For DR EDISAURUS and others:
To continue the Mercer/Garland story, producer Bill Colleran (husband and then EX of Lee Remick) told the tale:
In order to obtain the services of JM, the executive producer (Colleran) had to take a red eye flight to Detroit, where the composer was embroiled in the out of town tryouts for a Bert Lahr show called FOXY. Colleran quickly discovered that the supremely talented Mercer was, for this night anyway, under the influence. "The song was Judy's idea. She called Johnny Mercer to write the lyric. She came back to me and said 'Johnny will do it if we go back there and take him a tape of the song.' I made the arrangements and got to Detroit. Johnny greeted me at the door. I had the tape with me. He put the tape on and said, 'Okay, sit there and wait for me - it shouldn't take too long.' About two in the morning, passed out with his head on the typewriter, he looked up for the first time and said 'Who the f**k are you?' I said, 'I produce Judy's show and I'm here for the Lorna theme.' He said, 'Whose theme?' 'Lorna!' I told him. 'Oh yeah,' he said. This went on all night until eight in the morning. He woke up about five or six times and the same thing happened each time, 'Who the f**k are you?!' He was one of the greatest lyricists of all time, but this was the comedy of all time. About ten in the morning, he finished the lyric, and I left, totally exhausted. I went out to Judy;'s house with thet tape, showed her the lyric, and she sang it. Judy just adored it."
RAINBOW'S END BY COYNE STEVEN SANDERS
