"Tippi Hedren's Safari Tea"

     From birds to big cats, wildlife has played an important role in Tippi Hedren’s life.  Launching her film career in 1963, Ms. Hedren starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, which won her a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.   Mr. Hitchcock remarked, "Like a dormant volcano we know one day is going to erupt. Get a good look at that girl, she’s going to be good." Immediately after her notable debut, Mr. Hitchcock featured her with Sean Connery in the movie Marnie. And, following that success, Ms. Hedren appeared in A Countess from Hong Kong along with Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren. It was the last film Charlie Chaplin directed and acted in, albeit a cameo role. And, Ms. Hedren is the only actress who has worked for both famous directors.
     Ms. Hedren’s film career continued on and has spanned some 55 years, garnering her numerous awards and commendations. Our personal favorite is her role in the short film Tea with Grandma (for obvious reasons), which brought her the Best Actress Award from the New York International Independent Film Festival in 2002. She has also proudly shared film credits with her daughter, actress Melanie Griffith, including Pacific Heights in 1990.
     However, Tippi Hedren has many more credits to her life than acting. She was a volunteer International Relief Coordinator for "Food For The Hungry" and traveled around the world setting up relief programs for victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, famine and war. She even aided "boat people" in the South China Sea from a "Food For The Hungry" rescue ship. Later, Ms. Hedren introduced Vietnamese women to the world of acrylic nails, and is responsible for the proliferation of Vietnamese nail salons across the United States. 
     But, it was the movie Roar that changed her life forever. While filming an earlier movie in Africa, Ms. Hedren and her husband at the time visited several game preserves in East Africa. After witnessing the largest pride of lions on the continent living in an abandoned house, the idea for the movie Roar was born. When they returned to the States, their acquisition of big cats began. They eventually bought property owned by an animal trainer in Soledad Canyon, outside of Los Angeles, and turned it into the movie set. Ms. Hedren starred in and co-produced the movie which was not only meant for entertainment, but also to be a plea for protection of wildlife around the world. After the film debuted in 1981, Ms. Hedren renovated the movie set property and created the Shambala Preserve, a sanctuary for exotic felines born in captivity and in circuses in the United States. Shambala is maintained by the Roar Foundation, which was founded by Tippi Hedren. The nonprofit foundation helps to increase the public’s knowledge about wildlife in our world. Ms. Hedren authored the book, "The Cats of Shambala," which chronicles the making of the movie Roar and how the Shambala Preserve came into existence. 
     The Shambala Preserve is open to the public for guided safari tours, including up close and personal encounters with over sixty big cats. And now, you can book a once-in-a-lifetime overnight experience in the Malaika Marquee, an authentic African Safari Tent, decorated in African-themed luxurious furnishings. To make your reservation and learn more about the Preserve, just go to www.shambala.org.
     In her quiet moments, Ms. Hedren enjoys a nice hot cup of green tea (preferring its health benefits), and has recently found white tea to be quite different with its clear liquid. She is also a frequent visitor to the Rose Tree Cottage Tea Room in Pasadena, describing it as having a "lacy decor and being terribly British."
    At Shambala, Ms. Hedren has hosted African Tea parties, entertaining her guests outdoors amid the calls of the wildlife. There, she uses an African tea service to enhance the ambiance of the surroundings. And, one of her favorite sweet treats is Marnie’s Red Velvet Cake, named for her character in the movie of the same name. Ms. Hedren has graciously provided the recipe for this delicious three-layer cake, which you will find below. 
     Tippi Hedren is a larger-than-life visionary who has made it her goal to protect the captive wildlife in our country and has provided an outspoken voice against cruelty to animals, both wild and domestic. Through her tireless efforts, she continues to make the world a better place for us all. And for that, we thank her.

     Our deepest appreciation goes to Tippi Hedren for taking the time from her very hectic schedule to provide us with this insight into her life and for sending us the recipe for her favorite sweet treat. Also, our thanks to Anita Herrick, Office Manager and Trudy Farley, Animal Supervisor at the Shambala Preserve for coordinating the interviews. And, a debt of gratitude goes to Bill Dow, award winning photographer, for providing us with these marvelous photographs.

Source:  www.shambala.org
Tippi Hedren/Alfred Hitchcock Photo: © Copyright Universal Studios
Shambala Preserve & Rose Tree Cottage Photos: © Copyright Bill Dow