Mrs. Mortimer Jones Prepares „Dinner for Eight“
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Source: Huntington Library, San Marino, California
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Mrs. Mortimer Jones Prepares „Dinner for Eight“ by Rodney Gilliam
USA 1934, Retrospective
Source: Huntington Library, San Marino, California
Mrs. Mortimer Jones Prepares “Dinner for Eight” was a promotional film for Southern California Edison. We see a housewife in a tastefully colour-coordinated kitchen equipped with the latest electrical appliances as she prepares dinner for her husband and his business associates. While the dishwasher takes care of the dirty dishes, she bakes a cake and puts a roast in the oven. As it cooks, she’s off to the theatre … Mrs. Mortimer Jones promotes not only Edison, but also Natalie Kalmus’ subtle sense of colour and the “home cooking” principle of the Technicolor franchise.