This past Wednesday was Movie Night. We watched the movie My Friend Flicka with Roddy McDowall. This was a follow up to the My Friend Flicka Book Night.
The movie has a nice story that stays pretty close to the book. Ken’s older brother Howard is not part of the movie but a character is added in the person of Hildy, the young daughter of Gus the ranch hand. We thought the movie might have been colorized but further checking revealed that is was filmed in Technicolor. It has an odd look to it as though the characters and back round are separate. I don’t know what that’s called in film-eze but it has the look of a soap opera set.
I had forgotten (or never noticed) that Roddy McDowall was British. I agree with author Mary O’Hara’s criticism that his accent doesn’t fit with the theme of the story or the setting of Goosebar Ranch in Wyoming and is therefore distracting. Also, the movie is far less graphic than the book–for instance the gelding scene and the tossing of dead horses down the old mine shaft are left out–and more sentimental.
But all in all resplendent with Western scenery and the solid original story of Mary O’Hara.
Unfortunately I was either all laziness or forgetfulness (it’s one or the other and I know which one) and I didn’t take pictures. I wish I had because several people went all out and brought some impressive 1940s Western Ranch themed food. Jean baked some gorgeous frosted Brownie which are a good old-fashioned dessert and a main dish hash filled with bacon (yes!), beans and other sundry Chuck Wagon type ingredients.
Laura truly delivered with perfectly risen gluten free Biscuits and Gravy. Amy brought a juicy, fresh version of Aplets and Cotlets candies that was homemade and peach flavored. Gina proffered the most adorable frosted Mini Apple Donuts; yes I know it is truly unforgivable of me to omit the photos….mea culpa!!
I cooked up an Apple Crisp (which is the closest thing I could think of to an Apple Pie, an iconic ranch dessert) with Oat Topping. As I was cooking the apples I threw in a couple of cubes of frozen apple cider which brightens up the taste of apple desserts. Now my friends thought it was just fine, but I could detect a very slight savoriness. It occurred to me that I may have thrown in chicken broth cubes instead of apple cider since I have both in my freezer! On the other hand maybe it was just another dish on my plate that mingled in; I guess we’ll never know.
Celeste offered a tasty watermelon which is a big seasonal Ranch favorite; sometimes it was grown in the ranch’s family garden or in the case of my Mother’s family on the Eastern Plains, sometimes brought in from the fields by the melon truck. My Grandma would even save some watermelon balls in the freezer for a special Christmas treat!
Last but not least a big Thanks to Dianne who always offers her incredible home for Movie Nights. We love its big sofa under the ceiling fan and of course the necessary television.
Octobers Book: The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi
At Least We're Here....take us there:
Right now we are reading Unexplained Laughter by Alice Thomas Ellis. Book club night for this tome is later in May; this will be our Easter get-together and just two days shy of the end of Easter Season which is on Pentecost Sunday.
Alice Thomas Ellis is the pen name for Anna Haycraft. Anna (Alice) was raised a secular humanist and converted to Catholicism during her college years. In an interview before her death in 1977 she claimed some very strong reasons for believing in God and the Catholic faith, including her claim that she was very comfortable with the “aims and rituals of the Church,” and “secure in the certainty that it was immune from frivolous change and the pressures of fashion.”
Ten women reading Catholic women authors 