#gem jams 1943

[vintagedreamsofsennett]

26 films I've watched among many RKO comedies co-starring Leon Errol and Dorothy Granger-Part 1

Man-I-Cured (1941)

Home Work (1942)

Dear! Deer! (1942)

Gem-Jams (1943)

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1944)

Triple Trouble (1944)

He Forgot to Remember (1944)

Beware of Redheads (1945)

Maid Trouble (1946)

Oh, Professor Behave! (1946)

Twin Husbands (1946)

Borrowed Blonde (1947)

Wife Tames Wolf (1947)

Hired Husband (1947)

Bet Your Life (1948)

Don't Fool Your Wife (1948)

Bachelor Blues (1948)

Backstage Follies (1948)

Dad Always Pays (1949)

Oil's Well That Ends Well (1949)

Shocking Affair (1949)

High and Dizzy (1950)

Texas Tough Guy (1950)

Punchy Pancho (1951)

One Wild Night (1951)

Lord Epping Returns (1951)

[timelesstimesgoneby]

EPISODE VOLUME DISC ONE 1934 001 WOMAN HATERS 002 PUNCH DRUNKS 003 MEN IN BLACK 004 THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS 1935 005 HORSES' COLLARS (JANUARY 10) 006 RESTLESS KNIGHTS (FEBRUARY 20) 007 POP GOES THE EASEL (MARCH 29) 008 UNCIVIL WARRIORS (APRIL 26) 009 PARDON MY SCOTCH (AUGUST 1) 010 HOI POLLOI (AUGUST 29) 011 THREE LITTLE BEERS (NOVEMBER 28) DISC TWO 1936 012 ANTS IN THE PANTRY (FEBRUARY 6) 013 MOVIE MANIACS (FEBRUARY 20) 014 HALF SHOT SHOOTERS (APRIL 30) 015 DISORDER IN THE COURT (MAY 30) 016 A PAIN IN THE PULLMAN (JUNE 27) 017 FALSE ALARMS (AUGUST 16) 018 WHOOPS, I'M AN INDIAN! (SEPTEMBER 11) 019 SLIPPERY SILKS (DECEMBER 27) VOLUME TWO: 1937–1939 DISC ONE 1937 020 GRIPS, GRUNTS AND GROANS (JANUARY 15) 021 DIZZY DOCTORS (MARCH 19) 022 3 DUMB CLUCKS (APRIL 17) 023 BACK TO THE WOODS (MAY 14) 024 GOOFS AND SADDLES (JULY 2) 025 CASH AND CARRY (SEPTEMBER 3) 026 PLAYING THE PONIES (OCTOBER 15) 027 THE SITTER DOWNERS (NOVEMBER 26) 1938 028 TERMITES OF 1938 (JANUARY 7) 029 WEE WEE MONSIEUR (FEBRUARY 18) 030 TASSELS IN THE AIR (APRIL 1) 031 HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND DUMB (MAY 20) 032 VIOLENT IS THE WORD FOR CURLY (JULY 2) DISC TWO 033 THREE MISSING LINKS (JULY 29) 034 MUTTS TO YOU (OCTOBER 11) 035 FLAT FOOT STOOGES (DECEMBER 5) 1939 036 THREE LITTLE SEW AND SEWS (JANUARY 6) 037 WE WANT OUR MUMMY (FEBRUARY 24) 038 A DUCKING THEY DID GO (APRIL 7) 039 YES, WE HAVE NO BONANZA (MAY 19) 040 SAVED BY THE BELLE (JUNE 30) 041 CALLING ALL CURS (AUGUST 25) 042 OILY TO BED, OILY TO RISE (OCTOBER 6) 043 THREE SAPPY PEOPLE (DECEMBER 1) VOLUME THREE: 1940–1942 DISC ONE 1940 044 YOU NAZTY SPY! (JANUARY 19) 045 ROCKIN' THRU