Three Little Words

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Three Little Words

1950

1h 42m

Musical

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4 Reviews

78%

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500+ Ratings

This film chronicles the friendship of songwriting duo Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Bert is a vaudeville dancer who moonlights as a magician. His assistant, Harry, makes a disastrous mistake at a magic show, and their partnership ends. Later, when Bert hurts his leg and can no longer dance, he tries his hand at writing musical numbers. After hearing a friend play a catchy tune, Bert asks to meet the man who composed the song -- leading him right back to Harry.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Aug 22

4/5

While it inevitably streamlines history for the screen, the film captures the essence of Kalmar and Ruby’s partnership with warmth and sincerity.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/25/2024

3/4

A decent movie thanks largely to some good interplay between Fred Astaire and Red Skelton.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

01/17/2007

B-

A pleasingly gentle and sanitized musical biopic.

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Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

07/21/2006

4/5

As always, Astaire's dancing redeems the routine.

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steve d

@RT35616104 07/21/2020

Besides the dancing there isn't much to like.

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10/08/2019

One of the many excellent movies that MGM made as a tribute to some of Americas greatest songwriters. Fred Astaire and Vera Ellen make the most skilled dance team out of all the MGM musicals I have seen.

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Thomas M

@TMProofreader 04/30/2019

The best musical movie ever made!

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03/26/2016

Colorful MGM biopic loosely based on the lives of songwriters Kalmar and Ruby; highlights include Astaire & Vera-Ellen dancing to "Thinking of You," Debbie Reynolds singing "I Wanna Be Loved By You" (voice dubbed by Helen Kane), and Arlene Dahl, strikingly lovely in Technicolor and singing "I Love You So Much."

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09/04/2014

Fred & Vera are a cute couple. Love her. Red Skelton is strange. The movie had some confusing parts but the ending was adorable.

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05/14/2010

Great music and wonderful dance numbers from Astaire and Ellen make this light-hearted film playful and foot-tappingly good.

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Richard Thorpe

Director

Fred Astaire

Bert Kalmar

Vera-Ellen

Jessie Brown

Red Skelton

Harry Ruby

Arlene Dahl

Eileen Percy Ruby

Keenan Wynn

Charlie Kope

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Synopsis

This film chronicles the friendship of songwriting duo Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Bert is a vaudeville dancer who moonlights as a magician. His assistant, Harry, makes a disastrous mistake at a magic show, and their partnership ends. Later, when Bert hurts his leg and can no longer dance, he tries his hand at writing musical numbers. After hearing a friend play a catchy tune, Bert asks to meet the man who composed the song -- leading him right back to Harry.

Director: Richard Thorpe
Producer: Jack Cummings
Screenwriter: George Wells
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 42m