Low Burlesque And Bob Dylan: Rocky And Bullwinkle

Pearl, who was herself a wildflower
Sprung from the hard clay
Quick to blossom
And early to die

Oh, come with old Khayaam, and leave the wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that life flies
One thing is certain, and the rest is lies
The flower that once has blown for ever dies

In the movie ‘Duel In The Sun’, Pearl (Jennifer Jones), a half-Mexican/half-native American, dresses like a gypsy. Orphaned, she’s sent to live with a relative who has two sons: gentleman Jesse (Joseph Cotton), and lying ladies’ man Lewton (Gregory Peck). She falls for Lewt’s lust rather than Jesse’s love. Lewt kills the man she plans to marry, but refuses to take Pearl when he runs. Lewt wounds brother Jesse, and Pearl, amed with a rifle, goes after the gunslinger. They shoot it out on a mountain, and die in one another’s arms.

An episode of ‘Rocky And Bullwinkle’ centers not on a pearl, but instead on a ruby. The moose finds a toy boat christened ‘Omar Khayyam’ that has rubies on it, and the flying squirrel says, “this must be the Ruby yacht of Omar Khayyam”; the comical cartoon ends with the line, “join us next time for let’s drink to the Ruby, or stoned again.”

A book of verse underneath the bough

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou

(Omar Khayyam)

And from a Bob Dylan song:

(Rainy Day Women, No. 12&35)

It’s a mixed potion that Bob Dylan cannot resist:

Ruby just smiled and said, ‘Ah, you know some babies never learn’

(Bob Dylan: Brownsville Girl)

Then it’s back thinking about ‘The Gunfighter’ and Pearl, the dark-eyed gypsy in ‘Duel In The Sun’:

(Bob Dylan: Brownsville Girl)

(Bob Dylan: Narrow Way)

The moving finger writes, and, having writ
Moves on; nor all your piety nor your wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line