| Words and Music | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Words_and_Music.jpg) Release cover | |
| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Written by | Ben Feiner Jr. (adaptation) Fred F. Finklehoffe (writer) |
| Story by | Guy Bolton Jean Holloway |
| Produced by | Arthur Freed |
| Starring | Tom Drake Mickey Rooney |
| Cinematography | Charles Rosher Harry Stradling |
| Edited by | Albert Akst Ferris Webster |
| Music by | Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,048,000[1] |
| Box office | $4,552,000[1] |
Words and Music is a 1948 American biographical musical film loosely based on the creative partnership of the composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film stars Mickey Rooney as Hart and Tom Drake as Rodgers, along with Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, Ann Sothern and numerous musical stars. It was the second in a series of MGM biopics about Broadway composers; it was preceded by Till the Clouds Roll By (Jerome Kern, 1946) and followed by Three Little Words (Kalmar and Ruby, 1950) and Deep in My Heart (Sigmund Romberg, 1954).
The film is best remembered for featuring the final screen pairing of Rooney and Judy Garland, and for the lavish showcasing of the Rodgers and Hart catalogue of songs. The story, as in many similar biopics of the era (such as Cole Porter’s depiction in Night and Day), was heavily fictionalized. The script sanitized Hart's complex psychological problems, alcoholism, and self-destructive behavior, which all contributed to the break-up of the writing partnership and Hart's early death, as well as changed his sexual orientation (Hart was gay).[2]
The introduction to the film is staged as if composer Richard Rodgers were actually playing himself. Actor Tom Drake appears alone in character, identifies himself as Rodgers and tells the audience it is about to see the story of his collaboration with Lorenz Hart. (Contemporary posters from the film featured the faces of most major cast members, including Rooney, but did not show the face of Drake, and his name was in smaller type than those of the other main stars.)
Though the film performed very well at the box office, it proved to be quite an expensive production and, as a result, failed to recoup its cost in its first release.[3] The film was issued on DVD in 2007 by Warner Bros. and extras included video and audio outtakes.[4] Among these were two songs deleted from the film sung by Perry Como – "Lover" and "You're Nearer".[5]
- ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ Gottlieb, Robert (April 1, 2013). "Rodgers and Hart's Dysfunctional Partnership". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ H. Mark Glancy, 'MGM Film Grosses, 1924–28: The Eddie Mannix Ledger', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 12 No. 2 1992 p127-144 at p140
- ^ "DVD Talk". dvdtalk.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Macfarlane, Malcolm (2009). Perry Como - A Biography and Complete Career Record. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-7864-3701-6.