FLAMING RUM PUNCH & MULLED WINE | BAR SCENE | 1946 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
"I was just thinking of a flaming rum punch. No, it's not
cold enough for that. Not nearly cold enough... Wait a minute...wait a minute... I got it. Mulled wine, heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you, me lad, and be lively!”
What a great cocktail and bar scene!
In this unforgettable scene from the 1946 film, George (James Stewart) confidently orders a Double Bourbon, setting the stage for a classic cocktail moment. Meanwhile, with an air of celestial sophistication, Clarence the Angel (Henry Travers) initially opts for a Flaming Rum Punch. Still, he later shifts to a Mulled Wine with a generous dash of cinnamon. The charm of this cinematic gem extends beyond its time, prompting us to ponder the intriguing choice of libations in the 1650s, as revealed by the whimsical detail of Clarence's 293-year existence. Such nuances make this scene a timeless exploration of character and historical quirks.
NICK THE BARTENDER
Nick, the Bartender, was Sheldon Leonard, born February 22, 1907. He was the executive producer of the "The Dick Van Dyke Show." He launched his Hollywood career as an actor in movies and radio, where he was often cast to play a gangster, con man, or some similarly unsavory sort. He may be best known to modern audiences as Nick, the bartender in "It's a Wonderful Life."
Carl Reiner often spoke of his indebtedness to Sheldon, who he acknowledged as the person most responsible for getting "The Dick Van Dyke Show" on the air and keeping it there when the show suffered early ratings challenges. For that feat alone, Sheldon deserves all the respect accorded him to this day by television industry members.
FUN FACT!
Producer Chuck Lorre even named two leading characters on "The Big Bang Theory" after Sheldon Leonard. Can you name them? Lol.
Given Sheldon's central role in the genesis, evolution, and ultimate success of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," it may surprise you to learn that it wasn't even Sheldon's most prominent TV hit. That honor goes to "The Andy Griffith Show," the still enormously popular series that Sheldon spun off from an episode of "The Danny Thomas Show" and then nurtured into a long-running series that would come to dominate CBS' Monday night schedule through eight prime time seasons, from 1960 to '68, spawning two successful spin-offs--" Gomer Pyle, USMC," and "Mayberry RFD"--along the way. Sheldon's creative hot streak continued into the latter half of the 1960s, when he brought "I Spy" to the screen, followed, a few years later, by "My World and Welcome To It," a short-lived but highly respected half-hour comedy loosely based on the life and works of the famed New Yorker cartoonist and writer, James Thurber.
Sheldon Leonard died on January 10, 1997--about a month shy of his 90th birthday--having lived a wonderful life indeed.
~@dsscam
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