# So how come they call the wind Maria? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168 "2003-07-09T05:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/21 "2003-07-09T15:09:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*_Folks out here, they have a name > For wind, and rain, and fire— > The wind’s called “wind,” the rain’s called “rain,” > And they call the fire"fire."_ \*\* Is this yours? Because it made me laugh out loud. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/22 "2003-07-09T15:14:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*_Folks out here, they have a name > For wind, and rain, and fire— > The wind’s called “wind,” the rain’s called “rain,” > And they call the fire"fire."_ \*\* Is this yours? Because it made me laugh out loud. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/23 "2003-07-09T17:37:11Z")
Obsessing about this all morning. I think the bigger question is: Who are “They”? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/24 "2003-07-09T17:41:24Z")
**Satisfying** , this [site](http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Your_Wagon) says that actually Mariah Carey was named for the movie, not vice versa. Also, I believe I read somewhere that Eastwood and Seberg had a pretty torrid affair during filming but that he broke it off abruptly and went back to his wife after the shooting was completed. Not unusual, that. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/25 "2003-07-09T17:59:15Z")
Let’s see, between L&L, R&H, and SS, _Maria_ is likened to the wind, a cloud, a prayer, an ocean wave, a moonbeam, a willo’ the wisp, and the most beautiful sound ever heard (uh, plus a clown–Eek). That’s a lot of pressure for one name. Can’t Ethel take up some of the slack? As for _PYW_, my favorite part remains: Gonna paint our wagon, Gonna paint it good, We ain’t braggin’, We’re gonna coat that wood! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/26 "2003-07-09T18:21:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > Can’t Ethel take up some of the slack? It used to be a type of gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/27 "2003-07-09T18:35:14Z")
Whether the movie was like the stage performance or not, I _loved_ it. It was one of the first movies I saw after the ratings system began. What is PG now was M then, and this movie was M. I didn’t tell my folks about that rating. I think my favorite scene, out of many, is the part when Eastwood, Marvin, and Seberg decide to become a threesome. _“I was married to a man with two wives. Why can’t a woman have two husbands?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/28 "2003-07-10T07:04:06Z")
* * * ## Originally posted by ArchiveGuy Can’t Ethel take up some of the slack? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\*It used to be a type of gasoline. \*\* Yeah, but Ethel has a tendency to catch Joe. ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/29 "2003-07-10T07:09:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > \*\*As for _PYW_, my favorite part remains: > > Gonna paint our wagon, > Gonna paint it good, > We ain’t braggin’, > We’re gonna coat that wood! 🙂 \*\* I was thinking of lyrics from the title song: _Where we goin? I ain’t certain. When will we get there? I don’t know. All I know is I am on my way._ It shows that even back in our great pioneering past, men just wouldn’t stop and ask directions. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/30 "2003-07-10T07:13:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Can’t Ethel take up some of the slack? From _Duck Soup_: “If you run outta gas, get Ethel! If Ethel runs out, get Mabel!” ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/31 "2003-07-11T06:18:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t mind me \* > \*\*The song was sung by Harve Presnell, who had a long career on Broadway. He also played the evil Mr. Parker on the TV show **The Pretender**. \*\* I’m glad he had a good career. He definitely had a good voice. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*_Storm_ by George Rippey Stewart in 1941 was responsible for the naming of Pacific storms after women. In the novel the storm is “Maria”. This was the inspiration for Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s “They Call The Wind Maria.” \*\* This is why I love this board. I asked a question not even sure if there _was_ an answer, and know I know. