Words and Music (1948)

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Approved
2h 1min
Biography, Comedy
31 Dec 1948 (USA)
Movie

6.4 (1,452)

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Musical biography chronicling the songwriting partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Stars:

Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Mickey Rooney (I), Cyd Charisse (I), Perry Como and Tom Drake (I) in Words and Music (1948)

Still of Mickey Rooney (I) and Betty Garrett in Words and Music (1948)

Still of Vera-Ellen in Words and Music (1948)

Still of Janet Leigh (I) and Tom Drake (I) in Words and Music (1948)

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22 photos | 1 video

Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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	June Allyson	...	June Allyson
	Perry Como	...	Eddie Lorrison Anders
	Judy Garland	...	Judy Garland
	Lena Horne	...	Lena Horne
	Gene Kelly	...	Gene Kelly
	Mickey Rooney	...	Lorenz 'Larry' Hart
	Ann Sothern	...	Joyce Harmon
	Tom Drake	...	Richard 'Dick' Rodgers
	Cyd Charisse	...	Margo Grant
	Betty Garrett	...	Peggy Lorgan McNeil
	Janet Leigh	...	Dorothy Feiner
	Marshall Thompson	...	Herbert Fields
	Mel Tormé	...	Mel Tormé (as Mel Torme)
	Vera-Ellen	...	Vera-Ellen
	Jeanette Nolan	...	Mrs. Hart
	Richard Quine	...	Ben Feiner Jr.
	Clinton Sundberg	...	Shoe Clerk
	Dee Turnell	...	Dee Turnell
	Harry Antrim	...	Dr. Rogers
	Ilka Grüning	...	Mrs. Rogers (as Ilka Gruning)
	Emory Parnell	...	Mr. Feiner
	Ramon Blackburn	...	One of the Blackburn Twins
	Edward Earle	...	James Fernby Kelly
	Royce Blackburn	...	One of the Blackburn Twins
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Dorothy Abbott	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Irving Bacon	...	Hollywood Realtor (uncredited)
	Jack Baker	...	Thug (uncredited)
	Hal Bell	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Margaret Bert	...	Maid (uncredited)
	Stanley Blystone	...	Brakeman (uncredited)
	Norman Borine	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	George Boyce	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
	Jack Boyle	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Jack Brady Jr.	...	Birthday Party Guest (uncredited)
	Tex Brodus	...	Chorus Boy / Trombone Player (uncredited)
	Ralph Brooks	...	Man Backstage Calling for Doctor (uncredited)
	John Butler	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	William Cabanne	...	Birthday Party Guest (uncredited)
	Marietta Canty	...	Mary (uncredited)
	George M. Carleton	...	George (uncredited)
	Sue Casey	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Gower Champion	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
	Bill Chatham	...	Chorus Boy / Trumpet Player (uncredited)
	Nora Christy	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
	Russ Clark	...	Cop in Park (uncredited)
	Joe Cook Jr.	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
	Gino Corrado	...	Italian Waiter (uncredited)
	Jeanne Coyne	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	George Davis	...	Waiter (uncredited)
	Mary Jo Ellis	...	Nurse (uncredited)
	Peter Ellis	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
	William Fawcett	...	Doorman (uncredited)
	Bill Foster	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Joel Friend	...	Chorus Boy / Drummer (uncredited)
	Sig Frohlich	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
	Mary Gleason	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Bob Graham	...	Eddie (uncredited)
	Sherry Hall	...	Tommy (uncredited)
	Don Hayden	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
	June Hedin	...	Mary, Age 12 (uncredited)
	Casse Jaeger	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Eilene Janssen	...	Linda, Age 8 (uncredited)
	Doris Kemper	...	Housekeeper (uncredited)
	Ethelreda Leopold	...	'On Your Toes' Backstage Well-Wisher (uncredited)
	Herb Lurie	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Bob Manning	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
	Matt Mattox	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Bert May	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Frank Mayo	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Singer in Garrick Gaeities (uncredited)
	George Meeker	...	Producer (uncredited)
	Lora Lee Michel	...	Mary, Age 5 (uncredited)
	Harold Miller	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
	Martha Montgomery	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Bert Moorhouse	...	Backstage Well-Wisher (uncredited)
	Damian O'Flynn	...	Producer (uncredited)
	Kathleen O'Malley	...	Girl in Park (uncredited)
	William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
	Alexander Pollard	...	Butler (uncredited)
	Jack Regas	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Rita Rend	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Joe Roach	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Alex Romero	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Jeffrey Sayre	...	Waiter (uncredited)
	Robert Seiter	...	Baby Party Guest (uncredited)
	Irving Smith	...	Porter (uncredited)
	George Spaulding	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Sandra Spence	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Robert Spencer	...	(uncredited)
	Helen Spring	...	Mrs. Feiner (uncredited)
	Mary Stack	...	Mary - Age 2 (uncredited)
	Jack Sterling	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
	Bert Stevens	...	Garrick's Gaieties Audience Member (uncredited)
	Robert Stevenson	...	Theatre Electrician (uncredited)
	Al Thompson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
	Jimmy Thompson	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
	Candy Toxton	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
	Ray Weamer	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)

