Hart’s lyrics ranged from the romantic “With a Song in My Heart” (1929) to the exuberant “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (1935) to the cynical “Falling in Love with Love” (1938) to the sorrowful “It Never Entered My Mind” (1940). The remorseful “He Was Too Good to Me” (1930) and the playful “Johnny One-Note” (1937) can’t be overlooked. Hart was a well-read man whose lyrics reflected his sophistication. His grasp of poetic structure and ability to capture the intrinsic nature of a melody greatly contributed to the craftsmanship of Rodgers’ songs.

While Hart could be endearing, his alcoholism and his inferiority over his small stature created emotional problems that were problematic. But genius won out. To select even a partial list of their best songs is a challenge. From 1925 to 1931 Broadway shows produced consecutive hits: “Manhattan,” “Mountain Greenery,” “My Heart Stood Still,” “You Took Advantage of Me,” “Spring Is Here,” “Ten Cents a Dance,” and “I’ve Got Five Dollars.” Then came “Blue Moon” (1934) and “Little Girl Blue” (1935). The years 1936 to 1939 brought “Where or When,” “There’s a Small Hotel,” “This Can’t Be Love,” and “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.” And 1941 introduced “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” and “I Could Write a Book.”

A film of the pair, Words and Music, came out in 1948 with Mickey Rooney as Hart.

- Sandra Burlingame