1920s Exercise 2 - Raising the Legs

Position - Holding the same position as the preceding exercise (situps). Without bending the knees and insteps extended, slowly raise the legs far enough to have them form a right angle with the trunk at the hip as in figure 2. Lower slowly. Repeat 4 more times. Basically, they are leg lifts.

(Note - the chair is just to show a right angle. It is not involved in the exercise)

Breathing - Exhale when legs go up. Inhale deeply when you lower them. Do not try to make respiration follow the movements; make the movements follow the rhythm of normal breathing.

New Year's Beauty Plan

The New Year is the perfect time to see how you are coming in your Beauty Plan, according to our resident expert Ruth Murrin from Good Housekeeping. Objectively you should evaluate yourself and see how you are coming along. I did just that. Murrin's steps were:

Know exactly how you look now. Use mirrors, lights, and snapshots to do this

I think I know. Snapshots are very telling.

Determine your best points and how to show them off

Hmmm . . . I have gotten compliments on my hair and legs, so I would have to go with those. I particularly love my hair color (auburn which unfortunately is starting to go white).

Acknowledge your worst points and figure out how to correct them.

Too many. Where to begin? Basically everything except my hair color.

Know your ideal and try to figure out how to get there

My ideal is the lovely Rita Hayworth, of course! But how does one become a Love Goddess?

Some things to correct, according to Ruth:

Overweight or distressing thinness

Flat chest

Thick waist and diaphragm

Bad carriage

Careless grooming

Frizzy, lifeless hair

Stringy, oily hair

Stiff waves

Too-short cut

Muddy complexion

Hard make-up

No make-up

Shaggy eyebrows

Colorless lashes

Pasty powder

Smeared lipstick

Downward lines on an older face

Rough hands

Unkempt nails

No polish

Wrong tone of polish

I could definitely work on all of these, but the no make-up one is probably my worst fault on the list. Here's to new beginnings!

Exercise 1 - Raising the Body

So, for my exercise plan, Here is exercise 1 from the April 1920 Good Housekeeping:

Position - The body should be perfectly flat on the floor, face up, hands clasped behind the head. Raise the trunk to an erect sitting position while the legs remain still as in figure 1. Lower slowly. Repeat four more times.

Breathing - Inhale as the trunk raises. Exhale slowly when hovering trunk

Silly Sunday - Donald's Ostrich

A fun little poem from a 1930s issue of Good Housekeeping. I have to admit I have a weakness for Donald Duck

The baggagemaster, Donald Duck

Asks Mickey Mouse to see

An ostrich that is marked "Express"

And "Handle Carefully".

They find a book which recommends

Birdseed and fruit and berries,

But ostriches are not discussed -

Just parrots and canaries.

They bring him birdseed, cake and pie

And such things till they're weak

But at them all the ostrich just

Turns up his nose - or beak!

They do not know, with ostriches,

Much simpler food would do

Some old tin cans, a yard of cloth,

Perhaps a nice young shoe!

If Donald Duck had known these things,

Which he did not, poor chap.

He might have kept his temper, and

He would have kept his cap!

Over the Top Award and Thanks

Thanks to Matthew at Movietone News http://www.movietone-news.com/ for the Award! Made my day :)

I'm randomly tagging some followers because I love all your blogs and can't decide. I wish I could tag you all! The tagged ones are:

Michelle at http://everythingiloveisfrom59.blogspot.com/
Jenny at http://www.silverscreensuppers.com/
Heather at http://heathercherry.blogspot.com/
Amanda at http://amandaatkins.blogspot.com/
Meridith at http://lalalandhistory.blogspot.com/
Elsie at http://art-deco-dame.blogspot.com/
Kate at http://silentsandtalkies.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone for the prayers. I really appreciate it.