THE ROCKIES (MARCH 8) 046 A PLUMBING WE WILL GO (APRIL 19) 047 NUTTY BUT NICE (JUNE 14) 048 HOW HIGH IS UP? (JULY 26) 049 FROM NURSE TO WORSE (AUGUST 23) 050 NO CENSUS, NO FEELING (OCTOBER 4) 051 COOKOO CAVALIERS (NOVEMBER 15) 052 BOOBS IN ARMS (DECEMBER 27) 1941 053 SO LONG MR. CHUMPS (FEBRUARY 7) 054 DUTIFUL BUT DUMB (MARCH 21) 055 ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE (MAY 16) 056 I'LL NEVER HEIL AGAIN (JULY 11) DISC TWO 057 AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE (AUGUST 22) 058 IN THE SWEET PIE AND PIE (OCTOBER 16) 059 SOME MORE OF SAMOA (DECEMBER 4) 1942 060 LOCO BOY MAKES GOOD (JANUARY 8) 061 CACTUS MAKES PERFECT (FEBRUARY 26) 062 WHAT'S THE MATADOR? (APRIL 23) 063 MATRI-PHONY (JULY 2) 064 THREE SMART SAPS (JULY 30) 065 EVEN AS IOU (SEPTEMBER 18) 066 SOCK-A-BYE BABY (NOVEMBER 13) VOLUME FOUR: 1943–1945 DISC ONE 1943 067 THEY STOOGE TO CONGA (JANUARY 1) 068 DIZZY DETECTIVES (FEBRUARY 5) 069 SPOOK LOUDER (APRIL 2) 070 BACK FROM THE FRONT (MAY 28) 071 THREE LITTLE TWIRPS (JULY 9) 072 HIGHER THAN A KITE (JULY 30) 073 I CAN HARDLY WAIT (AUGUST 13) 074 DIZZY PILOTS (SEPTEMBER 24) 075 PHONY EXPRESS (NOVEMBER 18) 076 A GEM OF A JAM (DECEMBER 30) DISC TWO 1944 077 CRASH GOES THE HASH (FEBRUARY 4) 078 BUSY BUDDIES (MARCH 18) 079 THE YOKE'S ON ME (MAY 26) 080 IDLE ROOMERS (JULY 15) 081 GENTS WITHOUT CENTS (SEPTEMBER 22) 082 NO DOUGH BOYS (NOVEMBER 24) 1945 083 THREE PESTS IN A MESS (JANUARY 19) 084 BOOBY DUPES (MARCH 17) 085 IDIOTS DELUXE (JULY 20) 086 IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (AUGUST 30) 087 MICRO-PHONIES (NOVEMBER 15) VOLUME FIVE: 1946–1948 DISC ONE 1946 088 BEER BARREL POLECATS (JANUARY 10) 089 A BIRD IN THE HEAD (FEBRUARY 28) 090 UNCIVIL WAR BIRDS (MARCH 29) 091 THE THREE TROUBLEDOERS (APRIL 25) 092 MONKEY BUSINESSMEN (JUNE 20) 093 THREE LOAN WOLVES (JULY 4) 094 G.I. WANNA HOME (SEPTEMBER 5) 095 RHYTHM AND WEEP (OCTOBER 3) 096 THREE LITTLE PIRATES (DECEMBER 5) 1947 097 HALF-WITS HOLIDAY (JANUARY 9) (CURLY HOWARD'S FINAL STARRING ROLE) 098 FRIGHT NIGHT (MARCH 6) (SHEMP HOWARD'S FIRST STARRING ROLE) 099 OUT WEST (APRIL 24) 100 HOLD THAT LION! (JULY 17) (CURLY HOWARD'S FINAL CAMEO ROLE AND FIRST AND ONLY EPISODE THE FOUR STOOGES WERE SHOWN.) DISC TWO 101 BRIDELESS GROOM (SEPTEMBER 11) 102 SING A SONG OF SIX PANTS (OCTOBER 30) 103 ALL GUMMED UP (DECEMBER 18) 1948 104 SHIVERING SHERLOCKS (JANUARY 8) 105 PARDON MY CLUTCH (FEBRUARY 26) 106 SQUAREHEADS OF THE ROUND TABLE (MARCH 4) 107 FIDDLERS THREE (MAY 