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Words & Music

  • 19311931
  • 21m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
33
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
  • Musical
  • Short
Singer Ruth Eton is looking for some new songs to use in her act. Don Hopkins is a songwriter who wants to break into the business, but knows it is difficult to get music publishers to consi... Read allSinger Ruth Eton is looking for some new songs to use in her act. Don Hopkins is a songwriter who wants to break into the business, but knows it is difficult to get music publishers to consider new talent. Don sees Ruth having dinner at a night club and asks for her help.Singer Ruth Eton is looking for some new songs to use in her act. Don Hopkins is a songwriter who wants to break into the business, but knows it is difficult to get music publishers to consider new talent. Don sees Ruth having dinner at a night club and asks for her help.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
33
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Roy Mack
  • Writers
    • Herman Ruby
    • Stanley Rauh
  • Stars
    • Ruth Etting
    • Don Tomkins
    • Maurice Barrett(uncredited)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Roy Mack
  • Writers
    • Herman Ruby
    • Stanley Rauh
  • Stars
    • Ruth Etting
    • Don Tomkins
    • Maurice Barrett(uncredited)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

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    Top cast

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    Ruth Etting
    Ruth Etting
    • Ruth Etonas Ruth Eton
    Don Tomkins
    • Don Hopkinsas Don Hopkins
    Maurice Barrett
    Maurice Barrett
    • Songwriter in Restaurantas Songwriter in Restaurant
    • (uncredited)
    Ray Collins
    Ray Collins
    • Mr. Lambertas Mr. Lambert
    • (uncredited)
    Bernard Gorcey
    Bernard Gorcey
    • Waiteras Waiter
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Hertz
      Blair Kent
        Marjorie Lytell
        • Mabelas Mabel
        • (uncredited)
        Frank McNellis
          Byron Russell
            Harry Vokes
            Harry Vokes
              • Director
                • Roy Mack
              • Writers
                • Herman Ruby
                • Stanley Rauh
              • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
              • All cast & crew

              Storyline

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              Did you know

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              • Trivia
                Vitaphone production reels #1288-1289.
              • Quotes

                Ruth Eton: [singing] No moon, no stars, no dawn, Nothing to see, nothing to say, Now that you're gone...

              • Connections
                References Broadway's Like That (1930)
              • Soundtracks
                I'm Falling in Love
                (uncredited)

                Written by Ruth Etting, George Ward and Phil Schwartz

                Performed by Ruth Etting

              User reviews2

              Review
              Top review
              Better Than Average Musical Short
              Words & Music (1931)

              *** (out of 4)

              Ruth Etting has pretty much been forgotten today but those who do know her probably remember the Doris Day portrayal of her in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME. This film features Etting playing a singer named Ruth Eton (how clever) who is growing tired of there not being any good songs out there to sing. About this time her dirty partner cons a new kid into giving him his song for "rewrites" but of course he ends up taking credit for it. A few months later the kid takes his sister to the movies where he sees Eton in a short doing his number. This short isn't going to make people forget the classics from this era but those who spend the 20-minutes to watch it are going to really be entertained. Etting comes off pretty well here and the two numbers (Still I'm Falling in Love, Now That You're Gone) are both entertaining. What really makes this short stand out is its story. It starts off pretty bland as Etting just complains about the poor songs out there but then things pick up when the movie goes away from her and looks at the naive kid who wants to get into the business but doesn't know what he's doing. This includes giving his song to the con man and we get a rather good bit about copyrights and so forth. I found the scenes with the kid to be the most entertaining and they alone make this short worth watching. Fans of the Bowery Boys series will get a kick out of seeing an uncredited Bernard Gorcey playing a waiter. Those only familiar with the series will enjoy seeing him so young and with a full head of hair.
              helpful•0
              1
              • Michael_Elliott
              • May 1, 2011

              Details

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              • Release date
                • November 8, 1931 (United States)
              • Country of origin
                • United States
              • Language
                • English
              • Also known as
                • Words and Music
              • Production company
                • Warner Bros.
              • See more company credits at IMDbPro

              Technical specs

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              • Runtime
                21 minutes
              • Color
                • Black and White
              • Sound mix
                • Mono
              • Aspect ratio
                • 1.37 : 1

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