---
name: "Betty Comden"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/betty-comden"
fi1m_id: "betty-comden"
imdb_id: "nm0173679"
tmdb_id: 197796
wikidata_id: "Q175078"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "3 May 1917"
died: "23 November 2006"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 87
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-25T05:19:45.334849+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Betty Comden

## Identity

Betty Comden

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/betty-comden
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** betty-comden
- **IMDb ID:** nm0173679
- **TMDB ID:** 197796
- **Wikidata ID:** Q175078
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Comden, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175078, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173679/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/197796

Writer. Born 3 May 1917 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Died 23 November 2006.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 3 May 1917, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- **Died:** 23 November 2006
- **Active:** 1949–1958
- **Frequently works with:** [Adolph Green](https://film.one/person/adolph-green.md), [Arthur Freed](https://film.one/person/arthur-freed.md), [Gene Kelly](https://film.one/person/gene-kelly.md), [Stanley Donen](https://film.one/person/stanley-donen.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscar nominations
- **Average Fi1m score:** 87, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 84 (1), 1950s 88 (2)
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Romance 3
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $15m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Comden, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175078, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173679/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/197796

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Singin' in the Rain*](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md) (93), [*The Band Wagon*](https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon.md) (84)
- **Tubi:** [*On the Town*](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Betty Comden was an American lyricist, playwright and screenwriter. She formed a writing partnership with Adolph Green that lasted six decades and produced lyrics, libretti and screenplays for numerous stage musicals and Hollywood films.

Their credits include the story and screenplay for *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), as well as work on *On the Town* (1949), *The Band Wagon* (1953), *It's Always Fair Weather* (1955), *Auntie Mame* (1958) and *Bells Are Ringing* (1960). The pair began in a nightclub act called the Revuers and later collaborated with composers including Leonard Bernstein and Jule Styne, and with the Freed Unit at MGM.

Comden was born Basya Cohen in Brooklyn, New York, on 3 May 1917 and died in New York City on 23 November 2006. She received Writers Guild of America awards for *On the Town* and *Singin' in the Rain*, and several Tony Awards with Green.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, jwa.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Band Wagon* (1953), Fi1m 84, Story, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon.md)
- *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), Fi1m 93, Screenplay, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md)
- *On the Town* (1949), Fi1m 84, Screenplay, Lyricist, Musical — [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md)

## Complete filmography (28)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *BBC Proms: Bernstein's On the Town* (2018), Writer, Lyricist
- *Wonderful Town* (2018), Lyricist
- *Singin' in the Rain* (2008), Writer
- *Wonderful Town* (2002), Writer
- *Peter Pan* (2000), Lyricist, Writer
- *Live from Broadway: Hello, Dolly!* (1995), Actor
- *On the Town* (1993), Host/Narrator, Writer
- *The Will Rogers Follies: A Life In Revue* (1993), Musical
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Linda (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Slaves of New York* (1989), as Mrs. Wheeler
- *Follies: In Concert* (1986), as Emily Whitman
- *Garbo Talks* (1984), as Garbo (uncredited)
- *Applause* (1973), Musical, Teleplay, Writer
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Emily Whitman
- *What a Way to Go!* (1964), Screenplay, Lyricist
- *Peter Pan* (1960), Lyricist, Writer
- *Bells Are Ringing* (1960), Screenplay, Theatre Play, Lyricist
- *Auntie Mame* (1958), Screenplay
- *Wonderful Town* (1958), Lyricist
- *Peter Pan* (1956), Lyricist, Writer
- *It's Always Fair Weather* (1955), as Woman on Phone (voice) (uncredited) · Story, Lyricist, Screenplay
- *Peter Pan* (1955), Writer, Lyricist
- *The Band Wagon* (1953), Story, Screenplay — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon.md)
- *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), Story, Screenplay — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md)
- *On the Town* (1949), Screenplay, Musical, Lyricist — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md)
- *The Barkleys of Broadway* (1949), Screenplay
- *Take Me Out to the Ball Game* (1949), Lyricist
- *Good News* (1947), Screenplay

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 1956: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *It's Always Fair Weather*
- 1954: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *The Band Wagon*

### Other awards — 6 won, 3 nominated

- Johnny Mercer Award 1991: Johnny Mercer Award (won)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1991: Tony Award for Best Original Score (won), for *The Will Rogers Follies*
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1983: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *A Doll's Life*
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1978: Tony Award for Best Original Score (won), for *On the Twentieth Century*
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1968: Tony Award for Best Original Score (won), for *Hallelujah, Baby!*
- Tony Award for Best Musical 1961: Tony Award for Best Musical (nominated), for *Do Re Mi*
- Tony Award for Best Musical 1957: Tony Award for Best Musical (nominated), for *Bells Are Ringing*
- Tony Award for Best Musical 1953: Tony Award for Best Musical (won), for *Wonderful Town*
- Theatre World Award 1945: Theatre World Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/betty-comden