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Grandma (Gwen Plumb) is woken up by cooking smells and knows intuitively that it’s her son-in-law stealing a march on her by starting the preparations for the Christmas pudding. She rushes into the kitchen to stop him, but is disarmed by the possibility of a slug of brandy. When Hughie (Martyn Sanderson) pours her only a drop, instead of the cupful she was hoping for, it’s war between these mortal enemies as they slog it out to be the one who will create the Christmas pudding.
Curator’s notes
This is a magic moment in the film. These two characters are always fighting, which makes for great comedy. Hughie is a deeply flawed father, a failed shearer’s cook and an alcoholic, and his mother-in-law, although she has struggled through terrible poverty to bring up a family, is a demon drinker herself whenever she can steal a drop. She is determined to have her own way, especially where her despised son-in-law is concerned.
