun read. A positive sparkling Christmas present and we are certain that it would have kindled in our minds too a desire to recreate the Golden Hollywood days that Bogart and Bergman captured so well.
It sounds as if your Christmas was a happy one and for that we are glad. We wish you every happiness, peace and success in 2015. Thank you so much for your kind comments. They matter. A lot.
I love this book without even readingn it. Sounds great.
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