Three Little Words (1950)

75% of users liked it
(839 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 disastrous vaudeville show, the… 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

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Richard Thorpe
Written By: George Wells
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Apr 25, 2006
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A pleasingly gentle and sanitized musical biopic.
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal
As always, Astaire's dancing redeems the routine.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Routine musical, at least as routine as it can be with talents like Astaire and Vera-Ellen in it, they're well matched and when they dance the picture lives and it is beautifully shot but it just doesn't have that zip that the best MGM musicals do.

Cast

            Fred Astaire as Bert Kalmar

            Red Skelton as Harry Ruby

            Vera-Ellen as Jessie Brown Kalmar

            Arlene Dahl as Eileen Percy

            Keenan Wynn as Charlie Kope

            Gale Robbins as Terry Lordel

            Debbie Reynolds as Helen Kane

            Gloria de Haven as Mrs. Carter De Haven

            Phil Regan as Himself

            Harry Shannon as Clanahan

            Paul Harvey as Al Masters

            Carleton Carpenter as Dan Healy

            Douglas Carter Beane as Stagehand

            Anita Ellis as Singing Voice of Vera-Ellen

            Elzie Emanuel as Black Boy

            Pat Flaherty as Coach

            Alex Gerry as Marty Collister

            Billy Gray as Boy

            Sherry Hall as Pianist

            Helen Kane as Singing Voice of Debbie Reynolds

            Phyllis Kennedy as Mother

            Donald Kerr as Stage Manager

            George Magrill as Piano Mover

            Mickey Martin as Callboy

            Beverly Michaels as Shipboard Woman

            Fred Millican as Baseball Player

            Fred Santley as Juice Vendor

            Sid Saylor as Barker

            George Sherwood as Director

            Charles Wagenheim as Johnny

            Pierre Watkin as Philip Goodman

            Harry Barris as Pianist

            Harry Ruby as Baseball Player

            William Tannen as Photographer

            Sig Frohlich as Messenger

            Pat Williams as Assistant

            Harry Cody as Prop Man

            Bert Davidson as Photographer

            Tony Taylor as Kid

            John R. McKee as Baseball Player

            Harry B. Mendoza as Mendoza the Great

            Gloria Dehaven
            
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