FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

JohnHowardReid All songs by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Hart (lyrics). This of course is the reason for seeing the movie. Nobody should pay the least attention to the rubbishy story which though allegedly based on the lives of Rodgers and Hart, is the most unashamed piece of the blandest Hollywood hokum. From memory, only three points in the script are true: (1) Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart did collaborate on a number of Broadway shows including "On Your Toes", and the books for some of these shows were written by Herb Fields; (2) Rodgers did marry a girl named Dorothy Feiner; (3) Hart was sometimes (not "often" as the script claims) late for appointments. Just about everything else in this musical biography is false. Not helping matters are Tom Drake's impossibly lackluster performance as Rodgers versus Mickey Rooney's outrageously hammy impersonation of Hart. Taurog's dreary direction further heightens ennui. The musical numbers, fortunately, are something else. Colorfully photographed by Harry Stradling, vigorously staged and choreographed by Robert Alton, they nearly all have a life and vitality which brilliantly complements Hart's astringent lyrics and Rodgers' catchy melodies. Excellent orchestrations by Conrad Salinger give the music plenty of color without drowning the melodic line (a common fault in Hollywood musicals of the late 40s and early 50s). The M-G-M Studio Orchestra under the baton of Lennie Hayton is at its best. Most impressive of all, the sound — particularly when measured against the very modest standards of M-G-M — has a remarkable range and fidelity. Admittedly the sound levels between the songs and the story don't match, but by M-G-M's normal tin-ears syndrome, this is a minor defect.

TheLittleSongbird Words and Music is one of those films that is heavily flawed but is still a pleasure to watch. The failures are mainly to do with the biographical parts, with anachronistic and rather stilted dialogue, an underwritten and stodgily paced story that takes truth liberties to the extent that Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart just don't seem very interesting and the heavier dramatic elements seemed on the ham-fisted side. Unfortunately there are also casting issues too. Tom Drake is so restrained as Rodgers that he comes across as colourless, especially when compared to Mickey Rooney who chews the scenery to pieces with the subtlety of a sledgehammer that seems at odds with the rest of the film. Janet Leigh also has very little to do and her performance doesn't register as a result. The film has lovely sets and costumes though and the cinematography is very nicely done. The music is top drawer with witty lyrics and melodies that are both beautiful and catchy. The choreography brims with sharpness and nostalgia too, and several of the performers are great. Of the musical numbers, my personal highlight was Slaughter on 10th Avenue, utter class of the highest order and danced to perfection by Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen. Very close is Thou Swell, June Allyson performs it with such lively energy, and you have to love the Blackburn Twins' coyness. Blue Room benefits from Perry Como's sensitive singing and Cyd Charise is able to show her elegant dancing and long legs just as beautifully. Mel Torme's rendition of Blue Moon is incredibly touching, as is Judy Garland and Rooney's(his best moment in the film easily) reunion rendition of I Wish I Were in Love Again. Garland's Johnny One-Note charms too and Lena Horne's The Lady is a Tramp is a winner. All in all, the biographical elements don't really work but the musical numbers do and the best ones(Slaughter on 10th Avenue and Thou Swell) are outstanding. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox

weezeralfalfa Lary Hart wasn't around when this pseudobiopic was made, but Richard Rogers reportedly disliked everything about it, except Janet Leigh as his girlfriend-wife. That's not a good recommendation, but no doubt Rogers was much harder to please than the average viewer. I certainly find quite a few musical numbers I liked, but the choice of which numbers to include and exclude, and who should sing certain numbers certainly could have been improved.Why was wooden, sleepy-eyed, Perry Como featured more than anybody else? Presumably, MGM got him cheap as a loan from Fox, because his wooden acting in his several Fox musicals was not well received. Everyone else got a maximum of 2 musical numbers, but Como got 3, plus 2 more that were deleted! His "Blue Room" number, with Cyd Charisse as dancer and lover, was OK, but only because of Cyd's presence. His long "Mountain Greenery" number, with extensive chorus help, could have been deleted as ordinary. His near ending encore of the standard "With a Song in my Heart" was OK, but mostly because it was abbreviated.On the other hand, Como's best song "My Heart Stood Still" was deleted!(Hear it as an audio outtake on the 2007 DVD release). It would have made a great finale song for the film!Betty Garrett just wasn't right to sing "There's a Small Hotel". She gave it no life. I'm sure Rooney would have done much better job. MGM also had Sinatra under contract. Of course, he later sang this in "Pal Joey". On the other hand, "Way Out West" was perfect for Garrett, as evidenced in the audio outtake on my DVD. But 90% of her rendition was cut from the final film! Why was she cast as Hart's on and off girl friend , being much taller than Rooney? Jane Powell was available at MGM and was shorter than Rooney, besides being a great singer and passable dancer. I guess the point was to make Hart more self conscious of his short stature, by pairing him with a fairly tall woman.The elaborate June Allison-starring "Thou Swell" was OK, if a bit long. Like Gsrrett, she didn't have the greatest singing voice for straight romantic ballads, being best with comical, satirical and novelty songs, with light dancing back and forth across the stage, where she looked good.The Gene Kelly & Vera-Ellen "Slaughter on 10th Ave." was an interesting arty ballet number, though I didn't like the ending. But why was their number "Falling in Love with Love" deleted? Certainly, this standard should have been included. It could have replaced the rather ordinary number "Where's That Rainbow", featuring an expendable Ann Southern. Also, it would have been nice to see a classic Kelly-Cid dance number, especially since they costarred in several musicals.Perhaps they could have danced to the conspicuously absent "Bewitched", "Falling in Love with Love", or "I Feel at Home with You" Cyd's duet rendition of "On Your Toes" could have been deleted as ordinary. However, the follow up "This Can't Be Love" extravaganza, with many pink ballet dancers, and featuring Cyd plus a blond companion, was visually spectacular.Judy Garland's two numbers, with or without Rooney, were among the best productions. Mel Torme's rendition of "Blue Moon", trying to cheer up Hart, was also excellent.We could have used another Torme ballad: one of the missing standards mentioned above. Lena Horne's two numbers were OK, although she's not my favorite singer. Rooney's "Manhattan" was also good. Rooney did the best job he could trying to portray Hart's pluses and minuses, but the audience mostly had to read between the lines to get the probable real reason for his self-destructive behavior and early death.

vintagevalor-2 I enjoyed the hell out of this picture. Mickey Rooney should have been nominated, one of the best things he ever did. He has enormous energy, presence, more talent than should be legal and is riveting on the screen.Most all of the reviews of this picture conclude that they hate it. Why? It's not an accurate portrayal of Hart's life. SO WHAT! You want facts, read the biography.It is a fully enjoyable musical with wonderful songs and dances by some of the most talented people of the last 100 years. They don't write songs like this anymore, they don't have talent like this anymore. Mickey Rooney was terrific, Gene Kelly was athelitic and wonderful, June Allyson was cute and adorable, this entire picture is just a fine example of the Musical Art I think many of those who dislike this picture need to lighten up and enjoy the Words and the Music! Life's to short for the petty objections related in most of the other reviews.