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You've just pulled up in
front of an elegant club in an exclusive, older section of town. The uniformed
doorman opens the mahogany doors. Fragrant aromas waft forth & the soft music
from "An Affair to Remember" envelopes you. The walls are covered with
posters and lobby cards; Posters and lobby cards from each and every Cary Grant
movie, that is. There are large tables throughout the club. Tables meant for
groups of friends to meet and enjoy.
In all there are
72 tables. If you glance at a few of the tables, you will notice that each one is
decorated in the theme of a Cary Grant movie. The one in the corner with the
typewriter on? That's the 'His Girl Friday' table. The table with the knitting
needles and all those balls of wool? That's the 'Mr. Lucky' table. If you're
feeling peckish, there's a bowl of California, errr Florida, oranges on 'The Awful Truth'
table. Over to the left, toward the back, watch your step. There's a
lower level and you can just see there's a table there, because of the periscope peeking
over the top of the banister. I'm not sure, but I think that's the 'Destination
Tokyo' table. Oh, wait a second, the periscope is painted pink - that's 'Operation
Petticoat.' I assure you, 'Destination Tokyo' is around somewhere, you just can't
see it at the moment. You might find the table at the back a little confusing, the
one with the plank of wood leaning against a jukebox? That's 'Kiss Them For
Me.'
Anyway, feel free to just wander round and sit at any of the tables which
takes your fancy. You'll always find someone to chat with. Each table has a
hostess to fill you in on all the gossip. That's Ann Sheridan waving from the table
with the little haystack on it. Some of the hostesses can take things fairly easy,
others have a bit more to do. Irene Dunne enjoys flitting between The Awful Truth,
My Favourite Wife and Penny Serenade. She always stops to banter with
Katharine
Hepburn and you can hear their laughter all over the Club sometimes. Myrna Loy's
tables are always so elegant and well decorated, and she often takes time out to see
to the children. There she is now with George Winslow and that small boy playing
with a caterpillar.
If you want anything to drink, there is plenty on offer. We
have crates and crates of pink champagne. And there's some whisky around
somewhere if we can just find the bottles. Leslie Caron will keep hiding them
in the most awkward places. There's also some rather tasty elderberry wine which has
a bit of a kick to it. You may want to stay away from the water cooler though.
We found Esther messing with it a couple of days ago, closely watched by Asta.
You'll find the 72 Club is a great place to relax. There is always
some wonderful music playing - lots of Cole Porter of course. Some other tunes you
may recognize: "My Dreams Have Gone With the Wind" always has people
singing; Mae does a great rendition of Frankie and Johnnie every once in a while.
And, of course, overseeing it all is your elegant and sophisticated host,
Cary Grant. His aim is to see that you are happy and comfortable and make your stay
a happy and memorable one. He's always on hand for a chat, and will be happy to sit
for a while and charm your socks off.
The
Speakeasy is an exclusive spot
for those who've collected all 72 of Cary's movies. Let me
introduce you to some of our members.
First of all, there's Debbie at the
"Holiday" table. Once Katharine has finished showing her how to do
somersaults, you should go over and say hello.
Donna is the one drinking an egg nog at "The Awful
Truth" table and playing with Asta. I wonder where he got that bone from?
Cheryl is over at the
"Arsenic & Old Lace" table. "NO! CHERYL! DON'T TOUCH THAT
WINE!!!"
Isn't that LeeAnn
sitting over at "The Philadelphia Story" table with an orange juice in front of
her and a dreamy smile on her face?
The lady sitting over at the table with the
blueprint tablecloth is Sharron;
I can't tell, but I believe the centerpiece at that "Mr. Blandings" table is an
artfully arranged grouping of rabbited lallies.
Mary Kate is crooning with
Deborah Kerr at the "An Affair to Remember" table. Tomorrowland
never sounded so good!
Diane
has just entered the Speakeasy! She'd like a seat at the "Indiscreet"
table, if you please, and will be waiting for a handsome partner to dance the eightsome
reel. Dorothy's
just come in with a saucy attitude and a spring in her step. She's
immediately spotted Diane and sashays over join her. Is that a
left-handed violin Dorothy is carrying?
What game is Selena
playing over at "That Touch of Mink" table? Without television, one
never knows how she'll entertain herself in the evenings!
Jenny
is standing near the "His Girl Friday" table tossing olives into
the air with her mouth gaping open trying to catch them. Oh! One
just bounced off her nose! She seems to have misplaced her purse, has
anyone seen it? Maybe that nice German psychiatrist has it? He
doesn't look like the sort to bandy words about, though. Mustn't
worry, because everything's going to be all right!
Warming herself
over there by the Alpha Oven is Bev.
She's waiting for Cary to walk in. That's when things will really
start heating up and the "Amazing Adventure" begins!
Don't worry
that the lady wandering from table to table is a party crasher. It's Pat,
and she just can't decide which table to claim. I thought for a moment
she'd enjoy a sip of wine with Cheryl, but then she disappeared over by the
"Topper" table. Now she has an orange under her chin and is
trying to pass it off to the good looking waiter near the
"Charade" table. I wonder where she'll wander next?!
