Words and Music (1948)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Guy Bolton (story)
Ben Feiner Jr. (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

31 December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

The BIGGEST musical!

Plot:

Fictionalized story of the songwriting partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Rooney And Garland | Fictional Biography | Dance | Beautiful Woman

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 8

12:15 PM

TCM

Cast

June Allyson	...	Alisande La Carteloise (in "A Connecticut Yankee")
Perry Como	...	Eddie Lorrison Anders / Himself
Judy Garland	...	Herself
Lena Horne	...	Herself
Gene Kelly	...	Himself
Mickey Rooney	...	Lorenz Hart
Ann Sothern	...	Joyce Harmon
Tom Drake	...	Richard Rodgers
Cyd Charisse	...	Margo Grant
Betty Garrett	...	Peggy Lorgan McNeil
Janet Leigh	...	Dorothy Feiner Rodgers
Marshall Thompson	...	Herbert Fields
Mel Tormé	...	Himself
Vera-Ellen	...	Herself
Jeanette Nolan	...	Mrs. Hart
Richard Quine	...	Ben Feiner Jr.
Clinton Sundberg	...	Shoe clerk
Dee Turnell	...	Herself
Edward Earle	...	James Fernby Kelly
Harry Antrim	...	Dr. Rogers
Ilka Grüning	...	Mrs. Rogers
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. Feiner
Ramon Blackburn	...	Specialty (in "A Connecticut Yankee") (as The Blackburn Twins)
Royce Blackburn	...	Specialty (in "A Connecticut Yankee") (as The Blackburn Twins)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Haynes
Dorothy Abbott	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Hollywood Realtor (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Maid (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Brakeman (uncredited)
George Boyce	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man Backstage Calling for Doctor (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Bit part (uncredited)
William Cabanne	...	Birthday Party Guest (uncredited)
Marietta Canty	...	Mary, the Maid (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	George - Theatrical Producer (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Russ Clark	...	Cop in Park (uncredited)
John Cook Jr.	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Italian Waiter (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Mary Jo Ellis	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Peter Ellis	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
William Fawcett	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Sig Frohlich	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Mary Ellen Gleason	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Bob Graham	...	Eddie - a Newsboy (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Tommy - Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
Don Hayden	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
June Hedin	...	Mary, Age 12 (uncredited)
Eilene Janssen	...	Linda, Age 8 (uncredited)
Doris Kemper	...	Housekeeper (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Singer in Garrick Gaeities (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Producer (uncredited)
Lora Lee Michel	...	Mary, Age 5 (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Martha Montgomery	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Backstage Well-Wisher (uncredited)
Damian O'Flynn	...	Producer (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Girl in Park (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Alex Pollard	...	Butler (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Robert Seiter	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
Irving Smith	...	Porter (uncredited)
George Spaulding	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Robert Spencer	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Sandra Spence	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Mrs. Feiner (uncredited)
Jack Sterling	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man in Audience at Garrick's Gaieties (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Theatre Electrician (uncredited)
Al Thompson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Candy Toxton	...	Showgirl (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Guy Bolton		story
Ben Feiner Jr.		adaptation
Fred F. Finklehoffe		writer
Jean Holloway		story

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer

Cinematography by
Charles Rosher
Harry Stradling Sr.

Film Editing by
Albert Akst
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Richard Pefferle		(as Richard A. Pefferle)
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose
Valles

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup artist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
Dorothy Ponedel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Dave Friedman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (as Dolf Zimmer)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	sound
John A. Williams	....	sound

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Barnes	....	grip
Jerome Hester	....	still photographer
John M. Nickolaus Jr.	....	camera operator (as John Nickolaus Jr.)

Music Department
Lennie Hayton	....	musical director
Bill Lee	....	singing voice: Tom Drake
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Robert Tucker	....	vocal music arranger
Eileen Wilson	....	singing voice: Cyd Charisse (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Alton	....	choreographer
James Gooch	....	associate technicolor color director
Eylla Jacobs	....	script supervisor (as Eylla Jacobus)
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Alex Romero	....	assistant choreographer

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Lena Horne's prerecording of "Where or When," a standard first heard in the 1937 Broadway show, "Babes in Arms," contains the verse, which was not used in the release print. Her complete rendition was first presented on the MGM Records soundtrack album. In the CD era, there are two offerings of Lena's full version: the soundtrack from Sony and a collection from Rhino, "Lena Horne at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Ain' It the Truth."

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 26-year-old Judy Garland plays herself set in a scene in which she would have really been around 10 years old.

Quotes:

Lorenz Hart: Miserable? Me? I'm always happy!
Dorothy Feiner Rodgers: No one's always happy.
Lorenz Hart: Alright, so I'm slightly miserable

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Music and Lyrics (2007)

Soundtrack:

Where's That Rainbow?

Post WW II pickup. "Where's that Rainbow"

Coming out in 1948,was this glossy MGM musical intended as a cure for the postwar blues? Considering the thinness of the story line, a quite poor commentary on Lorenz Hart's short life,maybe it was supposed to be only entertainment. I think that it was. Perhaps it was dulled somewhat by the narration by Tom Drake as Richard Rodgers more or less presenting it as a brightened up musical documentary but otherwise I found it very enjoyable; but then there's a melody about Rodger's music that is just not here in modern pop numbers. The splash of color in Ann Sothern's rendering, "Where's that Rainbow" plus the whole production values makes this fine entertainment for those who like this style; Perry Como and the chorus put on "Mountain Greenery" quite well surrounded by scenery;there is an evocative song "Blue Moon" by Mel Torme,while "Hart" sits back in wistful reminiscence of his lost love. Neither the diminutive Mickey Rooney nor Tom Drake resemble in appearance or personality the famous duo, but what of it? It wasn't supposed to be a biography (or biopic,as it is now called),but a very colorful musical. The only likeness I found was Hart's unreliability and alcoholism ; but give it a plus for well delivered "Words and Music", including most impressive of all,Lena Horne's "Lady is a Tramp". "Words and Music"; that's all it was meant to be.