The team of Betty Comden (1917–2006) and Adolph Green (1914–2002) wrote for Broadway musicals for over four decades. They were librettists and lyricists, working in the latter capacity with such composers as Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Cy Coleman. They also wrote for movies, most famously several movie musicals produced by Arthur Freed at MGM in the 1940s and 1950s.
In their earlier years, they were part of a New York nightclub act called the Revuers (whose other members included future Bells Are Ringing star Judy Holliday), which can be seen in the 1944 movie Greenwich Village. They played the roles of Ozzie and Claire in the original Broadway production of On the Town, but chose after that to focus on writing full-time.
Writing credits:
- Good News! (1947; adapted screenplay and lyrics for "The French Lesson")
- The Barkleys of Broadway (1949; screenplay)
- On the Town (1949; adapted screenplay and lyrics for Movie Bonus Songs)
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949; lyrics for four songs)
- Singin' in the Rain (1952; screenplay and lyrics for "Moses")
- The Band Wagon (1953; story and screenplay)
- It's Always Fair Weather (1955; screenplay and lyrics)
- Auntie Mame (1958; adapted screenplay for non-musical movie)
- Bells Are Ringing (1960; adapted screenplay and lyrics)
- What a Way to Go! (1964; screenplay and lyrics)
- The Addams Family (1991; lyrics for "Mamushka")
- On the Town (1944; book and lyrics; also played Claire and Ozzie in the original cast)
- Two on the Aisle (1951 musical revue; lyrics and sketches)
- Wonderful Town (1953; lyrics and some uncredited comedy material)
- Peter Pan (1954 musical version; lyrics to additional songs)
- Bells Are Ringing (1956; book and lyrics)
- Say, Darling (1958 "play about a musical"; lyrics)
- A Party With Comden and Green (1958; revived 1977; a two-person revue with Comden and Green performing their own songs)
- Do Re Mi (1960; lyrics)
- Subways Are for Sleeping (1961; book and lyrics)
- Fade Out—Fade In (1964; book and lyrics)
- Hallelujah, Baby! (1967; lyrics)
- Applause (1970; book only)
- On the Twentieth Century (1978; book and lyrics)
- A Doll's Life (1983; book and lyrics)
- Singin' in the Rain (1985; book adapted from their own screenplay)
- The Will Rogers Follies (1991; lyrics)
