Words and Music (1948 film)

Words and Music
Directed by	Norman Taurog
Produced by	Arthur Freed
Written by	Guy Bolton (story) Ben Feiner Jr.
Starring	Tom Drake Mickey Rooney
Music by	Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart Lennie Hayton (musical direction) Conrad Salinger (orchestrations)
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	December 31, 1948
Running time	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Words and Music is a 1948 movie loosely based on the creative partnership of the composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film starred Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, and Ann Sothern, It is best remembered for the final screen pairing between Rooney and Judy Garland and fine showcasing of the Rodgers and Hart catalog of songs.

The film sanitized Hart's complex psychological problems and self-destructive behavior.

Though the film performed very well at the box office, it proved to be quite an expensive production and, as a result, barely recouped its cost in its first release.

Cast

• Tom Drake as Richard Rodgers
• Mickey Rooney as Lorenz Hart
• Janet Leigh as Dorothy Feiner Rodgers
• Marshall Thompson as Herbert Fields
• Betty Garrett as Peggy Lorgan McNeil
• Jeanette Nolan as Mrs. Hart
• Ann Sothern as Joyce Harmon
• Perry Como as Eddie Lorrison Anders
• Cyd Charisse as Margo Grant
• Richard Quine as Ben Feiner Jr.

Guest Appearances:

• June Allyson performed "Thou Swell."
• Judy Garland performed "Johnny One Note" and "I Wish I Were in Love Again."
• Lena Horne performed "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "Where or When."
• Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen danced "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue."
• Mel Tormé performed "Blue Moon."

External links

• Words and Music at the Internet Movie Database
• The Judy Garland Online Discography "Words And Music" pages.