TCM celebrate Red Skelton’s birthday. I watched Three Little Words a musical biography of songwriters Kalmar-Ruby. Red plays Harry Ruby a theater stage hand who writes songs. Fred Astaire plays Bert Kalmar a song and dance man and song writer who plays the Palace with Vera-Ellen and decides to create a new act as a magician. Red acts as a backstage assistant one night and completely messes up the act. Red gets back with Vera-Ellen and plays the Palace once again. Stage hands moving a bed hit Fred and he hurts his knee and can’t dance for 1 to 2 years.
Fred goes to see his music publisher and Red is their trying to get his song heard. Fred rewrites the lyrics to the song. They sound really good together. Fred realizes who he is and crumbles the paper, throws the paper on the ground and leaves. Red takes the paper and the song gets published with Kalmar-Ruby name. Red tricks Fred into becoming a partner. There is a scene where Fred dances to see how his knee will hold up and when he does one move, you can see the pain on his face. You know that he has suffered that pain in real life.
Even though Red still does his comedy, both physical and verbal, he is more subdued and serious than any other film I have seen him appear.
Some of the songs included:
Sweet Tennessee
So Long, Ooh Long
Who Is Sorry Now
I’m In Love With You
Alone With You
I Wanna Be Kissed By You
I’m Up In The Clouds
Thinking Of You
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
I Love You So Much
Three Little Words
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