Hollywood and Beer - Vintage Blatz Beer Ads

In honor of the 16 day German beer celebration known as Oktoberfest, which kicks off today, here is a post combining two of my favorite things: classic Hollywood and beer.

During the 1940s and 1950s the Blatz beer company out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin hired the help of many well known Wisconsinites to market their product, including Hollywood stars, famous athletes and pop culture celebrities. The ads all included a line like "I lived in Milwaukee, I ought to know..." or in some cases, "I've been to Milwaukee..." Here are a few of the those ads featuring some of the Hollywood star power.

Click images to see larger.

Fred MacMurray

Actor Fred MacMurray had a diverse career that started in romantic comedies then moved into noirs, westerns and later family fare like Disney's The Shaggy Dog (1959) and the television show My Three Sons. My personal favorite roles include his parts in the noirs Double Indemnity (1944) and Pushover (1954). MacMurray grew up in the small Wisconsin town of Beaver Dam, a place that always remained dear to his heart. He would return to the town to visit with friends and enjoy the Wisconsin outdoors. He also would mention his hometown frequently any chance he got, including in the one film he produced, Pardon My Past (1945), where the story centered on two GIs returning to Beaver Dam to start a mink farm. MacMurray also attended Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, Wisconsin, about 18 miles from Milwaukee (a year after MacMurray, another future film star, Dennis Morgan, enrolled at Carroll). During his college years MacMurray played saxophone in college bands and in nightclubs. He also met a lifelong friend, another musician by the name of Les Paul, who went on to create one of the first electric guitars. MacMurray probably travelled to nearby Milwaukee a few times to play in the clubs there and I wouldn't doubt if he occasionally kicked back a Blatz.

Pat O'Brien

Classic Hollywood's favorite Irishman, Pat O'Brien, is a true Milwaukeean. O'Brien grew up in the same neighborhood as his good friend Spencer Tracy. Both men attended the Marquette Academy. Later when O'Brien made his way to Hollywood, he would often find himself paired with James Cagney. O'Brien and Cagney became good friends and were part of a group that was labeled "Hollywood's Irish Mafia." The two men appeared in nine films together, including Ceiling Zero (1936), Angels With Dirty Faces (1938), Boy Meets Girl (1938). My favorite O'Brien role is the The Great O'Malley (1937), a simple and sentimental story which also features a young Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan. Although O'Brien's drink of choice was Cutty Sark, a Scotch Whisky, I'm sure O'Brien was no stranger to Blatz beer.

Dan Duryea

Dan Duryea is one of my favorite character actors. He made sleazy or horrible characters seem so enjoyable to watch, like Slim Dundee in Criss Cross (1949) or his Johnny Prince in Scarlet Street (1945). Although in the ad Duryea claims to be from Milwaukee, the actor was born in White Plains, New York. I'm not sure at what point in Duryea's life he was from Milwaukee. One thing that is interesting is that Duryea appears in several different Blatz ads.

Pamela Britton

Actress Pamela Britton was born in Milwaukee. She can be seen as Frank Sinatra's girlfriend in Anchors Aweigh (1945), as Paula Gibson in the classic noir D.O.A. (1950) and in the Clark Gable/Loretta Young headliner Key to the City (1950). In one of the scenes in her ad it says that, "Pamela Britton, unknown to many of her fans, is an accomplished equestrienne. But, Pam, as friends call her, is widely known as a gracious hostess. When Pamela entertains she always has plenty of Blatz Beer on hand!"

Bert Lahr

Who doesn't have a soft spot for Bert Lahr? He was so memorable as the Cowardly Lion in the MGM film, The Wizard of Oz (1939). One of Lahr's few starring roles in Hollywood was the film Flying High (1931). Lahr wasn't from Milwaukee and so in this ad it mentions that Lahr has "been to Milwaukee" - probably on one of his early vaudeville tours.

Alfred Lunt

Alfred Lunt was a Broadway star, not really a film star, but so many classic film stars wanted or were his friend, so I've included him here. Along with his wife and acting partner Lynn Fontanne, the two were the toast of Broadway from the 1920s-1950s. Hollywood regularly tried to get them to leave the stage for the screen, but as Fontanne famously said, "We can be bought, but we can't be bored." As stage actors who enjoyed the thrill of a live audience, Lunt and Fontanne found filmmaking boring and tedious. Alfred Lunt grew up in the Milwaukee area and even after he made it big in New York he kept his main home, the estate known as "Ten Chimneys," in the rural community of Genesee Depot, not far from Milwaukee. The Ten Chimneys estate is now open for tours and if you're ever in the Milwaukee area I highly recommend visiting. I went for the first time last year and really enjoyed the experience. 

