Words and Music Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Words and Music Blu-ray Movie Review

The music's better than the words.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 22, 2024

Very loosely based on the lives of and partnership between American composer Richard Rodgers (played by Tom Drake) and lyricist Lorenz Hart (Mickey Rooney), director Norman Taurog's musical biopic Words and Music absolutely stretches the tolerability of Golden Age Hollywood melodrama. The highlights of this 120-minute film are inarguably its featured songs which include such celebrated classics as "Blue Moon", "Where or When", "Johnny One-Note", and "The Lady is a Tramp", not to mention outstanding dance sequences like "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"; all are performed by the likes of Perry Como, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Mel Tormé, Gene Kelly, and of course Judy Garland.

This is quite a lineup of musical talent... which is great, because Words and Music really doesn't have much a movie to base around it. From a dramatic standpoint, there's of course plenty going on, with much of this film charting the pair's meteoric rise to fame after a chance afternoon meeting between the pianist and writer that almost amounts to nothing. Intermixed with their string of hits is an equally large string of personal setbacks and other big life events, eventually culminating in a medical emergency that ends in dramatic tragedy and a somber but reflective coda. The problem is, of course, that much of the preceding melodrama is more or less entirely fabricated (such as, I don't know, most of Hart and Rodgers' lives and personalities) for entertainment's sake... and while this has been the bread-and-butter of almost all biopics before and since, it seems like far too many creative liberties have been taken in this case. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story might even have a more accurate portrayal of its subject, and I'm not even kidding.

I hate to say it, but much of the blame can be laid at the feet of its two stars. Tom Drake, who was an integral part of Meet Me in St. Louis only four years earlier, unfortunately turns in a fairly dull performance as the talented composer. Then again, maybe he only seems listless next to Mickey Rooney, who's basically playing himself here so you can take that statement at face value. Still, it's the writing and pace that hurt Words and Music, with songs only intermittently feeling like organic components of the story and barely any memorable lines and exchanges to back it up.

But as mentioned earlier, those songs and performances range from solid to outstanding, with inarguable highlights along the way such as Lena Horne's performances of "Where or When" and "The Lady Is a Tramp", just about anything involving Judy Garland, and of course the extended dance sequence built around "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue". This one feels like a miniature movie in itself and is bolstered by extremely provocative performances from Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen, the latter of whom would again bring her A-game to Three Little Words recently released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive as well. Words and Music doesn't compare to that film from any perspective except for the performances, but both have received top-tier A/V restorations from Warner Archive and a nice little collection of DVD-era extras to boot. In the case of Words and Music, it's a pretty good example of a whole being more than the sum of its parts.

Words and Music Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Words and Music's appearance shares so much in common with Warner Archive's recent restoration of Three Little Words that I'm almost tempted to refer you to that review and call it a day. But instead I'll at least reiterate that this stunning 1080p transfer is likewise sourced from a new 4K scan of the Technicolor negatives and carefully cleaned up by the boutique label. The results are as exemplary as you'd expect and disc encoding looks very good as well, with perhaps a whiff or two of macro blocking here and there but nothing worth docking any points over. As seen by these direct-from-disc screenshots, it's yet another terrific restoration that will overwhelmingly appeal to purists.

Words and Music Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio features a similar overall soundstage and dynamic range to that of Three Little Words, offering surprising punch and clarity to the musical performances as well as nicely-mixed elements handled in rowdy group settings, quieter conversations, and everything in between. No obvious age-related wear-and-tear can be heard along the way, rounding out this lossless split mono presentation quite nicely.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only (not the bonus features, sadly), which of course extends to song lyrics for musical aficionados who want to sing along at home.

Words and Music Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed artwork. A nice pile of DVD-era extras is included.

• Audio Commentary - This standout DVD-era commentary features film historian Richard Barrios, who serves up a well-constructed and entertaining chat that dives headfirst into the real-life history behind Words and Music, from biographical details about Rodgers and Hart's rise to stardom to their artistic and business control demands after early-career frustrations, as well as notes on many featured performers. He also points out a few continuity errors and anachronisms along the way, some of which have better reasons for existing than others.

• A Life in Words and Music (20:09) - This lightweight but pleasant 2007 retrospective featurette, written and directed by Peter Fitzgerald, includes a wealth of on-screen interviews and reflections on the film, from returning contributor Richard Barrios to Mary Rodgers (an accomplished author, writer, and composer, not just "daughter of Richard"), Mickey Rooney, historian Ted Chapin, and Institute of the American Musical president Miles Kruger. It's also narrated by celebrated voice actor Maurice LaMarche, which is all kinds of awesome.

• Unused Musical Sequences - A pair of songs cut from the film paired with photos and set footage.

• "You're Nearer" by Perry Como (9:44) - Multiple takes are included.
• "Lover" by Perry Como and MGM Orchestra and Chorus (3:44)

• Audio Only Musical Outtakes (8 clips, 3-4 minutes apiece) - About 30 minutes of audio outtakes performed by Gene Kelly, Vera-Ellen, The Blackburn Twins, Betty Garrett, Perry Como, and Lena Horne.

• The Cat That Hated People (7:03) - This 1948 Tex Avery short follows a black cat who complains about the world's cruelty. He's voiced by Paul Frees, who did voice work for several Rankin-Bass Christmas specials such as Frosty the Snowman (as Santa) and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (as not Santa). If that sounds familiar, this one's also available on Warner Archive's Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 2 Blu-ray.

• Going to Blazes! (21:12) - A black-and-white "Theater of Life" short co-produced by the Los Angeles Fire Department that offers a brief overview of fire safety. Gotta love old-fashioned pre-movie entertainment.

• Original Theatrical Trailer (3:34) - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

• Song Selection - Instant access to the film's 21 main performances and musical cues including "Manhattan", "Way Out West", "This Can't Be Love", "With A Song in My Heart", "Where Or When", "The Lady is a Tramp", "Blue Moon", "I Wish I Were In Love", "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", and many more.

Words and Music Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Norman Taurog's 1948 film Words and Music is your typical MGM musical biopic from that period, a showy and mostly whitewashed retelling of notable lives and careers with no shortage of Golden Age talent on display. It shares a Blu-ray release date with the like-minded 1950 musical Three Little Words as well as its basic construction and atmosphere, but in my opinion isn't nearly as seamless and takes too many creative liberties with the source material. It's nonetheless enjoyable with several standout sequences and Warner Archive's Blu-ray adds plenty of support, from their absolutely top-tier A/V restoration to a generous assortment of worthwhile DVD-era extras. This elevates Words and Music from a curiosity to yet another standout Blu-ray from the boutique label, one that genre fans are sure to enjoy.