6) 108 THE HOT SCOTS (JULY 8) 109 HEAVENLY DAZE (SEPTEMBER 2) 110 I'M A MONKEY'S UNCLE (OCTOBER 7) 111 MUMMY'S DUMMIES (NOVEMBER 4) 112 CRIME ON THEIR HANDS (DECEMBER 9) VOLUME SIX: 1949–1951 DISC ONE 1949 113 THE GHOST TALKS (FEBRUARY 3) 114 WHO DONE IT? (MARCH 3) 115 HOKUS POKUS (MAY 5) 116 FUELIN' AROUND (JULY 7) 117 MALICE IN THE PALACE (SEPTEMBER 1) 118 VAGABOND LOAFERS (OCTOBER 6) 119 DUNKED IN THE DEEP (NOVEMBER 3) 1950 120 PUNCHY COWPUNCHERS (JANUARY 5) 121 HUGS AND MUGS (FEBRUARY 2) 122 DOPEY DICKS (MARCH 2) 123 LOVE AT FIRST BITE (MAY 4) 124 SELF-MADE MAIDS (JULY 6) DISC TWO 125 THREE HAMS ON RYE (SEPTEMBER 7) 126 STUDIO STOOPS (OCTOBER 5) 127 SLAPHAPPY SLEUTHS (NOVEMBER 9) 128 A SNITCH IN TIME (DECEMBER 7) 1951 129 THREE ARABIAN NUTS (JANUARY 4) 130 BABY SITTERS JITTERS (FEBRUARY 1) 131 DON'T THROW THAT KNIFE (MAY 3) 132 SCRAMBLED BRAINS (JUNE 7) 133 MERRY MAVERICKS (SEPTEMBER 6) 134 THE TOOTH WILL OUT (OCTOBER 4) 135 HULA-LA-LA (NOVEMBER 1) 136 PEST MAN WINS (DECEMBER 6) VOLUME SEVEN: 1952–1954 DISC ONE 1952 137 A MISSED FORTUNE (JANUARY 3) 138 LISTEN, JUDGE (MARCH 6) 139 CORNY CASANOVAS (MAY 1) 140 HE COOKED HIS GOOSE (JULY 3) 141 GENTS IN A JAM (JULY 4) 142 THREE DARK HORSES (OCTOBER 16) 143 CUCKOO ON A CHOO CHOO (DECEMBER 4) 1953 144 UP IN DAISY'S PENTHOUSE (FEBRUARY 5) 145 BOOTY AND THE BEAST (MARCH 5) 146 LOOSE LOOT (APRIL 2) 147 TRICKY DICKS (MAY 7) DISC TWO 148 SPOOKS! (JUNE 15) (FIRST 3-D SHORT, FIRST FLAT WIDESCREEN SHORT) 149 PARDON MY BACKFIRE (AUGUST 15) (SECOND AND LAST 3-D SHORT) 150 RIP, SEW AND STITCH (SEPTEMBER 3) 151 BUBBLE TROUBLE (OCTOBER 8) 152 GOOF ON THE ROOF (DECEMBER 3) 1954 153 INCOME TAX SAPPY (FEBRUARY 4) 154 MUSTY MUSKETEERS (MAY 13) 155 PALS AND GALS (JUNE 3) 156 KNUTZY KNIGHTS (SEPTEMBER 2) 157 SHOT IN THE FRONTIER (OCTOBER 7) 158 SCOTCHED IN SCOTLAND (NOVEMBER 4) VOLUME EIGHT: 1955–1959 DISC ONE 1955 159 FLING IN THE RING (JANUARY 6) 160 OF CASH AND HASH (FEBRUARY 3) 161 GYPPED IN THE PENTHOUSE (MARCH 10) 162 BEDLAM IN PARADISE (APRIL 14) 163 STONE AGE ROMEOS (JUNE 2) 164 WHAM-BAM-SLAM! (SEPTEMBER 1) 165 HOT ICE (OCTOBER 6) 166 BLUNDER BOYS (NOVEMBER 3) 1956 167 HUSBANDS BEWARE (JANUARY 5) 168 CREEPS (FEBRUARY 2) 169 FLAGPOLE JITTERS (APRIL 5) DISC TWO 170 FOR CRIMIN' OUT LOUD (MAY 3) 171 RUMPUS IN THE HAREM (JUNE 21) 172 HOT STUFF (SEPTEMBER 6) 173 SCHEMING SCHEMERS (OCTOBER 4) 174 COMMOTION ON THE OCEAN (NOVEMBER 8) (SHEMP HOWARD'S FINAL STARRING ROLE) 1957 175 HOOFS AND GOOFS (JANUARY 31) (JOE BESSER'S FIRST STARRING