Born On This Day- September 21st... Patricia Neal (The Gay One)

"Remember if people talk behind your back... it only means you are 2 steps ahead."



Her novel- Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Café was the beach book in the summer of 1987 & the Husband & I both really took to it & passed it around to friends. It remained a favorite for a long time. Before this book, I knew Fannie Flagg mostly as a funny fixture on game shows of the 1970s panels including The Match Game (occupying the lower right-hand seat next to regular panelist Richard Dawson). Flagg began writing & producing TV specials at age 19 & went on to be an actress & a writer in television, films, & the theatre. Her acting credits include the Broadway production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the films- Some of My Best Friends Are..., Five Easy Pieces, Stay Hungry, Grease, & Crazy in Alabama. During the 1960s & 1970s, Flagg did standup , & recorded 2 comedy albums that included many parodies of Southern ladies including- Martha Mitchell & Lady Bird Johnson. During the 1960s, Fannie Flagg hosted a morning show on WBRC TV in Montgomery, Alabama.



She wrote the screenplay based on her most popular novel which became the film- Fried Green Tomatoes. The 1991 movie gained her an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Fried Green Tomatoes starred Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary Louise Parker, & Cicely Tyson. The Husband & I caught it on cable this summer & enjoyed it as much as in previous viewings. The film really stands the test of time, even if Flagg did remove a substantial portion of the lesbian content in the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in order to make the film Fried Green Tomatoes more commercially viable. Too bad, when the novel was very gay & still very heartfelt.




Flagg is openly gay, & was once the partner of writer Rita Mae Brown, who outed her in the press after the breakup. As if being a lesbian wasn’t tough enough, like me, Flagg is profoundly dyslexic. Flagg: “I am severely dyslexic & couldn't spell, still can't spell. So I was discouraged from writing and embarrassed” Her promising writing career was put on hold for much of the 1970s, but Flagg overcame her fear & completed several novels & screenplays.


2 little tid-bits: 1.At one time Flagg was linked in the press, & was in some reports said to be married, to actor Dick Sargent. They appeared as a couple on the 1970s game show- Tattletales, which featured celebrities & their spouses. Host Bert Convy would introduce them as "Dick Sargent & his lady, Fannie Flagg." Sargent was himself gay & eventually came out before his death in 1994. 2. Her birth name was Patricia Neal, but when she tried to use her birth name, the acting unions informed her that some other bitch had the name.


Flagg divides her time between homes in California & Alabama.


Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe


Ingredients:
3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oat milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


1. Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, & bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.


2. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt & pepper.