The World of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby–Part Three

As we mentioned in the overview, we have come to another MGM hit from 1950 that Conrad Salinger worked on, the movie Three Little Words. It is the biopic about the songwriting team of Bert Kalmar (lyrics) and Harry Ruby (music). Click on the following link to read more and to listen to some of their music.

They had separate careers until 1920, when they decided to create a partnership. They wrote popular songs, songs for the stage and then songs for the screen.

We are going to start this third segment with the song “Three Little Words,” which was released in 1930 as a popular song and was immediately recorded by The Rhythm Boys (including Bing Crosby). We have a very unusual clip from the 1950 movie, Three Little Words. We have a clip that includes both the opening and closing sections of the movie. We can hear instrument versions of “Three Little Words” and “Thinking of You” as the opening credits roll; then we skip to the end of the movie, where Fred Astaire sings “Nevertheless” and “Three Little Words.”

Our second song is “Nevertheless” (also known as “Nevertheless I’m in Love with You”), released as popular song in 1931 and later recorded in 1950 by the Mills Brothers, when it went to number 9 on the charts. The clip we have for you today is performed by Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen (dubbed by Anita Ellis) and Red Skelton from the movie, Three Little Words.

Next, we have an interesting solo dance by Fred Astaire from the 1950 movie, Three Little Words; and we think you will like it.

We are going to end our exploration of the music of Kalmar and Ruby with “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” It was written in 1935, with help on the lyric from Oscar Hammerstein II. The definitive recording was made by Louis Armstrong in 1951 and was used on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie, Sleepless in Seattle. Here is the audio recording by Louis Armstrong.