Brian Donlevy

Brian Donlevy for a few years grew up in the Sheboygan Falls area of Wisconsin although I'm not sure how often he got back to the state. Some of his popular film roles include parts in Destry Rides Again (1939), In Old Chicago (1937) and Kiss of Death (1947). I really like Donlevy's part in the underrated noir, Impact (1949), shot on location in Northern California.

Charles Winninger

Charles Winninger was born into a show business family in the small Wisconsin town of Athens. His family was involved in vaudeville and at an early age Winninger would be pulled into the act. After finding success on the stage Winninger would find work in films, including Nothing Sacred (1937) alongside fellow Wisconsinite Fredric March, The Sun Shines Bright (1953),  and Destry Rides Again (1939) with fellow Wisconsinites Donlevy and Jack Carson .

Don Ameche

Don Ameche grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, about 40 miles south of Milwaukee. Kenosha was also the hometown of another famous classic Hollywood star, Orson Welles. Ameche also lived in Madison while attending the University of Wisconsin for law school.  In Madison, Ameche got involved in acting. He performed at the Garrick Theater, the same stage where actor Ralph Bellamy did some early acting. Ameche also acted with the Wisconsin Players in a production where the scenery was created by future Hollywood actor Tom Ewell (The Seven Year Itch (1955)). Ameche would go on to star in such films as Midnight (1939), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939), and Down Argentine Way (1940). Late in life he had a career renaissance, starring in hits like Trading Places (1983) and Cocoon (1985).

Duffy's Tavern

The above ad is for the popular radio show Duffy's Tavern which ran for a decade on various networks at different times during the 1940s and into the 1950s. On the show, Ed Gardner played the lead character, Archie the bartender. Many Hollywood celebrities appeared on the show as guests including Bob Hope, Alan Ladd, Billie Burke, Gene Tierney, Fred Allen, Peter Lorre and Veronica Lake. Blatz Beer was the beer featured on the show. The radio show also spawned a less successful TV series and even a feature film.

George Sanders

George Sanders was always perfect as a villain or cad. His deep voice and sophisticated accent made him a natural for those parts including roles in All About Eve (1950), Witness to Murder (1954), and the voice of Shere Khan in Disney's The Jungle Book (1967). In the above ad Sanders boasts that he has been to Milwaukee.

Groucho Marx

Groucho needs no explanation. What does need an explanation is what the heck Groucho was doing in Milwaukee?

John Payne

John Payne, the star of Kansas City Confidential (1952), Miracle on 34th Street (1947),  and The Restless Gun (1957) was a Blatz man. According to Payne, "Blatz really is Milwaukee's finest beer!" Ok, I wouldn't go that far John.

Liberace

Even razzle dazzle piano player, Liberace, who was born in West Allis, Wisconsin and did live in Milwaukee for a time, adds a bit of sophistication to Blatz Beer. Liberace, in addition to music, appeared in films and on television. Liberace can be seen in the films Sincerely Yours (1955), as a casket salesman in the film The Loved One (1966) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965) starring Connie Francis.

Osa Johnson

Osa Johnson along with her husband Martin were adventurers and documentary filmmakers. The pair would go on safaris and visit exotic locations and capture it on film. In 1953, Osa was part of television's first wildlife series, Osa Johnson's The Big Game Hunt. There is no better way to end a day in the bush than with a bottle of Blatz.

Sid Caesar

Funny man Sid Caesar has apparently been to Milwaukee, so he "ought to know...Blatz is Milwaukee's Finest Beer!"

Uta Hagen

Uta Hagen was born in Germany but raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She acted in the Wisconsin Players and then went on to bigger stages in New York, even appearing in a production of The Seagull alongside Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. She won a couple Tony awards, one for her performance in The Country Girl in 1951 and again in 1963 for originating the role of Martha in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Hagen did appear in films but her film career was limited as she was part of the Hollywood blacklist. She taught acting to several film stars, including Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, and Sigourney Weaver. She was even a voice coach to Judy Garland, teaching Garland a German accent for the film Judgement at Nuremberg.

Victor McLaglen

Apparently British born actor Victor McLaglen even lived in Milwaukee at one time. In the ad, McLaglen is quoted as saying, "When I lived in Milwaukee, old-timers told me that Blatz was Milwaukee's finest beer. I tried it, and agreed." In the next caption he says, "Out here, in California, Blatz is still my favorite beer. And I always see that there's plenty in the refrigerator." Mclaglen won an Academy Award for his performance in The Informer (1935) and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the The Quiet Man (1952).

