the irish lass

My Own Irish Film Festival

For the last week or two, I've been hosting the Irish Lass Irish Film Festival on my couch. Night before last I watched the newly released on DVD, Finian's Rainbow, starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark. I've seen it before, but I never realized that one of the supporting charactors was based on Senator Robert Byrd. Played by famous grumpy charactor actor Keenan Wynn, Senator Billboard Rawkins is a greedy racist, trying to turn back the clock.

From a movie review by Greenman

Finian's Rainbow is extremely outspoken about the evils and stupidity of racism. Senator Billboard Rawkins is a caricature, but a chillingly realistic one. An elderly bigot, the Senator is particularly offended by the fact that black and white sharecroppers are living and working together in Rainbow Valley, and one of the reasons he wants to buy up the land is to ensure that the sharecroppers are segregated. He wants to go forward, he says, "forward to the sweet tranquility of the status quo. Forward to yesterday."

thanks spooky tom for the pic

Also from the movie is a song that reminds me alot of an old boyfriend. Though he had some fine qualities, he is an old boyfriend because this was his themesong )even though he never heard it.)

When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love
Burton Lane

Oh my heart is beating wildly
And it's all because you're here.
When I'm not near the girl I love,
I love the girl I'm near.

Ev'ry femme that flutters by me
Is a flame that must be fanned.
When I can't fondle the hand I'm fond of,
I fondle the hand at hand.

My heart's in a pickle,
It's constantly fickle
And not too partickle, I fear.
When I'm not near the girl I love,
I love the girl I'm near.

What if they're tall and tender?
What if they're small and slender?
Long as they've got that gender
I surrender!

Always I can't refuse 'em
Always my feet pursues 'em
Long as they've got a bosom
I woos 'em!

I'm confessing a confession
And I hope I'm not verbose
When I'm not close to the kiss that I cling to,
I cling to the kiss that's close

As I'm more and more a mortal
I am more and more a case.
When I'm not facing the face that I fancy.
I fancy the face I face.

For Sharon I'm carin',
But Susan I'm choosin'
I'm faithful to whos'n is here.
When I'm not near the girl I love,
I love the girl I'm near.