By: CHRIS GRAEME
GUESTS AT this year’s 4th of July American Independence Day celebrations party fastened their seatbelts for a bumpy night at the Hotel Miragem in Cascais last Thursday.
Instead of the usual garden party and brass band at the US Embassy in Lisbon, it was decided to throw a party with a difference – and that difference was Hollywood.
The usual smartly-dressed cocktail staff were banished for the night, replaced instead with Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Spiderman, Audrey Hepburn, pop-corn selling cinema usherettes and all the sparkle and glamour of ‘tinsel town’.
The gala party’s all American Hollywood movie theme included tables supported by giant golden Oscar statues, large screens beaming glamour clips from 1930s and 1940s movies,
 Caterina Felix as a popcorn usherette, from the Quorum Ballet (Amadora) |
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showing the black and white greats Bette Davis, Kathryn Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo.
But the best was yet to come following the traditional trooping of the American flag and standards by the American Marines – a witty, slapstick comedy duo routine from the US Embassy’s Wes Carrington and Ana Carmo no less, who deftly weaved through an amusing repartee based entirely on famous film one liners! “It’s showtime! Surely you can’t be serious?
 Daniel Cardoso as Charlie Chaplin, from the Quorum Ballet |
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I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley! Why don’t you come up and see me some time? Because it’s not the man in your life, it’s the life in your man! Here’s looking at you kid!”
In his address, the US ambassador, Thomas Stephenson, asked: “How do we Americans pay tribute to our nationhood, heritage and culture? For a lot of us who live in the Western part of the US, July 4 says cowboys, cowboy hats and boots, and country and western music.”
No cowboys!
“I’m a little disappointed that I’m not allowed to put on my cowboy gear this year since I was told we can do anything for July 4 so
 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s anyone?” – Henriette Ventura and Elson Ferreira from Quorum Ballet. |
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long as it isn’t cowboys, hamburgers and hotdogs,” he joked.
So the Embassy had to come up with Plan B – and what else is really American but American films and Hollywood?
The ambassador pointed that by watching the great American movies one could find the essential essences of what it was to be American.
Ambassador Stephenson also paid tribute to Portugal and the United States’ long relationship stretching back to 1791 when Portugal recognised the US as an independent nation.
“Our first President, George Washington, sent his Aide de Camp, David Humphreys (1752-1815), to Lisbon as our first Minister Resident as we ambassadors were called in those
 From left: Magda Ferreira, Ana Carmo and Teresa Barbosa from the US embassy’s press office. |
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days,” he said.
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