ROLE) 176 MUSCLE UP A LITTLE CLOSER (FEBRUARY 28) 177 A MERRY MIX UP (MARCH 28) 178 SPACE SHIP SAPPY (APRIL 18) 179 GUNS A POPPIN (JUNE 13) 180 HORSING AROUND (SEPTEMBER 12) DISC THREE 181 RUSTY ROMEOS (OCTOBER 17) 182 OUTER SPACE JITTERS (DECEMBER 5) 1958 183 QUIZ WHIZZ (FEBRUARY 13) 184 FIFI BLOWS HER TOP (APRIL 10) 185 PIES AND GUYS (JUNE 12) 186 SWEET AND HOT (SEPTEMBER 4) 187 FLYING SAUCER DAFFY (OCTOBER 9) 188 OIL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (DECEMBER 4) 1959 189 TRIPLE CROSSED (FEBRUARY 2) 190 SAPPY BULL FIGHTERS (JUNE 4) RARE TREASURES FROM THE COLUMBIA PICTURES VAULT DISC ONE FEATURE FILMS STARRING THE THREE STOOGES ROCKIN' IN THE ROCKIES (1945) HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL (1959) COLUMBIA CARTOONS FEATURING THE THREE STOOGES BON BON PARADE (1935) MERRY MUTINEERS (1936) A HOLLYWOOD DETOUR (1942) DISC TWO COLUMBIA FILMS SHORTS FEATURING/STARRING SHEMP HOWARD HOME ON THE RAGE (1938) (ANDY CLYDE SERIES) GLOVE SLINGERS (1939) (GLOVE SLINGERS SERIES) MONEY SQUAWKS (1939) (ANDY CLYDE SERIES) BOOBS IN THE WOODS (1940) (ANDY CLYDE SERIES) PLEASED TO MITT YOU (1940) (GLOVE SLINGERS SERIES) PICK A PECK OF PLUMBERS (1944) (PARTIAL REMAKE OF A PLUMBING WE WILL GO) OPEN SEASON FOR SAPS (1944) (REMAKE OF CHARLEY CHASE'S INITIAL COLUMBIA SHORT THE GRAND HOOTER) OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN (1945) (REMAKE OF CHARLEY CHASE'S TIME OUT FOR TROUBLE) WHERE THE PEST BEGINS (1945) A HIT WITH A MISS (1945) (REMAKE OF PUNCH DRUNKS) MR. NOISY (1946) (REMAKE OF CHARLEY CHASE'S THE HECKLER) JIGGERS, MY WIFE (1946) SOCIETY MUGS (1946) (REMAKE OF TERMITES OF 1938) BRIDE AND GLOOM (1947) (REMAKE OF CHARLEY CHASE'S THE AWFUL GOOF) DISC THREE COLUMBIA FILMS SHORTS STARRING JOE BESSER WAITING IN THE LURCH (1949) DIZZY YARDBIRD (1950) FRAIDY CAT (1951) (REMAKE OF DIZZY DETECTIVES) AIM, FIRE, SCOOT (1952) (REMAKE OF BOOBS IN ARMS) CAUGHT ON THE BOUNCE (1952) SPIES AND GUYS (1953) THE FIRE CHASER (1954) (REMAKE OF WAITING IN THE LURCH) G.I. DOOD IT (1955) (REMAKE OF DIZZY YARDBIRD) HOOK A CROOK (1955) (REMAKE OF FRAIDY CAT AND DIZZY DETECTIVES) ARMY DAZE (1956) (REMAKE OF AIM, FIRE, SCOOT AND BOOBS IN ARMS) COLUMBIA FILMS SHORTS STARRING JOE DERITA SLAPPILY MARRIED (1946) (REMAKE OF ANDY CLYDE'S A MAID MADE MAD) THE GOOD BAD EGG (1947) (REMAKE OF ANDY CLYDE'S KNEE ACTION) WEDLOCK DEADLOCK (1947) (REMAKE OF MONTE COLLINS'S UNRELATED RELATIONS) JITTER BUGHOUSE (1948) (REMAKE OF THE RADIO ROGUES' DO YOUR STUFF)

