In his lyric-writing, Ira [Gershwin] is a plodder - and I don't mean that disrespectfully. I mean it in the best sense. He digs and digs and digs. He edits. He goes over and over his work to change maybe only a line or just a word. ..Ira hates writing ballads. If I want to get him, all I have to say is, 'Ira, we have a film to do and there are six ballads in it'.