IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
The story of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby is told loosely and lightheartedly.The story of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby is told loosely and lightheartedly.The story of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby is told loosely and lightheartedly.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
Gloria DeHaven
- Mrs. Carter De Haven
- (as Gloria De Haven)
Harry Mendoza
- The Great Mendoza
- (as The Great Mendoza)
Jean Adcock
- Woman
- (uncredited)
Richard Allan
- Chorus Boy
- (uncredited)
William Bailey
- Man in Audience
- (uncredited)
Harry Barris
- Pianist at Party
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBert Kalmar and Harry Ruby were friends of Fred Astaire from their early days together in vaudeville. Astaire said the film was one of his all-time favorites.
- GoofsThe stills of the The Marx Brothers (three rather than four) outside the opening of Animal Crackers (Broadway, 1928) is actually from The Big Store (1941).
- Quotes
Bert Kalmar: I wouldn't write that song with you if you begged me.
Harry Ruby: Begged ya? I didn't even ask ya.
Bert Kalmar: I guess you just can't help it, Harry. I feel sorry for you.
Harry Ruby: Feel sorry for me? You must think I'm just a...
Bert Kalmar: I could tell you what I think of you in just three little words. You're a dope!
- Crazy creditsThe opening and end titles use various first pages of Kalmar-Ruby sheet music as backgrounds.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's World Famous Musical Hits! (1962)
- SoundtracksWhere Did You Get That Girl?
(uncredited)
Written Harry Puck, Bert Kalmar
Sung and Danced by Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen (dubbed by Anita Ellis)
Featured review
This was a wonderful, feel-good movie with tons of songs, many of them appealing. There also were some great dancing scenes, no surprise there since Fred Astaire is one of the stars. Astaire and Vera-Ellen paired up well for those numbers.
This is one of the few films, even in the musicals, in which all the characters were nice people. In other words, there were no villains, no nasty people, which is refreshing to see now and then. It is supposedly the true-life account of songwriters Bert Kalmar (Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Ruby is good at writing tunes, but not with lyrics. Kalmar supplies the lyrics and dance. Skelton also shows he had a decent singing voice.
The only unhappy moments in the movie are the squabbles between the two leading men, but that's not overdone and sometimes it's humorous. Skelton's character is the nicer of the two.
The leading ladies are wholesome-looking beautiful women. Vera-Ellen is a Shirley Jones-type pretty blonde with a great dancer's body. She's enjoyable to watch. Arlene Dahl, who was stunning, is the other leading female but her role was minor, unfortunately.
The movie is a good mixture of song, dance, comedy and drama and is an underrated film in that it that doesn't get a lot of publicity. Astaire was quoted as saying this was his favorite film. I agree. It's my favorite of his, too.
This is one of the few films, even in the musicals, in which all the characters were nice people. In other words, there were no villains, no nasty people, which is refreshing to see now and then. It is supposedly the true-life account of songwriters Bert Kalmar (Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Ruby is good at writing tunes, but not with lyrics. Kalmar supplies the lyrics and dance. Skelton also shows he had a decent singing voice.
The only unhappy moments in the movie are the squabbles between the two leading men, but that's not overdone and sometimes it's humorous. Skelton's character is the nicer of the two.
The leading ladies are wholesome-looking beautiful women. Vera-Ellen is a Shirley Jones-type pretty blonde with a great dancer's body. She's enjoyable to watch. Arlene Dahl, who was stunning, is the other leading female but her role was minor, unfortunately.
The movie is a good mixture of song, dance, comedy and drama and is an underrated film in that it that doesn't get a lot of publicity. Astaire was quoted as saying this was his favorite film. I agree. It's my favorite of his, too.
- ccthemovieman-1
- Oct 27, 2005
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Drei kleine Worte
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,470,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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