Robert Rush oral history interview, January 20, 1998

Interviewed by Chris Paton. Mr. Rush discusses his first acquaintance with Johnny and Ginger Mercer, which occurred when Mr. Rush served as interior decorator for the Mercers' Lido Isle home. Rush describes his work on the Lido Isle house as well as his later work on the Mercers' Bel-Air, Savannah, and Palm Springs homes. Rush talks about Johnny Mercer's affable personality, including anecdotes about him and about his activities with his children. He speaks about a party where Mercer and Cole Porter met for the first time, Mercer's writing of the song ""Something's Gotta Give"" and a singing of ""The Star-Spangled Banner"" at a theater. He discusses the relationship between Johnny and Ginger Mercer, describing especially the party at Romanoff's that the couple gave to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Rush also talks about Ginger's life after Johnny's death. He mentions Marc Cramer and Cramer's memorial service, Ginger's other close friends in her later life, a trip to Baden-Baden that Ginger Mercer took with Mr. Rush, and Mrs. Mercer's final years of life in Los Angeles.