Directed by

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Norman Taurog

Written by

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Guy Bolton	...	(story)

Ben Feiner Jr.	...	(adaptation)

Fred F. Finklehoffe	...	(writer)

Jean Holloway	...	(story)

Produced by

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Arthur Freed

...

producer

Music by

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Lennie Hayton	...	(uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	...	(uncredited)

Cinematography by

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Charles Rosher	...	director of photography
Harry Stradling Sr.	...	director of photography (as Harry Stradling)

Editing by

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Albert Akst
Ferris Webster

Editorial Department

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Natalie Kalmus

...

color director: Technicolor

Art Direction by

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Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by

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Richard Pefferle	...	(as Richard A. Pefferle)
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by

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Helen Rose
Valles

Makeup Department

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Jack Dawn	...	makeup artist
Sydney Guilaroff	...	hair stylist
Dorothy Ponedel	...	makeup artist
John Truwe	...	makeup artist

Production Management

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Dave Friedman

...

production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Dolph Zimmer

...

assistant director (as Dolf Zimmer)

Sound Department

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Douglas Shearer	...	sound
John A. Williams	...	sound

Special Effects by

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Warren Newcombe

...

special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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Frank Barnes	...	grip
Jerome Hester	...	still photographer
John M. Nickolaus Jr.	...	camera operator (as John Nickolaus Jr.)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff

...

costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Lennie Hayton	...	musical director
Conrad Salinger	...	orchestrator
Robert Tucker	...	vocal arranger
Bill Lee	...	singing voice: Tom Drake (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Eylla Jacobs

...

script supervisor (as Eylla Jacobus)

Additional Crew

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Robert Alton	...	choreographer
James Gooch	...	associate technicolor color director
Alex Romero	...	assistant choreographer
Sig Frohlich	...	stand-in: Mickey Rooney (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (United States) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (Norway) (theatrical)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (United States) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (2007) (United States) (DVD)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Creative Sound Studios (adr: commentary) (2007)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Encomium to Larry Hart (1895-1943), seen through the fictive eyes of his song-writing partner, Richard Rodgers (1902-1979): from their first meeting, through lean years and their breakthrough, to their successes on Broadway, London, and Hollywood. We see the fruits of Hart and Rodgers' collaboration - elaborately staged numbers from their plays, characters' visits to night clubs, and impromptu performances at parties. We also see Larry's scattered approach to life, his failed love with Peggy McNeil, his unhappiness, and Richard's successful wooing of Dorothy Feiner. Written by Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	cigar-smoking playing-piano candlestick-telephone male-singer female-singer See All (68) »
Taglines	14 Stars! 22 Songs! 2 Love Stories! 14 Spectacular Scenes! See more »
Genres	Biography Comedy Musical
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Australia:G Finland:S Norway:A (recommended rating) Norway:A (cinema rating) United Kingdom:U United States:Approved United States:Passed (National Board of Review)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Ma vie est une chanson (France) Letra y música (Spain) Minha Vida é uma Canção (Brazil) ワーズ&ミュージック (Japan, Japanese title) Słowa i muzyka (Poland) See more »
Runtime	121 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Color
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Filming Locations	Sony Pictures Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget

$2,799,970 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Richard Rodgers reportedly disliked every aspect of this film except for the casting of Janet Leigh as his wife. See more »
Goofs	Perry Como plays a singer Eddie Anders throughout the movie but at the end, during the memorial service for Hart, he is introduced as Perry Como when he comes on to sing the final song at the tribute. See more »
Movie Connections	Edited into Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002). See more »
Soundtracks	Lover See more »
Quotes	Peggy Lorgan McNeil: I don't think I quite understand. Lorenz 'Larry' Hart: You will after you've known me ten or fifteen years. See more »

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