On July 31st Librarian Cindy Costales welcomed the residents and their guests to a viewing of “The Hundred-Foot Journey” at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library. This film is part of the Laura Scudder Program Series.

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a novel written by Richard C. Morais and published in July 2010. It was adapted into a feature film in 2014.

Lasse Hallström, the Award-Winning Director of “Chocolat”, directed the film in 2014.

The film starring Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon tells the story of a feud between two adjacent restaurants in a French town: one operated by a recently relocated Indian family and the other, a lofty Michelin-starred restaurant.

The audience enjoyed the movie all about good food and friendship.

Cindy Costales gave a brief history on Laura Clough Scudder (July 19, 1881 – March 13, 1959).

Laura Scudder worked as a nurse before moving to California. She managed a restaurant while raising her children and became the first female attorney in Ukiah, California in 1918 before moving south to Monterey Park, California. She never practiced law but use her knowledge in her business.

Laura Scudder was an entrepreneur and started her food company in 1926.

She made and sold potato chips. Laura and Charles Scudder pioneered the packaging of potato chips in sealed bags to extend freshness and dated stamped them at the time of packaging.

The audience compared the qualities of the movie characters to Laura Scudder.

Everyone agreed that the father character was a role model to his family. Laura Scudder was a role model to her family and the community.

The audience also agreed that perseverance to develop and built a business as shown in this movie was the key to Laura Scudder’s family business.

The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library will continue this program series dedicated to Laura Scudder, Monterey Park’s Entrepreneur and Inventor.