Constance Bennett gets a yummy diet

Madame Sylvia suggested this diet for Constance Bennett to fatten her up:

Breakfast

Glass of Orange Juice

Dish of hominy mixed with one over-ripe sliced banana with cream and sugar

Glass of certified milk (half milk/half cream)

Luncheon

Half avocado (alligator pear) on lettuce with mayonnaise (made in your own kitchen)

3 heaping Tablespoons of turnips en puree

3 heaping Tablespoons of fresh green peas

2 slices of whole wheat toast with plenty of fresh butter

1 dish stewed fruit

1 glass certified milk

Dinner

1 cup creamed fresh tomato soup

Mixed grill of lamp chops, kidneys, two strips of crisp bacon

Beets in fresh melted butter (make by the heat of the served dish)

Mashed potatoes

Cup of custard, vanilla sauce (the egg for the custard to be less than one day old)

Black Coffee

Recipes

Stewed Fruit
1. Cook the fruit whole, except those that must be peeled and cored
2. Cover with cold sugared water
3. Bring to a boil. Then take off the fire immediately and cool

Constance Bennett's diet sounds yummy! No wonder I like it, it's supposed to be fattening.

What should Gorgeous Gloria Swanson Eat?

Madame Sylvia recommended this diet for Gloria Swanson in Hollywood Undressed. Madame Sylvia described it as a "typical meal for nourishing the Nerves, while causing no increase in weight" (Hollywood Undressed, Page 195). As someone who has a case of "the nerves", I was curious about it.

Breakfast/Luncheon
Half Grapefruit
Small dish of Fresh Figs
3 slices of Calf's Liver
2 slices of Crisp Rye Bread with Thin Butter
1 dish of Fresh Raspberries
Plain cup of Tea with 1 Lump Sugar

Only one meal for our poor Gloria in the first half of the day. I definitely could not do it! I could eat everything - except the calf's liver. What is it with liver in the 20s diet? And at least Gloria gets a little butter!

Dinner
Broth
Roast Pheasant or Chicken; or Boiled Fish
2 Tablespoons Mashed Turnips
2 Tablespoons of String Beans
Can substitute 2 Scoops of Noodles with Melted Butter for Turnips or String Beans
Pickled Beets
Sherbet
Black Coffee

I've never had Pheasant, so I can't comment on that (I've heard it's fantastic). I would definitely be willing to eat Gloria's dinner - minus the pickled beets. My mom adores Pickled Beets on Toast and have trauma about being asked to eat it as a child. Can't bring myself to eat it. And she even gets a little dessert - how cool is that?

Recipes

CALF"S LIVER WITH BACON
Ingredients
2 pounds calf's liver, cut into 6 pieces
1 cup whole milk
8 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon beef broth

Directions
1. In a large glass baking dish, add liver and milk and let soak for 20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and butter and cook until fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 3 tablespoons fat in skillet. Reserve remaining fat.
3. Cook onions with salt and pepper, to taste, in bacon fat in skillet over moderate heat for 10 minutes or until caramelized. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Set aside.
4. Pat liver dry and discard milk. In a large zip-top bag, add flour, Essence, salt and pepper. Working in batches, add liver and shake to coat. Set aside on baking sheet until ready to cook.
5. Add 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat to skillet over high heat and add liver; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Turn liver over, remove pan from heat, add sherry and beef broth, return pan to heat and shake and flambe. Cook on second side for about 2 minutes or until cooked through. Serve liver with pan sauce, topped with onions and bacon.

ROAST PHEASANT WITH WHISKY CUMBERLAND SAUCE
Ingredients
1/4 cup Scotch whisky
2 oranges, cut into 1/8ths
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 (2 to 2 1/2-pound) pheasants
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, halved

Whisky-Cumberland Sauce:
1 cup Scotch whisky
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 cup red currant jelly
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne

Directions
1. For the pheasant: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, toss the oranges with 3 tablespoons of the whisky. Rub the pheasants with the remaining 1 tablespoon of whisky and lightly season with salt and pepper. Stuff each pheasant with the oranges and 1 sprig of fresh thyme, and close the cavities with skewers. Wrap the breast of each pheasant with the bacon and set in a roasting pan. Roast the pheasants until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F., about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes.
3. For the Whisky Cumberland Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the whisky, orange juice, and orange zest, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 50 percent in volume to about 3/4 cup. Add the currant jelly, salt, and cayenne, and stir well.
4. Cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a decorative bowl. Cool slightly before serving.
5. Remove the bacon from the pheasant breasts, if desired, and cut each bird in half. Discard the oranges and thyme in the cavity. Serve hot with Whisky-Cumberland Sauce and wild rice.


