Arthur Schwartz

Arthur Schwartz
Arthur Schwartz photo taken byCarl Van Vechten,1933
Born	(1900-11-25)November 25, 1900 Brooklyn,New York City
Died	September 3, 1984(1984-09-03)(aged 83) Kintnersville, Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)	Composer,film producer

Arthur Schwartz(November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations withHoward Dietz.

Biography

Early life

Schwartz was born to aJewishfamily inBrooklyn,New York City, on November 25, 1900.He taught himself to play the harmonica and piano as a child, and began playing for silent films at age 14. He earned a B.A. in English atNew York Universityand an M.A. in Architecture atColumbia.Forced by his father, an attorney, to study law, Schwartz graduated fromNYU Law Schoolwith aJuris Doctorand was admitted to the bar in 1924.

Career

While studying law, he supported himself by teaching English in the New York school system. He also worked on songwriting concurrently with his studies and published his first song ( "Baltimore, Md., You're the Only Doctor for Me", with lyrics by Eli Dawson) by 1923.Acquaintances such asLorenz HartandGeorge Gershwinencouraged him to stick with composing. He attempted to convinceHoward Dietz,an MGM publicist who had collaborated withJerome Kern,to work with him, but Dietz initially declined.

AsArtist Directdocuments: Schwartz placed his first songs in aBroadwayshow,The New Yorkers(March 10, 1927). By 1928, he had closed his law office and convinced Dietz to write with him. Their first songs together were used in the Broadway revueThe Little Show(April 30, 1929) and included "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan", which belatedly became a hit three years later when it was recorded byRudy Vallée.Schwartz's career was launched, and in 1930 he contributed songs to six shows, three in London and three in New York, the most successful of which wasThree's a Crowd(October 15, 1930), which featured the same cast asThe Little Showand featured the hit "Something to Remember You By". Schwartz also started contributing songs to motion pictures, beginning with "I'm Afraid of You" (lyrics byRalph RaingerandEdward Eliscu) inQueen High(1930).

Among other Broadway musicals for which Schwartz wrote the music are:The Band Wagon(1931),A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(1951),By the Beautiful Sea(1954),The Gay Life(1961), andJennie(1963). His films include the MGM musicalThe Band Wagon(1953) with lyrics by Dietz.

Schwartz also worked as a producer, forColumbia Pictures.His work includes the musicalCover Girl(1944) and theCole Porterbiographical filmNight and Day(1946).

Family

Schwartz was married to 1930s Broadway ingénue Kay Carrington, until her death when their first son,Jonathan Schwartz(born 1938), was 14. Jonathan is now a radio personality and sometime musician.Schwartz's younger son,Paul Schwartz(born 1956), with actress/dancer Mary Schwartz, is a composer, conductor, pianist, and producer.

Death

Arthur Schwartz died September 3, 1984, inKintnersville, Pennsylvania.

Awards

Schwartz received two Academy Award nominations for Best Song: the first in 1944 for "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" in the filmThank Your Lucky Stars;the second in 1948 for "A Gal in Calico" from the filmThe Time, the Place and the Girl.

In 1972, Schwartz was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame.In 1981, he was inducted in 1981 into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame.

In 1990, Schwartz's hit, "That's Entertainment" from the filmThe Band Wagon,was awarded the ASCAP Award for Most Performed Feature Film Standard.

Collaborators

Schwartz collaborated with some of the best lyricists of his day, including Dietz,Dorothy Fields,Ira Gershwin,Oscar Hammerstein II,Edward Heyman,Frank Loesser,Johnny Mercer,Leo Robin,andAl Stillman.

Musicals

See the section Arthur Schwartz (1900–1984) inList of musicals by composer: M to Z#S.

Songs

The following is a selection of songs composed by Arthur Schwartz.

With Howard Dietz

• "By Myself",recorded byRosemary Clooney,Stacey Kent,Julie London,Ann Richardsand notablyJudy Garland.
• "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan",introduced byClifton Webbin therevueThe Little Show(1929)
• "Lucky Seven" (1930)
• "High and Low", performed inThe Band Wagon(1931) by John Barker and Roberta Robinson
• "Hoops", introduced in therevueThe Band Wagon(1931) byFredandAdele Astaire
• "Dancing in the Dark",introduced by John Barker in therevueThe Band Wagon(1931)
• "I Love Louisa", introduced byFredandAdele Astairein therevueThe Band Wagon(1931)
• "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You", recorded byDick Haymes
• "Alone Together",introduced in therevueFlying Colors(1932), byJean Sargent
• "Louisiana Hayride", introduced byTamara Geva,Clifton Webb,and ensemble in therevueFlying Colors(1932)
• "Something to Remember You By",recorded byMorgana King,Irene Kral,andJo Stafford
• "You and the Night and the Music",from the musicalRevenge with Music(1934)
• "Get Yourself a Geisha Girl", from the musicalAt Home Abroad(1935)
• "Got a Bran' New Suit", introduced byEthel Watersin therevueAt Home Abroad(1935)
• "Love Is a Dancing Thing", from the 1935revueAt Home Abroad(1935)
• "Paree", from the musicalAt Home Abroad(1935)
• "Confession" (1937), recorded byJudy Holliday
• "I See Your Face Before Me",introduced byJack Buchanan,Evelyn Laye,andAdele Dixonin the musicalBetween the Devil(1937) and recorded byFrank Sinatrain hisIn the Wee Small Hours(1955) album and byDoris Dayon herDay by Night(1957) album.
• "Haunted Heart", introduced in the musicalInside U.S.A.(1948) and recorded bySusannah McCorkle.
• "That's Entertainment!",for the filmThe Band Wagon(1953)
• "Waitin' for the Evening Train", for the musicalJennie(1963)

With other lyricists

• "After All You're All I'm After" (words byEdward Heyman,1933)
• "Then I'll Be Tired of You" (words byE. Y. Harburg,1934); recorded byFats WallerandJeri Southern
• "An Old Flame Never Dies" (words byAl StillmanandLaurence Stallings), performed in the operettaVirginia
• "A Lady Needs a Change" (words by Dorothy Fields), performed by Ethel Merman inStars in Your Eyes(1939)
• "It's All Yours" (words byDorothy Fields), performed by Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman inStars in Your Eyes(1939)
• "'Til You Return" (words by Howard Schwartz), introduced by Claire Trevor in the filmCrossroads(1942)
• "I'm Riding for a Fall" (Dennis MorganandJoan Leslie) and "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" (Bette Davis) (both to words byFrank Loesser), in the filmThank Your Lucky Stars(1943)
• "A Gal in Calico"(words byLeo Robin), introduced in the filmThe Time, the Place and the Girl(1946) byJack Carson,Martha VickersandDennis Morgan
• "A Rainy Night in Rio" (words byLeo Robin), introduced in the filmThe Time, the Place and the Girl(1946) byDennis Morgan,Jack Carson,Janis Paige,andMartha Vickers
• "Alone Too Long" (words byDorothy Fields), introduced byShirley BoothandWilbur Evansin the musicalBy the Beautiful Sea(1954)
• "Simpatico" recorded byDean Martin(April 25, 1955)

External links

• Arthur SchwartzatIMDb
• Arthur Schwartzat theInternet Broadway Database
• Video of old movie clips of dancers set to "Love is a Dancing Thing"onYouTube,discussed byJonathan Schwartzon his radio show (November 23, 2013)