William Gargan

William Gargan was a character actor who was regularly cast as priests detectives, policemen and reporters. Some of his credits include The Bells of St. Mary's (1945),  Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941 and You Only Live Once (1937). In the ad it says, "The 'private eye' in private life, is an avid fisherman. Here in the Milwaukee home of Dick Geeiner, he discusses the best equipment for fishing Wisconsin's fine lakes. Both agree, Blatz Beer is a prime essential for real fishing pleasure." I won't argue with that.

Happy Oktoberfest! Now excuse me while I go drink some beer.

On Vacation - Ten Chimneys (Alfred Lunt & Lynn Fontanne Estate)

Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, and Noel Coward walk the

grounds of Ten Chimneys. (c) TCF

My wife and I recently returned from a two week trip to Wisconsin to visit family. It was our first time traveling with a baby, something I was a little anxious about. I was preparing myself to be "that guy with the crying baby," but fortunately, I had nothing to worry about. Hazel was probably the happiest baby to go through an airport and fly on an airplane. She was all smiles until she fell asleep. She did well enough that we will likely take her on another family trip. Although the primary reason for our trip was to visit family, we did venture out on occaision to check out some local attractions. Over the next two or three weeks I'll share some snapshots of our trip.

One of the first places we visited was "Ten Chimneys," the estate of husband and wife Broadway stars, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. During the 1920s, 30s, 40s and into the 50s Lunt and Fontanne, or simply, "The Lunts," were the toast of Broadway. Alfred and Lynn were considered two of the finest actors ever to grace the stage and had played a large part in developing what is considered modern acting. The Lunts popularized "realism" in acting. For example, The Lunts were known for talking over each others lines as opposed to waiting for the other to finish speaking (just like in real life we don't always wait for the other person to finish speaking before we ourselves start speaking). The couple had many offers from Hollywood to appear in the movies and they did appear in one major motion picture, The Guardsmen (1931), but The Lunts preferred the stage to the screen. When asked why they wouldn't do more movies, Lynn famously responded, "We can be bought, but we can't be bored." The Lunts desired the energy of being on the stage and the reaction of a live audience. When The Lunts were not appearing on the stage they were spending time at their estate, Ten Chimneys, in rural Genesee Depot, Wisconsin. Eventually when they retired from acting the couple would live out the rest of their lives at the estate.

Note: Click any of the pictures to see the images larger.

Wifey, Robby, Hazel at the Ten Chimneys Program Center

Ten Chimneys is now open as a museum. To begin a tour you first have to check in at what they call the Program Center. This is a separate building across from the estate where the tour starts. In the Program Center there is an art exhibit space, an excellent gift shop filled with all kinds of fun stuff, photographs, a seating area, and some interactive exhibits. 

Listening about The Lunts inside the Program Center.

Zinnia and Hazel take to the stage inside the Program Center.

Hazel waits for Mommy & Daddy to return.

Unfortunately, we could not take Hazel with us on the tour. Kids 12 and under have to hang out in the Program Center, so we left Hazel with Grandma. This is because on the tour you actually walk into each room, as opposed to standing in a hallway on some estate tours and only being able to look into a room. Also, there are a lot of steps around the property, so not very stroller friendly. From the Program Center a shuttle picked up my wife, Dad and myself and drove us to the entrance of the main house.

The entrance to the main house.

The Lunts ride bikes in front of the main house. (c) TCF

The estate gets its name from ten chimneys that are on the property. The estate consist of several buildings: the main house, a cottage, a pool house, green house, creamery, a chicken coop, a log cabin studio, stables and a few other buildings. The main house was always a work in progress. The Lunts were always adding on rooms and decorating the house with antiques and adding murals to the walls.

The entrance hallway. (c) TCF

There is no photography allowed inside the buildings, only outside photography is allowed, so I purchased some postcards from the gift shop. There are so many charming rooms but I only have a few to show off. One of my favorite interior rooms was the entrance hallway. On each of the walls is a mural showing characters offering up items to make your stay with The Lunts as comfortable as possible. The murals are both pretty and playful and are indeed a welcoming touch.

To be invited to Ten Chimneys and be a guest of The Lunts was quite an honor. Regular guest, broadway star, Carol Channing said, "If you get to go to Ten Chimneys, you must have done something right." Other regular guests included their close friend, writer/actor Noel Coward, who also wrote several plays starring The Lunts, including Design For Living, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, and Helen Hayes. Coward, Olivier and Hayes in fact each have rooms in the home named after them because of their frequent visits. Some other guests have included Katharine Hepburn, Eleanor Roosevelt, Julie Harris and John Gielgud.

