APRIL 1953
SHANE
This month we examine George Stevens' 1953 western Shane, and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Check out our Shane inspired food and cocktail selections, and dig out your old pea shooter. We're bringin' guns back to the valley, Marian!
Favorite Scenes and Moments from Shane: The Odd and the Oddly Perfect
by Corbett Treece
We discuss some of our favorite moments and some things that just confuse us in our April 2015 featured film, Shane (1953), directed by George Stevens, and starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Elisha Cook, Jr., Emile Meyer, and Jack Palance. Ok, yes, and Brandon deWilde. And a dog. And some horsies.
ALSO IN APRIL 1953
Fighting Threats Foreign, Domestic, and Glowing: Nightmares of the Cold War
by Lois Anne DeLong
The true monster of the 1950s was the atomic bomb, which cast its malevolent shadow as the Cold War grew through the 1950s. Atomic fear gave rise to some of cinema's great monsters, mutants and prehistoric creatures that would dominate the screen for over a decade, beginning with 1953's The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
This delicious and beautiful frontier favorite cocktail combines homemade blackberry liqueur with rye whiskey.
A little history of whiskey is thrown in here, too
These savory johnnycakes made with fresh corn pair beautifully with our bright green citrusy avocado and green onion sauce.
We combine a simple but perfectly prepared pork loin with a time-consuming batch of homemade onion preserves. Your kitchen will smell amazing for days.
The Potemkin Picks: MUSIC FOR April 1953
We explore music in our Spotify playlist from 1953 including some of the best R&B of all time, Billboard chart toppers and crooners, Hank Williams' hits, selections from the best jazz albums of the year (including The Quintet at Massey Hall), the incomparable Yma Sumac, some Tom Lehrer, and some songs from Shane. No "Doggie in the Window" here, folks. You're welcome.
March 1933
King Kong
This month we examine Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 smash King Kong. So throw on our 1933 playlist, check out our food and cocktail selections, and watch that rabbit fur ripple. Kong smash!
King Kong, despite its iconic status is often dismissed for its simplicity and naivety. But its genius is in how it invites interpretation and sparks imagination, allowing us to find answers and seek meaning when we are handed only mystery.
The first third of this amazing adventure story is dominated by an easily forgotten and moderately offensive romance. It may not be a love story for the ages, it may even be terrible, but we found some reasons to love it. We’ll get into all that, but first…someone’s getting slapped.
What happens when adaptations think they're smarter than their source material, but get it all wrong? Short shorts, side boob, and halitosis-induced ecstasy. Oh, and huge profits. (Also, some thoughts on the legacy of 1930’s jungle films and race and gender politics in King Kong ‘33.)
Also in March 1933
20th Century: Down the Tracks, a Brand New World
by Lois Anne DeLong
Two men and a woman board a train in Chicago heading for New York. Sixteen hours, endless histrionics, and a string of witty dialogue later, culture high and low has taken a beating and the battle of the sexes is declared a tie. All aboard, the 20th Century.
Our 1933 Spotify Playlist features classic crooners, chart toppers. big bands, the blues, selections from The Threepenny Opera, and Max Steiner’s complete score to King Kong recorded by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Cymbals smash!
This sweet/tart cocktail migrated from France and became popular during Prohibition. The Depression Era penny-pincher was prone to substitute rum for brandy. A perfect accompaniment for King Kong and something salty.
You can’t leaf through a nineteen thirties cookbook without finding a boat load of recipes utilizing that perfect little fish we pack into those little square cans like, well…. Serve with something citrusy and only just slightly illegal, like our Sidecar.