Three Little Words

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Movie Info

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.

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Cast

Fred Astaire
as Bert Kalmar
Red Skelton
as Harry Ruby
Vera-Ellen
as Jessie Brown / Jessie Kalmar
Arlene Dahl
as Eileen Percy Ruby
Keenan Wynn
as Charlie Kope
Gale Robbins
as Terry Lordel
Gloria de Haven
as Mrs. Carter DeHaven
Phil Regan
as Himself
Harry Shannon
as Clanahan
Debbie Reynolds
as Helen Kane
Paul Harvey
as Al Masters
Carleton Carpenter
as Dan Healy
George Metkovich
as Al Schacht
Anita Ellis
as Singing Voice of Vera-Ellen
Helen Kane
as Singing Voice of Debbie Reynolds
Harry Mendoza
as Mendoza the Great
Billy Gray
as Boy
Pat Flaherty
as Coach
Pierre Watkin
as Philip Goodman
Syd Saylor
as Barker
Elzie Emanuel
as Black Boy
Douglas Carter Beane
as Stagehand
Sherry Hall
as Pianist
Pat Williams
as Assistant
Harry Cody
as Prop Man
Charles Wagenheim
as Waiter
Tony Taylor
as Kid
Phyllis Kennedy
as Mother
Donald Kerr
as Stage Manager
Sig Frohlich
as Messenger
Beverly Michaels
as Francesca Ladovan
Bert Davidson
as Director
William Tannen
as Director
George Magrill
as Piano Mover
George Sherwood
as Director
Harry Barris
as Guest Piano Player
Mickey Martin
as Callboy
Alex Gerry
as Marty Collister
John R. McKee
as Baseball Player
Fred Millican
as Baseball Player
Harry Ruby
as Baseball Player
Fred Santley
as Juice Vendor
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Critic Reviews for Three Little Words

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Audience Reviews for Three Little Words

  • Feb 24, 2009
    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.
    jay n Super Reviewer
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