Ploughman's lunch 29 April 1958 refer to a ploughman's lunch consisting of bread, cheese and pickle. The meal's rise in popularity during the 1970s has been argued to be at least partially based on a British cultural "revulsion from technology and modernity and a renewed love-affair with an idealised national past". The meal was, however, primarily favoured by caterers because it was simple to prepare, required no cooking, was not labour-intensive and involved no meat, meaning there was the potential of high profit margins. The 1983 film "The Ploughman's Lunch", from a screenplay by Ian McEwan, has a subtext that is "the
Lunch with Marlene hugely likeable." The first act takes place in a restaurant in London in 1970, in which Dietrich and Coward meet for lunch. Dietrich seeks Coward's advice on whether or not to write an autobiography, for which she has already accepted and spent an advance payment. The two former stars reminisce and discuss Dietrich's experiences as a German American during World War II. The second act presents a musical revue, including such songs as "Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans", "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have", and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?". The original London