Henry Fonda Explains Ale

April 2, 2009

I like watching old movies and once in a while I see something in one that surprises me. The latest incident was while I was watching “The Lady Eve”(1941). It is a highly regarded film but not by me. The story doesn’t hold up at all.

The biggest problem was Henry Fonda’s character. If you love him as Tom Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath” or Frank in “Once Upon a Time in the West”, you will not like him here. He is playing a complete doofus and what’s worse he is a son of a brewer with the nickname Hopsie. You may say a son of a brewer that sounds good. It would be but his character hates beer and everything about it.

So what makes this movie post worthy? Because it has one of the coolest beer quotes I have heard in a movie and I wanted to share it with you. It is a cut/paste job so excuse the appearance.

 Jean Harrington- I thought you were
in the beer business.

Hopsie- Beer? Ale!
 

Jean Harrington- What’s the difference?

Hopsie- Between beer and ale?

 Jean Harrington- Yes.

Hopsie-My father’d burst a blood vessel
if he heard you say that.
There’s a big difference. Ale’s sort
of fermented on the top or something.
And beer’s fermented on the bottom.
Or maybe it’s the other way around.
There’s no similarity at all.
The trouble with being
descended from a brewer,
no matter how long ago he “brewed-ed”
or whatever you call it,
you’re supposed to know all about
something you don’t give a hoot about.
It’s funny to be kneeling here
at your feet talking about beer.
You see, I don’t like beer.
Bock beer, lager beer or steam beer.

Jean Harrington- Don’t you?

Hopsie- I do not!
And I don’t like pale ale, brown ale,
nut brown ale, porter or stout,
which makes me “ulp”
just to think about it.

Posted in beer in entertainment