Sunday Afternoon with Rosemary

I was watching public television--I am not sure if I mention what channel that everyone will know what I am talking about--but the show was called "Rosemary Clooney--Girl Singer." I adore Rosemary Clooney. I am not much of a Christmas addict, but one of the great things about the holiday is to see White Christmas--which I did not see this year and I am not sure I was the same...

The thing that got me the most about the show was that almost in the beginning, we are told that Rosemary had five children in five years for her once husband Jose Ferrer. The marriage did not last, and it is heavily implied that it eventually led to her nervous breakdown from which she recovered brilliantly, and had a renewed career.

But the emphasis was references to the marriage, and how deeply in love she was with him (five kids in five years? I think there is not a question!). Her children said that the way that they could tell their parents really loved each other was because of the way they watched each other tell stories when they were in company. Rosemary was practically at Jose's feet, said one of her children. One of her sons said that when his father came over even after their divorce, Rosemary would ask him repeatedly if he wanted anything--which was shocking to her son because he said that his mother never waited on anyone, but she waited on his father.

I am a hopeless romantic, and I was struck by this. Rosemary was described as a wickedly funny and smart woman who sang songs for the words, not just the melody. I cannot stop singing to myself the song that goes "Come a to my house I am going to give you candy...I am going to give you everything..." I heard the double entendre! I saw it in her eyes too even though she was in black and white.

Her brother Nick said that she sang songs that reminded people of an America that was not any more or less cynical pre war--she sang an America that people dream of. The idealism of "simpler times."

I fell so much more madly in love with her than I was before after watching Girl Singer. Is there anything better than public television on a Sunday afternoon in New York City?

The picture of Rosemary Clooney from http://www.skylighters.org