Three Little Words (1950)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writer:

George Wells (writer)

Release Date:

12 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

The story of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby is told loosely and lightheartedly.

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Team | Songwriting | Dancer | Song Writer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Bert Kalmar
Red Skelton	...	Harry Ruby
Vera-Ellen	...	Jessie Brown / Jessie Kalmar
Arlene Dahl	...	Eileen Percy Ruby
Keenan Wynn	...	Charlie Kope
Gale Robbins	...	Terry Lordel
Gloria DeHaven	...	Mrs. Carter De Haven
Phil Regan	...	Himself
Harry Shannon	...	Clanahan, owner of Clanahan's Paradise
Debbie Reynolds	...	Helen Kane
Paul Harvey	...	Al Masters
Carleton Carpenter	...	Dan Healy
George Metkovich	...	Al Schacht
Harry B. Mendoza	...	The Great Mendoza

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | France:U | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The real Harry Ruby appears in a bit part as one of the baseball players. He is the one who catches the ball thrown by Red Skelton (as Harry Ruby) and tells "Ruby" to take it easy.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the "Hoofers at Home" dance number, all the dinner-table utensils are swept into a front drawer except for the toaster which crashes to the floor. In the subsequent longer camera shot, the toaster has vanished.

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!

Movie Connections:

References Animal Crackers (1930)

Soundtrack:

Who's Sorry Now?

Terrif!

Three Little Words, the "story" of songwriters Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar, probably is only accurate where their names, songs, and a rough frame of truth is concerned, but who cares? The cast is great. Fred Astaire has some really good dances. Red Skelton's comic potential isn't really used in this, and he seems almost like Fred's sidekick, but he does all right. It's certainly not his best. I usually don't like Vera-Ellen, but even I like her in this. And once you see past the black wig, that is most definitely Debbie Reynolds as Helen Kane, the girl singing I Wanna Be Loved By You. The songs are absolutely sensational. Oh yeah, the song Lucky Star (not written by Ruby-Kalmar), which Debbie would later sing with Gene Kelly at the end of Singin' in the Rain, is briefly featured.