Montgomery Clift and Rita Hayworth

“I had never worked with any actor like him; to watch him was incredible and memorable. He had a talent and a side to our profession I had never seen before, just superb.” – Donna Reed on Montgomery Clift

We all know that I am a big fan of movies especially classic movies. A couple of reasons why I love the old films so much are Montgomery Clift and Rita Hayworth; today happens to be both of their birthdays, so I thought I would pay tribute to both in this blog. They were amazing actors who were very versatile and acted in many of my favorite films. Both of them played characters that were diverse and were in films that had so many important themes and that could make you feel a range of emotions. 

Montgomery Clift for the most part was in very dramatic films and always seemed to play the part of the sensitive hero or victim. Every time I watch his films (I’ve seen them all) I always feel for him; he was the type of actor that really allowed you to connect to his characters and I think that is why I am such a big fan. I have always been fascinated with his life away from the screen especially after his accident; he had such an epically tragic life. In my journalism class at university I even wrote an article about him and the release of a new book on his life and acting career/style; that’s how important I feel he is to film. 

My Top 5 Montgomery Films:

A Place in the Sun (My absolute favorite which also stars Elizabeth Taylor)

The Search (Sweet and very uplifting; it’s a close second for being my favourite)

Wild River (Recently released on Blu-ray)

From Here to Eternity (A classic with an all-star cast that includes Frank Sinatra and Burt Lancaster)

 

 

The Misfits (Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe’s final films)

 Check Out These Books About Montgomery Clift:

  

The Passion of Montgomery Clift by Amy Lawrence 

Montgomery Clift: A Biography by Patricia Bosworth

Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift by Robert Laguardia

  

Just as important and iconic is Rita Hayworth. Her movies and life have had such a big impact on my love of film. She was beautiful and so talented. Rita Hayworth was able to be comedic at times and also serious in films and was a beautiful dancer. I read that Fred Astaire said that she was his favorite partner to dance with; I also read that she was one of only six actresses that danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I sometimes get mesmerized with her soft and delicate voice when I’m watching her movies. Like with Montgomery Clift, I found Rita Hayworth’s life outside of film so fascinating and have read countless articles and books about her life and how that affected her films and character portrayals; she was married to a Prince!

 

My Top 5 Rita Hayworth Films:

Cover Girl (The first Rita Hayworth movie that I ever watched. The song “Sure Thing” has to top my list of favorite songs)

Pal Joey (I’ve seen this film so many times; there’s just something about it that makes me want to watch it over and over again)

You Were Never Lovelier (It features one of my favorite song and dance numbers by Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire, “I’m Old Fashioned”)

Gilda (This is a classic film noir that I watched in many of my film classes)

Tonight and Every Night (It’s a musical with a twist and I cry every time that I watch it)

Check Out These Books About Rita Hayworth:

If This Was Happiness: A Biography of Rita Hayworth by Barbara Leaming

Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity, and Hollywood Stardom by Adrienne L. Mclean

There you have it. My tribute to two of my favorite classic Hollywood actors. Thank you for letting me express my love and admiration for them. 

Have a good week!

Samantha

Roses

“Everything’s coming up roses for me and for you.” – from Gypsy: A Musical Fable written by Stephen Sondheim

Since the weather is cooling down a bit and I’m indoors more, I thought I’d start experimenting with bath and beauty products once again. I have wanted to test out making things with roses for a little while now. I found a few things to do with rose petals online, so I have been trying some of them out this past week. 

My family has many rose bushes that are very fragrant and are getting ready to disappear for fall. My grandma has been cutting the roses, so I’ve been collecting all of the rose petals from her. Our roses are perfect for using in bath and beauty and craft projects because we haven’t sprayed them with any chemicals so they are very safe. 

Rose water (for a natural cleanser/toner and for fragrances), rose oil (for making lotions, salves, and lip balms), and dried rose petals (to put in paper and on cards) are what I have been looking into making. This week I’ve started with the rose oil since it takes that longest to make but “preparing” the rose petals is the same for all the things that I plan to make.

Here’s how to get the petals ready:

Once I picked the rose petals off of the flower, I lightly rinsed them with water in a strainer. I patted them afterwards and then laid them out to dry on paper towels. It’s important to lay them in a single layer so they can be spread out. Leave the petals on the paper towels for a couple of days. If you are using them to put into crafts or to make oil it’s alright for them to dry out a bit more but if you are making rose water it’s best just to let them dry overnight so they are not super dried out. 

Making Rose Oil:

To make rose oil you will need a large mason jar, cheese cloth, and sunflower or olive oil. Place your dried rose petals into the mason jar (try and fill the jar half way if possible). Cover the petals with oil and then place the cheese cloth over top. Secure the cheese cloth with an elastic band or lid. Store in a dark place for 3-4weeks stirring half way through. I can smell roses throughout my basement; it’s so nice. 

Here's what it should look like once everything's put together

I’m excited for my rose oil to be done and once it is I’ll start making different products with it, so this post is to be continued!

Donuts

“Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?” – Matt Groening

It’s a new month and that means we are moving on from school meals to a bunch of different things for this month’s blog posts. 

This week I’m going to review the treat I bought myself the other day, a babycakes donut maker. It’s something that I’ve wanted for a long time. I enjoy a good donut every now and then and for me it’s a little difficult to just go out and buy a donut with the chances of nut contamination. Now I can make yummy donuts at home for everyone. I’ve tried out three different types already for my family and I’ve only had the maker for two days!

The donut maker is really easy to use. It’s non-stick so you just have to oil it slightly each time you use it. You preheat it like a waffle maker until the green light comes on and then you pour your batter in and time for 3 minutes roughly; you have donuts in no time. It’s so easy. The maker comes with a book of easy recipes that take very little time to make. You can mix the batter while the donut maker preheats. You can make different icing/glazes to go on top of them and even better, you can get some of your favorite toppings together and have a donut decorating party!

Overall, the babycakes donut maker is an easy to use little gadget that makes really delicious donuts.