[goalhofer]

Moe Howard tells story of Jerome “Curly” Howard hurting head and needing stitches during filming of A Gem Of A Jam in 1943.

[citizenscreen]

Nineteen Hundred and Thirty Three brought us one of the greatest movies ever made, a story that stretched our collective imagination to its limits and introduced one of filmdom’s greatest heroes. That movie is, of course, King Kong, which combined the passion and talent of producers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack with a beauty for the ages in Fay Wray. Before making history with Kong, however, these talents assembled to make a largely unknown gem entitled The Most Dangerous Game, a chilling story about a big-game hunter whose prey is the world’s most exotic creature.

Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, The Most Dangerous Game is based on a short story by Richard Connell, which was also published as The Hounds of Zaroff and originally appeared in the January 19, 1924 edition of Collier’s. The story became one of the most anthologized of all time with several film adaptations aside from The Most Dangerous Game. It was remade as A Game of Death (1945) helmed by Robert Wise, Ted Tetzlaff’s Johnny Allegro borrowed much of the story and put it in a film noir world, and Roy Boulting’s Run for the Sun (1956) offers another take. There are a few others as well, but The Most Dangerous Game was the most successful and got my vote for best of the lot. The story also had numerous turns on TV and radio. On that medium, I highly recommend the Suspense outing from 1943 starring Orson Welles as Zaroff. It is no wonder too that this story was given such varied attention through the years. Its premise is terrifying.

Our story opens on a luxury yacht on which famous author and big game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) is a passenger. Bob and the other passengers are having a great time discussing hunting during a conversation that proves prophetic. “There are two kinds of people in the world,” Rainsford says, “those who hunt and those who are hunted.” He then continues by saying he believes the hunted appreciate their position because it’s about the game. Well, we’ll see about that.

Before you know it, the yacht runs aground leaving Bob Rainsford the only survivor. Bob swims to the nearest island where he comes upon the house of Russian Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks in his credited film debut). Zaroff quickly invites Bob to be his guest, which is nice, but odd considering there are four other guests in the house, all of whom were also shipwrecked: Eve Trowbridge (Fay Wray), her brother Martin (Robert Armstrong, another Kong alum), and 2 sailors.

Bob and Count Zaroff

As luck would have it, Zaroff is also a hunting aficionado and the conversation that evening centers on the host’s obsession with the subject. Zaroff explains how he has found a new and exciting prey after becoming bored with the sport. No one is the wiser as to exactly what Zaroff means, but Eve becomes suspicious when the two sailors disappear later that night followed by her brother, Martin. Bob is not convinced until he and Eve go to Zaroff’s trophy room and see a human head on display. Now they know what Zaroff is up to and they become his next prey. Bob Rainsford must go out on the island with Zaroff and his dogs in pursuit. If Bob can stay alive until sunrise then Zaroff would let him and Eve go free. Being the smart woman that she is, Eve decides to run with Bob, rather than stay behind in Zaroff’s house. The two run for their lives through the jungle while a mad man hunts them.

