Bert Kalmar, a vaudevillian, song-and-dance man, tent show magician, and juggler, was forced to retire from performing after a knee injury. However, with the encouragement of composer Ted Snyder, Kalmar redirected his talent towards writing popular songs. A chance encounter with pianist and song plugger Harry Ruby at Snyder & Waterson, a renowned Tin Pan Alley publishing firm, led to a legendary partnership.
From 1918, Kalmar & Ruby churned out numerous hit songs, including "Three Little Words", "I Want to Be Loved By You", "Who's Sorry Now", "A Kiss to Build a Dream On", and many more. Before transitioning to Hollywood in 1930, the duo penned sketches for Broadway shows like Earl Carroll's Vanities and scores for musical comedies.
Kalmar & Ruby formed a particularly fruitful association with The Marx Brothers, commencing with Animal Crackers (1930) and continuing with Horse Feathers (1932),Duck Soup (1933),and The Kid from Spain (1932). The song "Hooray for Captain Spalding" became Groucho Marx's personal anthem, generating substantial royalties for Kalmar & Ruby.
The partnership endured into the 1940s, though it faced its share of ups and downs. These challenges were documented in the musical biopic Three Little Words (1950),starring Fred Astaire as Kalmar and Red Skelton as Ruby. The film's production values were exceptional, with superbly staged musical numbers. However, the narrative was heavily fictionalized, including a supposed split-up and reconciliation facilitated by the wives.
Ultimately, the enduring popularity of Kalmar & Ruby's songs and the serendipitous combination of their talents is what truly matters.