Has anyone
noticed the mysterious fellow, Jack,
surreptitiously checking the labels of all the wine bottles in the
Speakeasy? And why does he keep tossing that set of keys up and down,
up and down, in his hand. There's a rumor going 'round that he's a
"Notorious" spy!
Did anyone hear Jen arrive? She crept
in so quietly, no one noticed. That's her over there at the "To Catch a Thief" table quietly perusing a list of highly insured jewels while waiting for "The Cat" to sweep her off her feet.
"Beep-Beep-Beep!" I sure do wish that Nancy would keep things down a bit over there at
the "People Will Talk" table. First she was conducting a group of musicians, next she was demonstrating the fine art of milking a cow, and now she's rerouting the miniature train set through the legs
of the other tables. "Beep-Beep-Beep! Everyone watch their steps!"
If you drop by Irina's table, it may take a moment to get her attention. She's absently
sipping Piper Heidseick 1942 as she reads from the extensive list of personal information she's compiled about her favorite fellow. Nothing will deter her from memorizing every last detail, because
sometimes a girl has to take drastic measures to get her man!
Who's that just entering the Speakeasy with her pant legs rolled up and a potato sack thrown over her shoulder? Why it's Audrey!
"Mellow greetings, Audrey! You know, Audrey, you remind me of a man ...."
That lady carrying the heart-shaped box of Valentines who can't seem to decide which table to sit at? That's our Tonya
who fell in love with Cary one cold Valentine weekend and just can't be forced to decide upon only one favorite Cary movie. She loves so many of them, because ... sigh ... HE is in them all!!
Scott,
with images of Grace Kelly, the Riviera, chicken picnics and midnight
robberies in his head, requests a seat at the "To Catch A Thief"
table....with many thanks and a tip of the hat to John Robie, T. Devlin,
Roger Thornhill and all of the other amazing men that came into his life
through the dazzling art of Cary Grant. "Cary, my
friend.....thank you."
"I can't
give you anything, but love, Baby!" croons a ditzy Shari
as she enters the Speakeasy tugging on a very taut leash. "Come,
Baby ... Let me introduce you to a few friends."
Here comes Jennifer,
up from digging another lock for the canal. Put your shovel down and
rest at the Arsenic and Old Lace table. But whatever you do, don't
quench your thirst with a sip of that wine!
Karl
is making an absolute spectacle of himself in that negligee as he joins
Shari in an attempted duet of "I can't give you anything, but love,
Baby!" Can someone please send some appetizers over to that
table? Quickly!
Can it
be?! Look who just walked through the door hugging a pair of ice
skates to her breast! All the way from Hungary, it's Jerelyn!
After a quick look around the room, she demurely asks for the blessing of
sitting with the Professor at "The Bishop's Wife"
table.
Philippe
stands at the North by Northwest table, taps his glass and asks those in the room
to lift their glasses in memory of Bruce Rudesill. A tearful swell of
"Hear! Hear!" fills the Speakeasy. So many in this
room owe the completion of their collections to Bruce.
That lady who
seems to be wandering between tables is Jacqueline.
She was first spotted with indiscreetly tapping her toe with Diane and
Dorothy. Next someone spied her over with Jack, asking him about those
keys he's notorious for tossing about. Right now she's with Philippe
checking train schedules for her trip north (or was she heading northwest?),
but it appears as if she's on her way over to share a picnic of fried
chicken with Jen now. With so many choices and so many wonderful folks
to chat with, sometimes it's just so difficult to decide which table to
choose!
Check out
Tammy at the
"Notorious" table savoring each bite from an elegant dish of ice cream.
A scoop of Haagen Daz chocolate/chocolate chip ice cream and one scoop of
vanilla Swiss almond, smothered with serious hot fudge, perfect cashews, a
tad of warm butterscotch, and a maraschino cherry ... on the bottom.
She's saving that cherry for the very last moment.
Rebecca
leans over to ask Tammy if she'd mind a bit of company at the
"Notorious" table which is reminiscent of a sidewalk café in Rio. When
the waiter stops by to take Rebecca's order, she glibly announces, "Make mine a double!"
"Beep!
Beep! Beep!" make room for
Karen at the "People
Will Talk" table, though I don't think she'll be staying there long.
She's sure to wander from table to table, maybe stopping by the "Bishop's
Wife," or "Father Goose," or "Charade," or "To Catch a Thief." I just
don't know where Karen will end up!
Are YOU a
member of
THE 72 SPEAKEASY
Have you collected ALL of Cary's 72 movies???
PLEASE, tell me
your story!!
Will you fill in a little bit of blurb about your favorite film,
what you especially like about Cary Grant,
how you started collecting,
when you started collecting,
how long it took to collect all 72,
what other Cary Grant memorabilia you have,
what table you would be found at in the Club and doing what....
Want to read the others' stories??
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