Betty Comden(1917-2006)

When writing Cantando sotto la pioggia (1952) with Adolph Green at MGM, many studio personnel had been around since the silent days, and their recollections were the source for gags about the perils of early sound filming. One came from costume designer Walter Plunkett, who contributed to the comical scene in Cantando sotto la pioggia (1952) where the actors are shooting an early talking film. Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) taps Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) on the shoulder with her fan but causes a thunderous noise on the soundtrack by disturbing a microphone hidden in Lockwood's clothing. This was based on a similar incident during a film on which Walter Plunkett worked at RKO, Rio Rita (1929) starring Bebe Daniels and John Boles.

I remember the first time we were referred to as Comden and Green. I hated it, and not because I hated the team. Far from it. It was Frank Loesser who introduced us that way, and it felt so personal, as if we were objects and always went together with an 'and.'