Joan Crawford: Gorgeous Ingredients



There was a lovely occurrence in my childhood--perhaps in all Southern childhoods--when the marble piece would come out and my sister and I would spend the day in the kitchen with my mother folding and molding candies. Divinity fudge--another Eucharist of the South--was magical to me: Spinning corn syrup until it made a thread of pure crystal; whipping it until it formed iceberg-like peaks on waxed paper. Pralines that were poured and then set, slowly hardening and then a piece of nirvana was yours. There was a period when you could pick these things up and shape and re-shape them, mold them into entirely different shapes. And, of course, you would lick your fingers and enter a sugar high that altered everything on that day, in that time. I say all this to tell you what I thought of stars like Joan Crawford: Gorgeous ingredients that held no center, had no function until someone with a whisk--of imagination or control or sexual desire--whipped it or folded it or set it out to dry. And then it was heaven: Sweet and beautiful and a thing of joy. And you were high on sugar and momentarily happy and you bonded with those with whom you imbibed. The world needs candy, and the world needs movie stars. 



Quote derived from interview with James Grissom
New Orleans
1982

Both photographs by George Hurrell

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