PICKLED BEETS
Ingredients
2 pounds whole beets
1 cup water
Salt
3 cups apple cider
1 quart size preserving jar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the beets in a small roasting pan. Add the water to the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and cook until the beets are fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes, reserving the liquid. Remove the skins from the beets and slice 1/4 inch thick. Season the beets with salt. In a saucepan, heat the reserved beet juice and vinegar, over medium heat. Sterilize 1 quart-size preserving jar in boiling water and keep hot. Soak the lids in the boiling water and keep hot. Pack the jar tightly with the beets. Pour hot liquid over the beets, adding enough of the liquid to come within 1/2-inch of the top. With a clean, damp towel, wipe the rim and fit with a hot lid. Tightly screw on the metal ring and process in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Using tongs, remove the jar, place on a towel and let cool. Test seal. Tighten the ring. Store in a cool dry place. Let age for 2 weeks.


MASHED TURNIPS
Water
2 1/2 lbs. turnips, peeled and diced
1/4 c. butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions
Heat turnips to boiling in water. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Mash; add butter, salt, sugar, pepper. Stir until well mixed. Serve garnished with parsley.

BOILED FISH
Double fillet Northern so there are NO bones. Cut into bite size pieces. In large kettle 2/3 cup full of water and add 1/2 cup salt, bay leaf, minced garlic and minced onion. Drop fish into boiling water. When fish floats to top its done. Dip in melted butter to taste.

Up next: How to bulk up Constance Bennett

Sylvia's diet for Ina Claire

Madame Sylvia created this diet for Ina Claire. She referred to it as a diet for those that are overweight and anemic. I have to say, I could hardly eat any of this diet. Not sure what Ina Claire did to Sylvia, but the thought of eating most of this stuff makes me ill. Yuck! I could probably eat only the breakfast and the veggies. The liver extract sounds particularly unappealing to me.

Breakfast
Small glass of Grapefruit Juice
2 Tablespoons of one of the Baked Patent Cereals with a Glass of Skimmed Milk
Tea with 1 Lump Sugar

Luncheon
Salad of Cottage Cheese with Shredded Pineapple - No Dressing
Cup of Broth with Liver Extract (hot or jellied)
2 Tablespoons of Carrots
2 Tablespoons Spinach
1 Tablespoon Peas
Apple Mold

Dinner
Celery
Sweetbreads with Truffles (The thymus gland or pancreas of a young animal, especially a calf or lamb, used for food)
3 heaping spoonfuls of String Beans
2 heaping spoonfuls of Summer Squash
Tomato Jelly with Diet Dressing
Stewed Fruit
Black Coffee

The Recipes

BAKED CEREAL
1/2 cup whole wheat
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup oat groats
1/2 cup millet
3/4 teaspoon salt
4-1/2 cups water

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole. Cover with a glass lid or aluminum foil. Bake overnight at 150 degrees to 200 degrees. Serve with honey and milk. Refrigerate unused portion in an airtight container.


Liver Extract
1. Chop up a cow's liver, cover with cold water, bringing to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 hours
2. The brew obtained from the liver is combined, half and half, with the broth of vegetables of meat, and is the element of the diet which is the most effective counter-agent against anemia


Apple Mold
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Lemon Flavor Gelatin
2 cups cold apple juice
1 small green apple, chopped
1 small red apple, chopped

Directions:
1. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold juice. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).
2. When thickened, stir in apples.
3. Pour into 6-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold onto serving plate. Garnish as desired.
5. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator.


Tomato Jelly
1 3/4 cups canned tomato juice
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
4 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid fruit pectin

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients except pectin.
2. Stir over high heat until mixture reaches a full boil. Stir in pectin and bring again to a full boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat. Stir and skim for about 3 minutes.
4. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

This jelly is equally good served with meats or spread on hot bread.