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jess \* > \*\*Thanks, **Zoe** – I love this movie too. I was raised on it, as it is my dad’s favorite. Back in the day before VCRs, it came on TV once in while and it was an _event_ in my house. We owned the soundtrack, too. Then, after my folks got their first VCR, I bought him a VHS of the movie for Father’s Day – he was a happy, happy man. I don’t care what anyone says – this is a movie (I admit it is a weird movie) with a lot of great lines. I paraphrase one whenever the missionaries come to call – I throw open the doors and shout, “Holy Moses! [The] Mormons!” Beautiful scenary, too and it reminds me of home – I’m from northern California not far from where it was filmed. \*\* I don’t want to Tess on anyone’s parade – there were indeed a lot of good lines. And I just found out on the Internet Movie Database that Paddy Chayefsky wrote the adaptation! The IMDB says “This film about the California Gold Rush was actually shot in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.” That was beautiful scenery. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*Maria … I just met a girly wind named Maria … \*\* But … everyone knows it’s Windy … > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\*I’ve always considered this movie to be an effective argument that Jean Seberg was the worst singer in Hollywood. For the musical numbers, her voice was dubbed. How’d you like to be told you couldn’t hold your own against Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin. \*\* Yep. IMDB says “Jean Seberg had her singing voice dubbed by Rita Gordon while Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin did their own singing.” I wonder if it was because her voice was bad, or just that she was less of a name star. I didn’t follow her career very closely. It also says" Although it was a musical, no choreographer was ever hired." Yeah, and it shows. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Theobroma \* > \*\*“Dammit, it’s starting to Tess, and it’ll put the Jo out!” \*\* Joe’s starting for Tess and hoping she’ll put out. (I don’t know why this popped into my head.) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\ ***Satisfying** , this [site](http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Your_Wagon) says that actually Mariah Carey was named for the movie, not vice versa. > > Also, I believe I read somewhere that Eastwood and Seberg had a pretty torrid affair during filming but that he broke it off abruptly and went back to his wife after the shooting was completed. Not unusual, that. \*\* I didn’t know that about Mariah Carey. I also read (or maybe the TV host said) that Marvin was drinking up a storm and director Joshua Logan was succumbing to depression. No wonder a lot of scenes turned into such messes. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > \*\*Let’s see, between L&L, R&H, and SS, _Maria_ is likened to the wind, a cloud, a prayer, an ocean wave, a moonbeam, a willo’ the wisp, and the most beautiful sound ever heard (uh, plus a clown–Eek). > > That’s a lot of pressure for one name. \*\* But it was Mary, Mary Long before the fashion came. There’s something there So sweet, so fair It’s a grand old name. (I swear I’m going to get a Straight Dope singalong going.) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*… Marvin sang _I was born under a wanderin’ star_ that, in the play, is sung by the character Ben Rumson. > \*\* On an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Tom Servo sang “I was born under a wanderin’ star” – just that one line from the song. Servo was voiced by Kevin Murphy, who also had a fine, rich singing voice. Perhaps for that reason, the line stuck in my head, though I didn’t know where the song was from. Imagine my surprise when Marvin started croaking it. I mean, he just sort of half growled, half mumbled. Never really raised his voice. Sort of the way you sort of sing a snatch of song when your mind is on something else. What a waste of a good song! Don’t get me wrong, I think Marvin was very good in the comedy sections. But he just couldn’t sing. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/32 "2003-07-11T07:26:34Z")
Has anyone noticed that _Maria_ doesn’t really rhyme with _fire_, unless like Lerner & Loewe you pronounce it _fi-yah_. Which is not how they talk in the Pacific Northwest. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/33 "2003-07-11T07:49:56Z")
Well, looks like you solved that problem. I never saw the movie or the play but I do remember the song “I Still See Elisa.” Pretty and sad. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168/34 "2003-07-11T14:12:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I also read (or maybe the TV host said) that Marvin was drinking up a storm and director Joshua Logan was succumbing to depression. No wonder a lot of scenes turned into such messes. You got that right. I saw it at the theatre when it first came out and several times later, all when I was young. I’d just happened to buy the DVD the other day and watch it the day before the TV broadcast you saw. Frankly I was shocked at just what a clusteryuk much of the movie was, especially most of the pre-intermission scenes. It wasn’t a total washout but it had some much more potential than what was realized. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-come-they-call-the-wind-maria/187168.md?page=1)