Three Little Words (1950)
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75% of users liked it
(857 ratings)
MGM's Three Little Words is a "twin" musical biopic, covering the lives and careers of songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Fred Astaire plays Kalmar, a frustrated magician, while Red Skelton is cast as Ruby, a wannabe baseball player. After "meeting cute" during a… More MGM's Three Little Words is a "twin" musical biopic, covering the lives and careers of songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Fred Astaire plays Kalmar, a frustrated magician, while Red Skelton is cast as Ruby, a wannabe baseball player. After "meeting cute" during a disastrous vaudeville show, the oil-and-water Bert and Harry become a popular songwriting team, dashing off such favorites as Who's Sorry Now?, Nevertheless, So Long Oo-Long, I Wanna be Loved by You, All Alone Monday and the title song (the film unfortunately skimps on Kalmar and Ruby's Gilbert-and-Sullivan style novelty ditties, with the exception of Hooray for Captain Spaulding, Groucho Marx' signature tune in Animal Crackers). Adhering more to MGM formula than the facts, the script contrives to have Kalmar and Ruby split up over a trivial misunderstanding, only to be reunited by their wives for an "all is forgiven" radio broadcast hosted by bandleader Phil Regan. Vera-Ellen co-stars as Kalmar's vaudevillian wife Jessie Brown, while Arlene Dahl portrays Ruby's movie-star spouse Eileen Percy. Gloria DeHaven is seen as her own mother, Mrs. Carter DeHaven; and Debbie Reynolds plays "boop-a-doop" girl Helen Kane, her singing voice dubbed in by Ms. Kane herself. Though not quite as humorous as the subject matter would seem to dictate (Red Skelton gets his biggest laughs in the scenes wherein he, as Harry Ruby, participates in spring training with his favorite baseball club) Three Little Words is an excellent example of MGM's musical unit at the height of its powers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Richard Thorpe
- Written By
- George Wells
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1950 Wide
- Studio
- MGM
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A pleasingly gentle and sanitized musical biopic.
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Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal
As always, Astaire's dancing redeems the routine.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Cast
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Fred Astaire
as Bert Kalmar
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Red Skelton
as Harry Ruby
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Vera-Ellen
as Jessie Brown Kalmar
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Arlene Dahl
as Eileen Percy
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Keenan Wynn
as Charlie Kope
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Gale Robbins
as Terry Lordel
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Debbie Reynolds
as Helen Kane
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Gloria de Haven
as Mrs. Carter De Haven
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Phil Regan
as Himself
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Harry Shannon
as Clanahan
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Paul Harvey
as Al Masters
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Carleton Carpenter
as Dan Healy
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Douglas Carter Beane
as Stagehand
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Anita Ellis
as Singing Voice of Vera-Ellen
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Elzie Emanuel
as Black Boy
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Pat Flaherty
as Coach
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Alex Gerry
as Marty Collister
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Billy Gray
as Boy
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Sherry Hall
as Pianist
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Helen Kane
as Singing Voice of Debbie Reynolds
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Phyllis Kennedy
as Mother
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Donald Kerr
as Stage Manager
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George Magrill
as Piano Mover
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Mickey Martin
as Callboy
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Beverly Michaels
as Shipboard Woman
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Fred Millican
as Baseball Player
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Fred Santley
as Juice Vendor
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Sid Saylor
as Barker
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George Sherwood
as Director
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Charles Wagenheim
as Johnny
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Pierre Watkin
as Philip Goodman
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Harry Barris
as Pianist
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Harry Ruby
as Baseball Player
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William Tannen
as Photographer
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Sig Frohlich
as Messenger
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Pat Williams
as Assistant
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Harry Cody
as Prop Man
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Bert Davidson
as Photographer
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Tony Taylor
as Kid
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John R. McKee
as Baseball Player
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Harry B. Mendoza
as Mendoza the Great
- Gloria Dehaven
