Patricia (Late 60s)

My name is Patricia. I lived in Torremolinos  in the latter part of the 1960s.

I had never been to the Fat Black Pussycat, although often to the Carihuela for the terrific seafood.  However, I do recall I was employed on a movie made in Torremolinos called Hard Contract with James Coburn and Lee Remick. 

There was a Canadian, or I think he was Canadian, who also worked as a stand-in for James Coburn.  Can't remember his name.  Nice chap.  He had some connection the Fat Black Pussycat I recall.  I was a stand in for Lilli Palmer, although I must have been forty years younger than her.  But I had the correct height and I suppose the fair colouring.  We stand-ins would spend a lot of time together chatting and mainly doing little, for which we got paid quite handsomely.

Torremolinos was so different in those days, it was chic, with some old houses still in the Plaza.  I remember the Bar Central was a favourite haunt.  Great meals at El Porrón, or on a special occasion at "Frutos" an excellent restaurant located beside the Los Alamos service station.  The restaurant is still there. You could enjoy very good live music in many of the venues in Torremolinos, even in the smaller bars. 

El Quijote, in the then Pasaje Begoña, always had the best in South American music.  The owner's wife was Danish, and I recall that she too worked on that movie "Hard Contract".  Then there was the inimitable "El Bohio" owned by Mario (Argentinian), which offered great music and an even better atmosphere.  It was the place to go.

One asks how could such a delightful place have become so tawdry and down-at-heel.  It is always fun to reminisce about those golden days.