ZArloff hunting with one of his many weapons

Wray and McCrea on the run

The Most Dangerous Game has a lot going for it. Leslie Banks, who caught the eye of the public with his portrayal of the demented Zaroff, is terrific in the film. I view his sadistic Count second only to Charles Laughton’s Moreau in Island of Lost Souls in the evil for evil’s sake category. Fay Wray and Joel McCrea make a stunning couple and there’s no doubt you root for them every second with heart in mouth. McCrea is fantastic as an action star in this and there are several noteworthy sequences as the two have narrow escapes in the jungle. Wray does not get a lot to do, but she is memorable in her scenes. Finally, a shout out must go to Max Steiner’s thumping score, which goes far to ensuring a heartbeat or two goes faster than planned.

I have read that The Most Dangerous Game was originally about 78 minutes long. The only version I’ve seen is about 63 minutes long. If this is true then Fay Wray’s original scenes could possibly have been more substantial and the portion of the iconic Kong gate that is supposed to make an appearance actually does. I did not see it. There are also scenes that show Wray and McCrea scantily clad as they run through the jungle. This movie was made before the Hays Code went into full effect, but there are mentions that it was not publicity shown for decades due to its indecency. The version I saw was quite decent. Darn!

  Since I have Victoria Riskin’s book and a slight connection to Joel McCrea’s grandson, Wyatt through his wonderful Docent, Becky Metzgar, I thought I’d add some behind the scenes goods. Becky was kind enough to reach out to Wyatt on my behalf and he shared a couple of fun facts the first of which concerns the Great Danes featured in The Most Dangerous Game. As it turns out, the dogs who are supposed to be loyal to Zaroff as part of his hunting team, actually loved Joel McCrea. According to Wyatt, “They had some difficulty in getting the dogs to stay with Zaroff as they wanted to go play with my granddad!” Wyatt also said that Joel had fun making the movie and enjoyed working with Fay.

From Fay Wray’s perspective, The Most Dangerous Game is a particularly interesting movie. Most people know that some of the standing sets from King Kong were used in the making of this film and that Kong was a tremendous challenge for all involved. The actors were required to work unusually long hours on physically demanding scenes. Imagine then being Fay Wray who was doing extensive films tests for Kong while filming The Most Dangerous Game. As Victoria describes it in Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir, “Between takes on Dangerous Game, she (Fay) jammed on a blonde wig and ran with Coop (producer Merian C. Cooper) to the other set. It was Coop who had my mother work for twenty-two consecutive hours one day and scream for eight hours on another.”

Lest you get a negative impression of Cooper, Riskin goes on to say that when the abusive hours were brought to his attention, he changed his demands. By her account, Merian C. Cooper was a decent man and Fay Wray trusted him. Together they made three films – The Most Dangerous Game, King Kong and the first in 1929, The Four Feathers.

The Most Dangerous Game was released in September 1932, paving the way for what would be a stellar time in Fay Wray’s career. To give you an idea of the kind of popularity Wray enjoyed in the early 1930s, consider that she starred in 11 films released in 1933 alone with 1934 following in kind. When King Kong was released in 1933, the eyes of the world were on Fay Wray. She’d continue to work steadily at Paramount and freelance after that. While Wray longed for meaty, intelligent roles, she was always in demand and, although she is best remembered for her roles in horror movies, she received great notices in comedies and dramas. I was lucky to attend last year’s Capitolfest where Fay was the featured star. I was enthralled by her in films I’d never seen, in genres I never knew she’d mastered. And mastered she did as a working actress with exceptional beauty of whom no one seemed to ever utter a negative word. I’m glad I’ve gotten to know her work better these last few years. The Most Dangerous Game is a step toward knowing all of it.

◊

This is one of my entries for Fay Wray and Robert Riskin, The Blogathon, which was created to celebrate the release of Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir written by their daughter, Victoria Riskin. I’ve read the book and can tell you it is a fantastic read. I am also thrilled to be co-hosting this blogathon with friend Annmarie at Classic Movie Hub. Be sure to visit both our blogs on March 2 and 3 for fabulous entries honoring two extraordinary careers.

