We test the guacamole recipes of M-G-M stars Greer Garson and Debbie Reynolds.
Collage artwork by Cherie Savoie Tintary.
The Team
Samantha Ellis writes the column "Cooking with the Stars" for the Classic Movie Hub. She blogs at Musings of a Classic Film Addict and co-hosts the podcast "Ticklish Business".
Angie Schneider is a board member of The Hollywood Heritage Museum and collects memorabilia on Mary Pickford and Theda Bara. She blogs at “Tinsel and Stars" and is currently writing a cookbook on the recipes of Pickfair.
Jenny Hammerton of Silver Screen Suppers couldn't join us for the video due to the time zone difference, but she emailed me her guacamole analysis!
Fritzi Kramer of Movies Silently couldn't join us due to an injury, but I am hoping to have the whole team of ladies back together soon!
The Bracket
Samantha Ellis devised the game plan for the team.
*Given our schedule and time zone differences, this bracket will play out over zoom, social media and this blog.
The M-G-M Bracket
Greer Garson signed with M-G-M in 1937 and made her film debuted in the 1938 film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and landed a Best Actress Oscar nomination. M-G-M kept her busy in a string of successful dramas including "Blossoms in the Dust", "Random Harvest", "Madame Curie", "Mrs. Parkington" and "Valley of Decision". She was nominated five years in a row from 1941 - 1945 and tied with Bette Davis for the most consecutive Best Actress nominations. Garson went on to garner a total of seven Oscar nominations overall and took home the statuette for her performance in the 1942 classic "Mrs. Miniver".
Debbie Reynolds began her film career at Warner Bros., but moved to M-G-M where she made a splash singing "Aba Daba Honeymoon" in the film "Two Weeks With Love". In 1952 she landed a co-starring role in the musical "Singin' in the Rain" opposite Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Other films include "The Tender Trap", "Bundle of Joy" opposite her then husband Eddie Fisher and "Tammy and the Bachelor". She landed a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the 1964 film "The Unsinkable Molly Brown".
Greer Garson and Debbie Reynolds both appeared in "The Singing Nun" in 1966.
The Recipes
The Green Garson recipe originally comes from the book "Paul Denis' Celebrity Cook Book Recipes by Famous People" from 1952. It was also published in "The Dead Celebrity Cookbook presents Christmas in Tinseltown" by Frank Decaro from 2012.
The Debbie Reynolds recipe is from Modern Screen Magazine April 1955.
The Final Result
The Greer Garson guac was very creamy due to the mayonnaise, which also toned down the spicy combination of tobasco sauce, red peppers and onion. Jenny warned me that it might be very salty too.
Photos by Angie Schneider.
The Debbie Reynolds guac was a bit more chunky and traditional. It still packed a punch too due to the green chilis. Jenny of Silver Screen Suppers noted that she "loved the vinegar notes". She weighed in from across the pond and declared her favorite to the Debbie Reynolds guac. Angie and I both agreed with her and Samantha favored Greer Garson's recipe.
Photo by Angie Schneider.
It was delightful chatting with these two ladies about movie star recipes! They both have far more experiences with cooking them than I do, so it's fun to hear their stories. It was also interesting to frame our discussion about life at M-G-M and the studio system. Here's that 1925 studio tour that I mentioned:
There are plenty of great films from both ladies so please seek them out on DVD, Blu-ray or on Turner Classic Movies!
I declare Debbie Reynolds the winner of this bracket.
Photo by Angie Schneider.
Thank you again for joining me and stay tuned for more food, fun and film history from Hollywood Kitchen!