In the Oscar-nominated Three Little Words, Hollywood celebrates the music and friendship of Tin Pan Alley hitmakers Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. The real Ruby cameos as a Washington Senators ballplayer playing catch with Skelton’s Ruby. Unfortunately, Kalmar died a few years before the film was released in theaters.  The film was released on Blu-ray last September by way of the Warner Archive Collection. It is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio with side mattes and a DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono soundtrack.

Back around 1919, a couple of fellows met in Tin Pin Alley and formed a song-writing team. They were Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby—real people—whose songs became a real part of America. This picture deals with their songs and some of their adventures.

In 1910s New York, vaudeville dancer Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) thrives on stage with his partner and sweetheart, Jessie Brown (Vera-Ellen), while secretly moonlighting as magician Kendall the Great. His ambition to be “everything in show business” delays their marriage, and a serious knee injury ultimately ends his dancing career. Jessie moves on, but Bert finds a new creative spark in an unlikely partnership with Harry Ruby (Red Skelton), a song-plugging pianist he once dismissed. Together, the duo quickly establish themselves as hitmakers.

As the songwriting team flourishes, Bert struggles with lingering feelings for Jessie while Harry is caught in a doomed romance with singer Terry Lordel (Gale Robbins). Bert shields his partner from heartbreak but grows resentful when Harry, in turn, undermines Bert’s stage play to protect him from financial failure. Their friendship ruptures, pushing Bert to Hollywood and leaving Harry in New York.

Years later, life—and love—gradually mends old wounds. Harry finds lasting happiness with actress Eileen Percy (Arlene Dahl), while Jessie and Eileen both arrange a surprise reunion between the estranged partners. On Phil Regan’s live in-person radio show, Bert and Harry reconcile in a medley of songs already featured in the film, capping their journey with “Three Little Words,” the tune that defines both their partnership and enduring bond.

It wasn’t uncommon for MGM to release biopics about Broadway composers. Three Little Words was the studio’s third such effort, following Till the Clouds Roll By (Jerome Kern, 1946) and Words and Music (Rodgers and Hart, 1948), and later joined by Deep in My Heart (Sigmund Romberg, 1954). What distinguishes this film is that it takes fewer liberties with the truth than many of its contemporaries. Of course, there are still changes for dramatic effect, but that’s to be expected. With this in mind, I’m curious to see how Richard Linklater approaches the life of Lorenz Hart in his upcoming Blue Moon.

“It was true to life; it was not totally a 100% the way it was, but for the most part, the songwriting part of it certainly was,” Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman recalls in the featurette Three Little Words: Two Swell Guys. “I think the teaming, the way that worked together, was very legit.”

The music itself is instantly catchy—no surprise given its Tin Pan Alley roots. Remarkably, both “Thinking of You” and “Nevertheless” became hits on the U.S. charts following the film’s release. On screen, Fred Astaire and Red Skelton have an easy chemistry, with Skelton slipping in bits of his trademark comedy, particularly during the Washington Senators sequence in Three Little Words. To the film’s credit, the humor never overwhelms the story. Still, one can’t help but wish for a cheeky Marx Brothers cameo during the Animal Crackers scenes.

André Previn received an Oscar nomination for what was then called Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture. While the film’s many song-and-dance numbers leave him limited space, his contributions are effective where they appear. Debbie Reynolds, meanwhile, earned a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress for her turn as singer Helen Kane. Though it wasn’t a breakout role, there’s a fun bit of trivia: the vocals for “I Wanna Be Loved by You” were actually provided by Kane herself.

Three Little Words endures as a charming and thoughtful musical biopic, one that highlights the strength of its performances and the timeless appeal of its songs. While it inevitably streamlines history for the screen, the film captures the essence of Kalmar and Ruby’s partnership with warmth and sincerity. Buoyed by Astaire and Skelton’s chemistry, memorable melodies, and a light but steady touch, it remains an engaging portrait of two men whose work continues to echo through American popular music.

The following songs are featured in the film:

• “Where Did You Get That Girl?”
• “Mr. and Mrs. Hoofer At Home”
• “My Sunny Tennessee”
• “So Long, OO-Long”
• “Who’s Sorry Now?”
• “Test Solo”
• “Come On Papa”
• “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)”
• “All Alone Monday”
• “I Wanna Be Loved by You”
• “Thinking of You”
• “I Love You So Much”
• “Three Little Words”

Bonus Features

• Featurette: THREE LITTLE WORDS: TWO SWELL GUYS
• Classic M-G-M cartoon VENTRILOQUIST CAT
• Classic M-G-M Fitzpatrick Traveltalks short ROAMING THROUGH MICHIGAN
• Audio-only bonus PAULA STONE’S HOLLYWOOD USA RADIO PROMO
• Original Theatrical Trailer

DIRECTOR: Richard Thorpe
SCREENWRITER: George Wells
CAST: Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl, Keenan Wynn, Gale Robbins, Gloria DeHaven, Phil Regan, Harry Shannon

MGM released Three Little Words in theaters on July 12, 1950. Grade: 4/5

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