 In the 1920s and 1930s , Rodgers and Hammerstein both became well known for creating Broadway hits with other partners . Rodgers , with Lorenz Hart , had produced a string of over two dozen musicals , including such popular successes as Babes in Arms ( 1937 ) , The Boys from Syracuse ( 1938 ) and Pal Joey ( 1940 ) . Some of Rodgers ' work with Hart broke new ground in musical theatre : On Your Toes was the first use of ballet to sustain the plot ( in the " Slaughter on Tenth Avenue " scene ) , while Pal Joey flouted Broadway tradition by presenting a knave as its hero . Hammerstein had written or co @-@ written the words for such hits as Rose @-@ Marie ( 1924 ) , The Desert Song ( 1926 ) , The New Moon ( 1927 ) and Show Boat ( 1927 ) . Though less productive in the 1930s , he wrote material for musicals and films , sharing an Academy Award for his song with Jerome Kern , " The Last Time I Saw Paris " , which was included in the 1941 film Lady Be Good . 
