The songwriting and screenwriting duo of Betty Comden and Adolph Green created some of the most enduring and beloved musical comedies of the post-war era, reaching their apex with 1952's Singin' in the Rain, widely acclaimed as the greatest film musical ever made. Comden was born Elizabeth Basya Comden on May 3, 1919, in New York City, studying science before pursuing a career in acting; during the late '30s, she befriended Green, himself an aspiring actor as well, and together they formed the Revuers with pal Judy Tuvim.