Bette Midler, what love is like, and the unlikely song that told the story of Janis Joplin

Bette Midler’s first starring film role was in 1979’s *The Rose*, a fictionalised story closely based on Janis Joplin’s life. The film’s creators had originally planned a direct biopic called *Pearl*, but Joplin’s family refused permission to use her life story, so they changed the title and fictionalised the script.

Midler helped bring Amanda McBroom’s song “The Rose” into the film after becoming attached to its lyrics and believing it suited her voice. McBroom wrote it after hearing the line “your love is like a razor” in Leo Sayer’s “Magdalena” and reflecting on what love meant to her. Producers initially rejected the song as dull and unsuited to rock and roll, but music supervisor Paul Rothchild sent it to Midler, whose support helped secure its place in the film.