Rating: NR
Genre:
Musical
Release Date: 04/25/2006
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD1
Run Time: 102 Minutes
Flags: Excellent For Children
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
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.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 1
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A reviewer
from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A Delightful Musical Biography.
Fred Astaire and Red Skelton portray composers Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby in this wonderful musical that focuses on their careers and their lives. Many of Kalmar and Ruby's songs are heard in the movie including Who's Sorry Now, Nevertheless, Boop-Boop-a-Doop, So Long, Monday, and Hooray for Captain Spaulding which became Groucho Marx's signature theme song. Also starring Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl, Keenan Wynn, Gale Robbins, Gloria De Haven, Phil Regan, Harry Shannon, Debbie Reynolds, Paul Harvey, Pierre Watkin, and Billy Gray.
;)
