1. “Gene Kelly, co-starring in MGM’s musical It’s Always Fair Weather” “It’s Always Fair Weather” was released in 1955, starring Gene Kelly (obviously), Cyd Charisse, Dan Dailey, Dolores Gray, and Michael Kidd. The musical featured book, music, and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, also known for “Singin’ In the Rain,” “Bells are Ringing,” “Peter Pan,” “On the Twentieth Century,” and “Will Rogers Follies.” Comden and Green were partners for over 60 years.
2. CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. [quoted directly and without shame from Wikipedia].
3. Broiled steak: Weirdly, the text reads “charcoal broiled steak” but depicts a grilled steak. Broiling, notably, involves the heat source coming from above the meat. A grilled, say charcoal grilled, steak (see picture!) is heated from underneath. So, ahem, Durkee, pull your shizzle together. (Or fire your editor and or ad company. Jeez!)
4. Durkee’s Meat Tenderizer: Still available! In seasoned and unseasoned formats. Contains bromelain— no, it’s not a shaving foam; it’s an enzyme derived from pineapple.
5. Durkee’s Worcestershire Sauce: No longer seems to be available. In the 1920s, though, it was subtitled “Challenge Brand.” Which sounds like it means something. For an anchovy sauce.
6. Durkee’s Homogenized Margarine: Notably, each stick of margarine was contained in something called “Sweet-Wrap,” an all-vegetable parchment. It also had an exterior foil wrap (FoilPak). Advertising of the time emphasized that “it doesn’t spatter!”
7. “Deviled eggs Featured by Clark’s Restaurants of Cleveland”: Happily this ad is not suggesting that you grill (or broil) the deviled eggs. Surprisingly (to the modern gal), this Gene Kelly-approved recipe is also not suggesting the use of mayonnaise or Miracle Whip: the hero of this deviled egg recipe is Durkee’s Famous Sauce. Now, originally, we thought this might be the bizarro world of “special sauce”/“Mac Sauce”/“Frisco sauce” (mayonnaise + ketchup + relish OR mayonnaise, ketchup + 1000 Island salad dressing). But, dearest internets, it’s not!
Durkee’s Famous Sauce: You can still buy it! Was originally known as “Durkee’s Famous Dressing and Meat Sauce.” Although it was originally created in 1857 by Eugene R. Durkee (a Real Person!), it was later featured at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair; next to “Durkee’s Roquefort Delight, Salad Aid and their ‘Dinner Bell Oleomargarine.’”
Mid-century advertising touted that “Durkee’s Famous Dressing and Meat Sauce is served in the lunches of the Three-Mile-a-Minute planes of the United Air Lines, on the giant air-ships of the American Airways, and many others”… “It’s a regular part of the menu of the diners of the finest crack trains; in the dining rooms of the most fashionable hotels, in world-famous restaurants and exclusive clubs from coast to coast and border to border.”
Aside from the fun coast-to-coast history, this sauce is a mustard/mayo hybrid but with “12 undisclosed spices.”
So, like: Mustard + mayonnaise + (probably) salt, black pepper, white vinegar, garlic, onion powder, turmeric, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, coriander, cumin, paprika, fennel.
(Our completely uneducated guess. Trademark us if it’s delicious!)
8. Potato Salad Supreme. Now, we enjoy very much that this recipe, of Gene Kelly’s own choosing (ha, ha), is called “supreme,” like a modern day Taco Bell premium specialty. We also enjoy that this recipe calls for not only , obviously, Durkee’s Famous Sauce but also Durkee’s Mayonnaise AND/OR Durkee’s Whipped Salad Dressing (same old, same old, Miracle Whip by any other name???). (We can’t, like, luxuriate, on this one because it’s basic midwestern saucy casserole salad. Supreme.)
9. Special Offer: 20 Page Booklet! Probably not still good. Recommend not sending. However, sending anything to “Flavor Tips” and Cleveland, Ohio doesn’t sound like the worst way to spend a Saturday night.
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