Comments on: Rosie Clooney Marries Cyrano de Bergerac — July 13, 1953

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:48:54 +0000

Rosemary Clooney was the mystery guest on the last episode of What’s My Line that Game Show Network aired.
She tried an English accent that worked for a little while and said later that she was so proud of it.
But her throaty laugh gave her away. “Are you married to Toulouse Lautrec?” a panelist asked.
She’d been out of the country and couldn’t wait to get back to see her baby. “He’s an angel.”
“Do you count your blessings?” panelist Bennett Cerf asked.
“Yes, all the time.”

By: Medusa

Medusa — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:22:57 +0000

Hi Bobbi!

No, I didn’t realize he was the real Cordova — what a great bit of background info! You are right that he is not top-of-mind these days…a shame, since he’s wonderful and such a presence. That’s one of the problems with performers who are so versatile — their theater work is so ephemeral, only movies and TV still live as watchable proof of excellence. We all need to take the time to re-appreciate talents like his. thanks for the feedback!

By: bobbi

bobbi — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:43:28 +0000

Very nicely written memory piece in tribute to Rosemary Clooney, whose way of caressing a lyric became more meaningful as she grew older. I thought that her later (post breakdown) work was absolutely beautiful. If you have a chance, check out Mothers and Daughters,, a 1997 album of graceful and simple renditions of such songs as "That Face", "God Bless the Child" and the immortal "Funny Face". Though José Ferrer's screen and stage triumphs are largely forgotten, a recent broadcast of John Huston's Moulin Rouge reminded me of how good he could be when given good direction. A gracious man, interested in all the arts, I met him once when he was playing in "Man of La Mancha", which he did very well. Did you know he was the inspiration for the Jeffrey Cordova character played by Jack Buchanan in The Band Wagon (1951)?

By: Medusa

Medusa — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:10:29 +0000

Al, as a Danny Kaye lover, I like “White Christmas” a lot though you are right, it doesn’t get any respect. I wouldn’t say that it’s amazing, exactly, but there is nice work in it and it has a interesting mix of show business cynicism and people-pleasing sentimentality. Crosby’s Bob Wallace is kind of a grump, and the Haynes sisters are struggling to make it, and of course the Gen. Waverly’s Inn has no snow. The movie might be a little sedate, perhaps, but I think Danny brings out some nice stuff with Bing in their scenes at the beginning of the movie, particularly. And you are right, Danny as support, or even equal status, wasn’t quite his style.

Rosie’s movie career was certainly an afterthought and she didn’t need it, that’s for sure. She’s pretty good in her TV show which I’ve seen up here on Canadian TV pretty recently. I guess it wasn’t just enough to exploit her voice, they had to push her into other things. I just love her and her singing style. Thanks for the tip about “What’s My Line?”!

Patrica, glad you were able to see her onstage, and I agree about her show, which I did see on Cool TV here in Canada. I was going to post a clip from it with Jose and Rosie but it seems to have disappeared from YouTube!

Thanks for the comments! :-) Rosie definitely left a lot of fans behind when she passed away.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:52:36 +0000

My Rosie concert experience wasn’t in an intimate venue like yours (Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto). Her brother, Nick, was working in Buffalo at the time and was at the concert, sitting right behind us. My, she held that crowd in the palm of her hand. She owed me. I’d had tickets for the Crosby tour, but he just had to go golfing in Spain! Her variety show with Nelson Riddle and the Hi-Lo’s is an absolutely treasure of song and unpretentious skits. Ferrer guested a couple of times. Once, as Toulouse. So fond are we of the “girl singer” in our house that we have named a cat in her honour. Television gave Ferrer a memorable comedy character to remember as Stephanie’s pompous rich father in “Newhart”. I have heard Miguel refer to his parents as people who loved their work. It shows in the quality.

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:33:41 +0000

Portland Allen, Mrs. Fred Allen, who was his radio sidekick, was the Mystery Guest tonight.
She didn’t speak and rang a bell in response to questions.
Fred asked if she was the president of the Good Humor Company.
Medusa, he didn’t guess her identity. Arlene Francis did.
(As you know, we talked about Fred Allen in response to your other blogs.)

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:23:28 +0000

There were so-called Renaissance Men who couldn’t spell the word “renaissance.” I’m sure Ferrer never had that problem.
They certainly were an odd couple.
I wondered why Rosemary did not have a longer movie career. My guess is that the studio executives wrote her off because of the string of turkeys she made in addition to her blockbuster hit, White Christmas.
That movie is one of my favorite 200 movies but White Christmas wasn’t good for anybody.
The movie careers of Kaye, Crosby and Vera Ellen went into decline not long after the movie appeared. Kaye made his best vehicle ever and one of the best comedies ever made, The Court Jester, but it wasn’t a hit. Crosby made High Society but its success was dependent on its other stars.
Good old White Christmas was not only popular at the box office but was popular for years when aired on television.
Yet you can’t find an appreciation of it. References to it in film books are put downs.
However, the people like it. (I sound like I’m quoting Grapes of Wrath – We’re the people and we’ll go on forever.)
I think the chemistry in the film works. Crosby is good with Kaye and Clooney. Vera Ellen is good with Kaye and Clooney.
(Chemistry is very important. Yes, I know Lucille Ball had phenomenal talent but I wonder if I Love Lucy would have been as big a hit with people other than William Frawley and Vivian Vance.)
And then there’s the great Irving Berlin tunes, some of his best.
Kaye has no special Sylvia Fine material this time and is fine as comedy relief/second banana. But I don’t think he ever did that type of role again.
So I guess we should count our blessings (instead of sheep) that we have White Christmas to watch over and over and over. It certainly kept Clooney’s popularity alive.

Incidentally, Medusa, What’s My Line is now airing (in chronological order) episodes from early 1955. Fred Allen is now a regular panelist.