Where's That Rainbow?

I got up too late to get much of anything done today. Had pan-fried ham, applesauce, and Rosemary Potato Fries for breakfast while watching the last of Words and Music. Words is another MGM "biopic" in the vein of Till the Clouds Roll By, with some of the same stars. This time, 20s and 30s composer duo Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers get the whitewashed treatment. Actually, as with Clouds, it's not QUITE as whitewashed as most people lament it is. Lorenz Hart was really short, witty, self-conscious about his height and lack of looks, and not particularly known for being reliable in his work habits. (And as melodramatic as it seems, that sad finale, with Mickey Rooney wandering around sick in the rain, is apparently painfully close to the way Hart really died.)

The numbers don't quite beat Clouds for pure excellence, but there's some stand-outs. Rooney and his long-time buddy Judy Garland shine in a hilarious "I Wish I Were In Love Again," and Garland takes on the odd "Johnny One Note." Lena Horne sizzles with two of my favorite Rogers and Hart songs, "Where Or When" and especially "The Lady Is a Tramp." Ann Southern has my favorite ensemble, the charming lament "Where's That Rainbow?" (cute costumes, too), while June Allyson and the Blackburn Twins have fun with "Thou Swell."

I didn't really get a chance to do much else today. Just as well. The weather was lousy. It was just cloudy and chilly when I got up this morning, but by the time I was getting ready for work, the rain was a steady shower. Yes, I got a ride to work from Dad. Work was surprisingly steady, given the weather, and not quite as long-feeling as it was over the weekend.