rec.arts.movies.past-films

On Sep 17, 1:15 pm, "Frank . Maloney" wrote:
> The Mighty Favog wrote:
> > On Sep 17, 12:34 am, amol...@ wrote:
> >> On Sep 17, 12:25 am, Anim8rFSK wrote:
>
> >>> "ladies who lunch"?
>
> >> ladies who lunch n. (also occas. in sing. as lady who lunches) orig.
> >> . (freq. depreciative) affluent women of leisure, pursuing a life
> >> of cultural diversions and social events, esp. lunches in expensive
> >> restaurants.
>
> > As Cole Porter put it:
>
> > Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today, madam.
> > Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.
> > She is sorry to be delayed,
> > But last evening down in Lover's Lane she strayed, madam.
> > Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.
>
> [deletion]
>
> Bravo to you for knowing "Miss Otis Regrets", one of Cole's greatest
> ever, but this Sondheim song, made famous by the immortal Elaine
> Stritch, is even more to the point:
>
> Here's to the ladies who lunch--
> Everybody laugh.
> Lounging in their caftans
> And planning a brunch
> On their own behalf.
> Off to the gym,
> Then to a fitting,
> Claiming they're fat.
> And looking grim,
> 'Cause they've been sitting
> Choosing a hat.
> Does anyone still wear a hat?
> I'll drink to that.
>
> And here's to the girls who play smart--
> Aren't they a gas?
> Rushing to their classes
> In optical art,
> Wishing it would pass.
> Another long exhausting day,
> Another thousand dollars,
> A matinee, a Pinter play,
> Perhaps a piece of Mahler's.

Stritch has said that for years she sang that line thinking that a
"piece of Mahler's" was some fancy desert or such. It was only when
someone congratulated her on her rendering of the line and commented
on how he had seen so many such ladies at Bernstein's Mahler concerts,
wishing they would pass, that she figured out what the line was about.

For the story of the recording of this song, . Pennebaker's
documentary of the recording sessions of the _Company_ album is
required viewing.

Tom



> I'll drink to that.
> And one for Mahler!
> .
> .
> .
> So here's to the girls on the go--
> Everybody tries.
> Look into their eyes,
> And you'll see what they know:
> Everybody dies.
> A toast to that invincible bunch,
> The dinosaurs surviving the crunch.
> Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch--
> Everybody rise!
> Rise!
> Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise!
> Rise!
>
> --
> Frank in Seattle
> ____
>
> Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
> "Millennium hand and shrimp."- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -