Rodgers had previously been in a successful partnership with Lorenz Hart (see Rodgers and Hart). As Hart became more unreliable, it is said that Rodgers went to Hammerstein and asked if he would consider the possibility of working with him at some future date. They made a secret arrangement, which came into force after Hart died.
Rodgers and Hammerstein are associated with big stage and screen musicals such as The Sound of Music and South Pacific.