It was the biggest event of the year. Malaga. Maybe from what happened up to that time in the 20th century. place To La Consula farmIt belongs to an American couple and is a symbol of style and elegance. homeowners: Ernest Hemingway and family of bullfighters Ordóñez Dominguín. Day: 21 July 1959. The result: one of the craziest and most drunken parties ever known for the scandal of some of Málaga society, as the consequences were blatant at a time when the Franco regime imposed a very conservative vision and had yet to reach the liberating air of foreigners. Tourism to Malaga.
But back to the beginning. Celebrity Ernest Hemingway was spending a season at the historic Churriana mansion, La Cónsula. He was invited by the North American marriage established by Bill and Annie Davis, with whom Hemingway was sisters in Mexico. he met there Luis Miguel Dominguin and Antonio Ordonez Combined with Hemingway’s passion for bullfighting, the Nobel Prize laureate formed a strong friendship.
The days at La Cónsula passed calmly between the writing of ‘El Verano Peligroso’, which chronicles Hemingway’s accompanying gin and the bullfighting duel between Ordóñez and Dominguín. July 21, the day the writer celebrated his 60th birthday, came and he decided to throw a big party. in which Celebrated the birthday of Carmen Dominguín, married to Antonio Ordóñez. One thing was certain with Hemingway, there would be too much alcohol and fireworks.
Many foreigners living in Malaga were invited to the party At that time, when it began to be discovered as a haven for North Americans and Brits, as well as some families from Malaga, especially Ordóñez, who was very friendly with them, and a Marquis, he was a Marquess, albeit far from the classical image. The noble was known at the party for his practical jokes and bad taste. Arrival at the party in La Cónsula was around 20:30. when the sun and heat begin to decrease. As soon as you walked through the door, it was revealed who the hero of the event was: the drinks were generously served. There may be no orchestra or menu, It was not very sophisticated, although guests were not aware of it upon arrival., but alcohol would not be missing. And having Hemingway around gives you an idea of the huge amount available.
Drinks were handed out non-stop and dinner was delayed a bit.. Hemingway walked among the guests with a glass of gin, quite drunk from the start. While the rest of the guests are quickly getting drunk, A gong was heard in La Cónsula that caught everyone’s attention.. The author’s wife, Mary Hemingway, announced that dinner was ready: “Spanish food.”
Perhaps the guests were expecting something very sophisticated or particularly appetizing. But when were they surprised they saw that the menu was chickpea stew with rice. And also served with a few frills. Plates were stacked on top of each other and each guest had their own and Mary Hemingway offered each a bowl of chickpeas.in a scene reminiscent of his military years. Since the chickpeas did not give the expected result, most of the guests preferred to continue drinking…
After dinner, the situation started to spiral out of control. A guest lay by the pool with his wife crying next to him, thinking he’s dead. Poor they had a drink where they threw some kind of drug which left him unconscious. The blood did not reach the river and he recovered, but his wife was thoroughly frightened.
Perhaps the greatest moment of surrealism, One of the guests rode a donkey on the farm and entered the living room of the house.. The effects of alcohol were already raging, and the daring rider invited a well-known Spanish actress to ride the donkey with her, causing her husband a terrible fit of jealousy and almost ending in a fight.
In fact, most couples attending a birthday party get into fights during that alcoholic phase when all boundaries are being crossed.
When the final limit is exceeded It was fireworks time. They had bought them, but between the lack of an expert to handle them and the fact that alcohol had already clouded everyone’s sense and purpose, the fires ended in some palm trees that caught fire. The arrival of firefighters to put out the blaze brought the party to an end, but by then many guests had left as things turned and feared the ‘greys’ would come along with the firefighters. The police were known at that time.