Writing

Betty Comden

Born May 3, 1917 · Brooklyn, New York, USA

Died November 23, 2006 · aged 89

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Betty Comden (May 3, 1917 – November 23, 2006) was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green, who provided lyrics, libretti, and screenplays to some of the most beloved and successful Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green lasted for six decades, during which time they collaborated wi…

Known For

Singin' in the RainSingin' in the Rain · 1952
Singin' in the Rain
8.11952
MovieComedyRomance
In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his paranoid screen partner struggle to make the difficult transition to talking pictures.
On the TownOn the Town · 1949
On the Town
7.01949
MovieComedyRomance
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.
Auntie MameAuntie Mame · 1958
Auntie Mame
7.01958
MovieComedyDrama
Mame Dennis, a progressive and independent woman of the 1920s, is left to care for her nephew Patrick after his wealthy father dies. Conflict ensues when the executor of the father's estate objects to the aunt's lifestyle and tries to force her to send Patrick to prep school.
The Band WagonThe Band Wagon · 1953
The Band Wagon
7.21953
MovieComedyRomance
A Broadway artiste turns a faded film star's comeback vehicle into an artsy flop.
Peter PanPeter Pan · 1955
Peter Pan
6.21955
MovieFantasyMusic
This musical version of the tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up aired live on television on March 7, 1955. It was so popular that it was restaged the following year, and again four years later.
Take Me Out to the Ball GameTake Me Out to the Ball Game · 1949
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
6.71949
MovieComedyRomance
The Wolves baseball team gets steamed when they find they've been inherited by one K.C. Higgins, a suspected "fathead" who intends to take an active interest in running the team. But K.C. turns outs to be a beautiful woman who really knows her baseball. Second baseman Dennis Ryan promptly falls in love. But his playboy roommate Eddie O'Brien has his own notions about how to treat the new lady owner and some unsavory gamblers have their own ideas about how to handle Eddie.
Bells Are RingingBells Are Ringing · 1960
Bells Are Ringing
6.51960
MovieComedyRomance
Ella Peterson works in the basement office of Susanswerphone, a telephone answering service. She listens in on others' lives and adds some interest to her own humdrum existence by adopting different identities for her clients. They include an out-of-work Method actor, a dentist with musical yearnings, and in particular playwright Jeffrey Moss, who is suffering from writer's block and desperately needs a muse.
The Barkleys of BroadwayThe Barkleys of Broadway · 1949
The Barkleys of Broadway
6.91949
MovieComedyRomance
Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.

Filmography

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Peter PanPeter Pan · 2000
Peter Pan
6.62000
MovieFantasyFamily
The stage musical Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby has toured the world to great acclaim. An adaptation of the famous 1954 musical directed by Jerome Robbins and starring Mary Martin, this new version is lasting proof that J.M. Barrie's tale of the boy who would never grow up is one of the kingpins of family entertainment. All the elements are in good form for this video production shot at the Mirada Theater in 2000 for the A&E Network. Some new songs have been added to the fabulous Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh score (which includes "Tender Shepherd," "I Gotta Crow," "I'm Flying," and "I Won't Grow Up"). But the biggest asset to this production are the spectacular flying sequences: Peter even soars over the audience at times. Martin was a stronger actress in a close-up, but Rigby is magical with her athleticism and spark, most notably in a percussion-filled song and dance number "Ugh-a-Wug.".

Lyricist

Wonderful TownWonderful Town · 2018
Wonderful Town
2018
MovieMusicComedy
With a keen sensitivity to the demands and specificities of the American “musical”, and after the triumph of Sondheim’s Follies in 2015, the Opéra de Toulon once again embarked on a Broadway adventure with the French premiere of Bernstein’s Wonderful Town, and brought back for the occasion stage director Olivier Bénézech, a major connoisseur of the genre. A true declaration of love to the city of New-York, Wonderful Town tells the tale, with a boisterous rhythm and vast amounts of jazzy tunes, of two sisters from Ohio looking for success and glory in the big city. Lighter in tone than later works like West Side Story or Candide, its smart combination of the different musical traditions one could hear when wandering in the streets of New-York, its accomplished orchestral writing and colouring, and its vivid sense of comedy earned it no less than five Tony awards when it premiered in 1953.

Lyricist