French Dressing (According to Madame Sylvia - Not French Dressing as we know it today)
Olive Oil
Vinegar
Salt and Pepper


Diet Dressing
Mineral Oil
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Up next - Gloria Swanson's Diet for "The Nerves"

Lawrence Tibbett has 2 Diets

One of my favorite opera stars, Lawrence Tibbett, was prescribed a diet from our dear Madame Sylvia, Masseuse to the Stars and author of Hollywood Undressed. She prescribed 2 diets. One was for when performing, and one for when he wasn't. With both diets, Lawrence was supposed to drink "part of a glass of grapefruit juice 1/2 hour before breakfast" (Hollywood Undressed, Page 189). Not sure what this was supposed to do, but with Madame, there is a reason somewhere.

Let's start with the At Play Diet:

1960s Pabst Beer ad with Mr and Mrs Lawrence Tibbett

Breakfast

All Fruit Breakfast (Fresh Figs or any other In Season Fruit)

1 glass Warm Milk

Mr and Mrs Tibbett in a 1903 Electric Car from a friend's car collection

Luncheon

Avocado Salad

Whole Wheat Toast

My favorite Tibbett photo, from 1946 in Palm Beach Florida

See, even Opera Stars can Play :)

Dinner

Avocado Cocktail with Thousand Island Dressing (I assume this is some kind of salad)

Plain Tomato Soup with Celery - No Crackers

Rare Roast Beef

Potatoes, Mashed with Cream and Butter

Corn on the Cob

Toast - no Coffee

Combination Salad - Tomatoes, Water Cress, Romaine, Celery, Onion, Cucumber, Raw Carrots, Raw Cabbage, and Mayonnaise

Blackberry or Peach Cobbler

And when performing, this is what Madame Sylvia ordered:

Performing on Your Hit Parade in the 1930s

Breakfast

2 Poached Eggs

Thin, Buttered Whole Wheat Toast

Crisp Bacon

Warm Milk

Laurel and Hardy and Lawrence Tibbett from the lost film, Rogue Song (1930). For a surviving clip, see clip below.

Luncheon

NONE - Way harsh Madame Sylvia! Why won't poor Sylvia let our boy eat?

Funny cartoon of Lawrence by the famous Disney animator who created characters the shorts for Tortoise and the Hare and Who Killed Cock Robin

Dinner
*Eat 5 hours before a performance. - Again, pretty harsh Sylvia. Poor Lawrence will fade away!

Puree of Spinach
Fresh Peas
2 Lamb Chops
Head of Lettuce with dressing of Italian (Olive Oil, Lemon, and Salt)
Thin Whole Wheat Toast
1 Glass of Milk

I'll be honest here, I don't think I could handle these diets. I like lunch too much - and then at night there is a ton of food. You'd probably need it after being starved all day!

Did you guess the answer to the previous Lawrence Tibbett question? The question was what has Lawrence accomplished that only 5 other actors have before?

The answer - Been nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for their first role

Up next, what does Madame Sylvia suggest for Ina Claire's Diet?

Mary Duncan's Diet

Madame Sylvia created a diet for Mary Duncan she described as "A diet for adolescents inclined to plumpness" (Hollywood Undressed, Page 186).

Breakfast

1/2 Grapefruit

2 slices of crisp rye toast with thin butter

1 cup coffee, clear

Luncheon

1/2 Cantaloupe

1 broiled lamb chop

4 heaping Tablespoonfuls of Cauliflower

2 heaping Tablespoonfuls of Summer Squash

2 Leaves of Lettuce

3 slices of Tomato, diet dressing

1/2 slice whole wheat toast, no butter

1 cup coffee, clear

Dinner

1 Tomato Juice Cocktail

Russian Salad, Diet Dressing

1 slice of Roast Beef or 2 slices of Roast Lamb with "lean" gravy

3 heaping Tablespoons of Spinach

2 heaping Tablespoons of Brussel Sprouts

1/2 slice of Whole Wheat Toast

1 small dish of Strawberries

1 glass of Skimmed Milk

Demitasse Coffee

I think Madame Sylvia's diet for Mary Duncan sounds pretty decent. Some of the quantities seem strange like only 2 leaves of lettuce with lunch, but there must be some reason for it.

For a good post on Mary Duncan, check it out from one of my fav sites, Allure:

http://operator_99.blogspot.com/2007/01/mary-duncan.html

Next up - Why does Lawrence Tibbett need 2 diets?