Joel McCrea and Fay Wray Run for Their Lives in THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932) Nineteen Hundred and Thirty Three brought us one of the greatest movies ever made, a story that stretched our collective imagination to its limits and introduced one of filmdom's greatest heroes.

[threestoogesnet]

A Gem of a Jam (1943)

"I wouldn't say yes, but I couldn't say no." "Would you say maybe?" "I might!" (Curly and Larry)

[vintagedreamsofsennett]

26 films I've watched among many RKO comedies co-starring Leon Errol and Dorothy Granger-Part 6

Man-I-Cured (1941)

Home Work (1942)

Dear! Deer! (1942)

Gem-Jams (1943)

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1944)

Triple Trouble (1944)

He Forgot to Remember (1944)

Beware of Redheads (1945)

Maid Trouble (1946)

Oh, Professor Behave! (1946)

Twin Husbands (1946)

Borrowed Blonde (1947)

Wife Tames Wolf (1947)

Hired Husband (1947)

Bet Your Life (1948)

Don't Fool Your Wife (1948)

Bachelor Blues (1948)

Backstage Follies (1948)

Dad Always Pays (1949)

Oil's Well That Ends Well (1949)

Shocking Affair (1949)

High and Dizzy (1950)

Texas Tough Guy (1950)

Punchy Pancho (1951)

One Wild Night (1951)

Lord Epping Returns (1951)

[goalhofer]

A Gem Of A Jam (1943) starring Moe Howard and Larry Fine.

[vintagedreamsofsennett]

26 films I've watched among many RKO comedies co-starring Leon Errol and Dorothy Granger-Part 5

Man-I-Cured (1941)

Home Work (1942)

Dear! Deer! (1942)

Gem-Jams (1943)

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1944)

Triple Trouble (1944)

He Forgot to Remember (1944)

Beware of Redheads (1945)

Maid Trouble (1946)

Oh, Professor Behave! (1946)

Twin Husbands (1946)

Borrowed Blonde (1947)

Wife Tames Wolf (1947)

Hired Husband (1947)

Bet Your Life (1948)

Don't Fool Your Wife (1948)

Bachelor Blues (1948)

Backstage Follies (1948)

Dad Always Pays (1949)

Oil's Well That Ends Well (1949)

Shocking Affair (1949)

High and Dizzy (1950)

Texas Tough Guy (1950)

Punchy Pancho (1951)

One Wild Night (1951)

Lord Epping Returns (1951)

[thepurplealmond]

Hello everyone and WELCOME to the inaugural edition of my new series: THROWBACK THURSDAY. In case you missed the introduction, here’s a quick summary.

“I am a firm believer in whole food cooking, the way our grandparents and great-grandparents used to prepare. So, I set out on a mission to find old cookbooks from the early to mid 1900’s. I found six cookbooks that fit the bill, with copyrights ranging from 1896 to 1954. 

I have decided to work my way through each recipe, one by one, book by book, and share my experiences with you along the way. So, on the 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, I’ll be sharing another “THROWBACK THURSDAY” recipe!”

Before I get into the recipe, I wanted to share 3 other books I’ve received since the introduction 2 weeks ago:

HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES:

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL RECIPES

AND PROCESSES

BY: SIDNEY MORSE

AND

MRS. CURTIS’S COOKBOOK:

A MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION IN

THE ART OF EVERYDAY COOKERY

BY: ISABEL GORDON CURTIS

COPYRIGHT: 1908

The first book is actually 2 books in one. HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES and MRS. CURTIS’S COOKBOOK. This book came with a HUGE bonus-jam packed with old newspaper clippings from the 1920’s, mostly recipes. There were also a few hand written recipes. (I’ll be including these recipes as a part of this series as well) The first book, which encompasses the first half, appears to be a house wife’s guide to daily living. There’s everything from house decorating, to daily routines, to soap making and more. I had to laugh, because there’s 3 chapters just on doing laundry! I could do a series just on this part of the book. (And, I might do that at some point when I have more time.) The second part is the cookbook, and the aspect of the book on which I will focus.

