I’m glad you marked the passing of Jane Russell yesterday, Kathryn. Great gal, to the end. Aside from her turn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, we should note that moment in Son Of Paleface when the trumpets blare in some or other western saloon and there’s Miss Russell, shoehorned into a red-and-black bodice, unhooking a scarlet garter from her thigh, and twirling it round as she launches into her number. As they watch her cavorting from the bar, steam begins to rise from Bob Hope’s pipe, but Roy Rogers remains completely unmoved.

“What’s the matter?” asks Hope. “Don’t you like girls?”

“I’ll stick to horses, mister,” says Rogers.

Hope backs away from him slowly.

Any day now, they’ll remake it with Nicole Kidman, Ben Affleck and Sean Penn…

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