The dining room. (c) TCF

Alfred and Lynn in the dining room. (c) TCF

The above images show the dining room how it looks now and when The Lunts were living there. As you can see it is almost exactly the way it was left. The Ten Chimneys Foundation even leaves the candles all slightly crooked because in every photo of The Lunts in their living room the candles are never straight.

If you were a guest at Ten Chimneys Alfred would probably have prepared some very gourmet meals. Alfred was known to be quite the chef. He was even certified by the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and in the kitchen hangs his diploma. Alfred's cooking was very European, rich in butter and cream that was prepared on the estate, and with vegetables and fruits grown on the property. Alfred was encouraged to make a cookbook, which he never completed during his lifetime, but you can now buy in the Ten Chimneys gift shop a beautiful hardcover book that includes many of Alfred's recipes and photos of the estate. Noel Coward wrote in his diaries that The Lunts "are deeply concerned with only three things: themselves, the theatre, and food - good hot food."

The Drawing Room in the main house. (c) TCF

Above is the drawing room which is another room filled with hand painted murals that wrap around the entire room. The murals were painted by artist Claggett Wilson. Wilson was a portraitist, decorator and a set designer. The Lunts first hired Wilson to design costumes for their 1935 production of The Taming of the Shrew. Then in 1938 they hired Wilson again for another project - to paint murals throughout their home, a project that lasted a few years.

Katharine Hepburn had said of Ten Chimneys, "Every time I was visiting with the Lunts in Genesee Depot, I was in a sort of daze of wonder; the dining room, the table, the china, the silver, the food, the extraordinary care and beauty and taste...a sort of dream, a vision."

Lynn and Alfred in the Belasco room. (c) TCF

Helen Hayes Bedroom in the main house. (c) TCF

A back view of the main house.

Above is a view of the back of the main house. Can you spot some of the chimneys?

One of the trails leading from the main house.

Genesee Depot was then and still is very much today a rural location. In the photo above you can see one of the woodsy trails leading away from the main house.

Looking at the cottage from the main house.

Alfred and Lynn in the cottage kitchen.

Alfred had a strong interest in Scandinavian arts and design and you can see the influence all over in the cottage. Some of the furnishings were picked up on trips through Scandinavian countries or were designed to look Scandinavian. The most impressive room in the cottage is probably the upstairs bedroom which I don't have an image for, but I do like the image of the kitchen because of the black stove. Apparently, Alfred imagined that black stove to have a top piece, which it did not have, so he painted the top part of the stove onto the wall so that it would blend into the stove, like an illusion or stage trick. The Lunts's were less concerned with what something cost and more concerned with how something looked. Extremely rare antiques would be mixed in with items that were inexpensive finds. If The Lunts liked the way something looked, that's all that mattered.

A view of the pool house and cottage.

A view of the pool house.

The Greenhouse and chicken coop.

The creamery I think? I can't remember.

Back at the Program Center.  In front of a wall of playbills.

At the end of the tour a shuttle picked us back up and returned us to the Program Center where we were able to continue looking at the exhibits there and browse the gift shop. I highly recommend the tour for anyone interested in the theater or Golden Era Hollywood. The estate is much more impressive in person and our tour guides were so informative. They had so many great stories about The Lunts and the property. If you are visiting Milwaukee, the state capital in Madison, or one of the other nearby cities in Wisconsin, it is worth the drive. I also highly recommend reading one of the biographies on The Lunts before your visit. I had read the biography, Design For Living: Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne by Margot Peters before my visit and I think it made me appreciate the estate even more.

The estate is also more than a museum. Every summer there is the "Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program" in which 8-10 actors are selected from around the country to "participate in a weeklong master class and retreat with a world-renowned and respected Master Teacher." Acting classes and activities take place around the Ten Chimneys property and the Program Center. This years fellowship just ended when we arrived and featured musical theatre legend Joel Grey as the master teacher. Other Master Teachers have included Olympia Dukakis, Lynn Redgrave, Barry Edelstein and next year it was recently announced that Alan Alda will be the Master Teacher.

Ten Chimneys also hosts "conversations" or lectures with luminaries that have a connection to the theater, Ten Chimneys or the Lunts. Some of these special guests have included Robert Osborne, Dick Cavett and Michael York. Actress Laura Linney will be appearing at Ten Chimneys on August 24 for one of the Conversations at Ten Chimneys.

More to check out:

The Ten Chimneys Official Website

Ten Chimneys on Facebook

Ten Chimneys YouTube channel 

Ten Chimneys on Twitter

Have you ever visited Ten Chimneys or heard about this fanciful estate before?