GOOD THINGS TO EAT AND HOW TO PREPARE THEM

COPYRIGHT: 1913

This book appears to be an advertisement of sorts from a company called LARKIN, in which they show how to use their products in different recipes.

WOMAN’S HOME COMPANION COOKBOOK

COPYRIGHT: 1943

This book has an introductory note that says:

“Every recipe in this book has been tested by the Woman’s Home Companion Home Service Center.”

I’ll be working my way through each book. I’ll try to do every recipe, but may end up skipping some. I’ll have to see how it goes.

NOW…onto the first book and recipe!

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING EVERYDAY COOKBOOK

COPYRIGHT: 1903

As a reminder, the first book I’m using is the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING EVERYDAY COOKBOOK from 1903. (Pictured above) It is an interesting book. As you can see, it’s somewhat small,  the recipes aren’t written as we do today and there aren’t any oven temperatures. This is to be expected since they used wood stoves at that time. The first few pages consist of “A few rules”, which discuss the measurements in the book.

The second section of the book is general remarks, which discusses:

classes of food

pantry care

washing dishes

using stale bread

how to combine ingredients

There are 20 food sections in the book, which include:

Baking powder breads

Beverages

Breads made with yeast

Cake, cookies, doughnuts, etc

Cereals

Cheese

Cold Desserts

Eggs

Fish

Frozen desserts

Hot desserts

Invalid cookery

Meats and poultry

meat and fish sauces

Pastry and pies

Sandwiches and canapes

Salads of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit

Shellfish

Soups

Vegetables

I’ll be starting with the first section, Baking Powder Breads, and the first recipe:

POPOVERS

Here’s the recipe as it is printed in the book: (Yes, that’s it!)

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Gem pan – I used a cast iron muffin pan. My research suggests that a gem pan is similar to a muffin pan, but more decorative.

Dover beater (Hand beater) – I purchased an antique one from Ebay (see photo) which I attempted to use. It worked…sort of. After this attempt, I found a new hand beater on Amazon, which I’ll use from now on. I’ll find a fun way to display the antique (Circa 1875).

Bowls measuring, cups, etc

INGREDIENTS: (This is what I used)

1 cup 100% Organic All Purpose Einkorn Flour – sifted

1 Cup cream top (creamline) milk (non-homogenized)

1 pasture-raised egg – slightly beaten

1/4 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt

Butter for greasing the pan

STEPS: (Here’s what I did)

Grease muffin/gem pan

Add sifted flour and salt to a bowl and mix.

Gradually add in milk and egg.

Mix for two minutes with a dover beater

  Pour batter into greased pan

Bake in a “FAST” oven for 30 minutes. (Remember – no oven temperatures.) My research indicates that a FAST oven translates to between 400 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I baked these at 425 for 30 minutes and it was perfect.

Remove from pan immediately and serve hot. Easier said then done! Here’s a photo of me ATTEMPTING to remove them from the pan!

They did come out, but got a bit squished. I was SO tempted to use muffin liners or parchment paper, but decided they PROBABLY didn’t have that back then. 😉 Here’s the result!

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

This was fun! Part of the excitement for me was just receiving the books and going through them. It’s fun reading the recipes and tips from back then. The popovers were very easy to make and very tasty, with butter and homemade jam. Despite my gluten allergy, I did taste them. I made a decision, when I began this series, that I would taste everything! I decided my itchy skin and other symptoms were worth it!

Next time on THROWBACK THURSDAY:

Batter Cakes

COOKBOOK SOURCE:

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

  Throwback Thursday: 1903 Good housekeeping ~ Popovers Hello everyone and WELCOME to the inaugural edition of my new series: THROWBACK THURSDAY. In case you missed the…

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The Three Stooges, E76, A Gem Of A Jam, 1943, Curly, Larry, Moe - Video Dailymotion

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Dudley Dickerson and Jerome “Curly” Howard in A Gem Of A Jam (1943).