Today, I have, what I call, my sippy cup which is filled with 1 part orange juice and 3 parts soda water which has been my go to drink for decades now. Of course, back in the day, I would imbibe …often and have been cut off in more than one bar but those are other stories for another day. I loved the summers for hanging out with my friends, dancing every weekend with a screwdriver in my hand. There have been many films where the drinks are free flowing starting with the Thin Man series which I love, but I chose 3 other films that fit the bill.
1. SWING TIME-1936
I love musicals ( duh!) and the Astaire/Rogers musical is a great one with many gob-smacking dance numbers. Along for the ride are the staples that appeared in many of their films which included Helen Broderick, Edward Everett Horton and the supreme, Eric Blore. Astaire plays a famous dancer ( again…Duh!) and gambler who wants to marry but her dad won’t allow it unless he can come up with $25,000. His friends don’t want him to marry and do whatever it takes to screw things up. Astaire meets Rogers and sparks fly which goes the usual route of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. In the meantime, you love how his friends do whatever they can to screw things up for him and Blore does it with great aplomb while holding a drink in his hand all the time. I love this character actor who deserves better recognition these days. He is so, so funny as the always inebriated friend.
2. MY MAN GODFREY-1936
Talk about a screwball comedy! This is one of the best that stars William Powell who is picked up by Carole Lombard, in the city dump as a homeless man for the Scavenger hunt her elite, rich friends are having. Before you can say, Holy insensitive, rich a-holes, Carole hires Godfrey as their Butler and he is now living at the wacky household that can make anyone go insane. The mother is constantly pixelated, Carole’s sister is a bitch, the dad is trying to keep things together and deal with his wife’s musical protege who is enjoying his freeloading ways. Carole is the younger daughter who knows Godfrey loves her and does everything to get him to admit this. During one party scene, Godfrey imbibes while serving drinks and it is quite hilarious. Carole is luminous and it’s always sad to know she won’t live much longer dying in a plane crash in 1942. This is a zany comedy that I enjoy watching.
3. THE PARTY-1968
Never mind when I was in my 20s, I would love to go to this party today! I think all 3 of these films are politically incorrect today but, I don’t care because they are funny especially this film that stars Peter Sellers as a bumbling, would be Indian actor( from India not Native American), who destroys a film set costing thousands. Somehow, he gets invited to a Hollywood party which is a party that is wild, to say the least. You have a very funny dinner scene, dancing, drinking, elephants, romance and Steve Franken as one of the butlers who keeps drinking the left over wine becoming quite drunk. This character actor, from film and TV is hilarious in a basic silent role stealing the scenes from Peter Sellers, not an easy feat. It’s a party I would go to in a minute especially when there are suds galore.
What party scenes can you think of?
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