John Treville Latouche (La Touche) (November 13, 1914,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

– August 7, 1956,

Calais, Vermont Calais is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,661 at the 2020 census. Calais is homophonous with ''callous''. Calais contains the unincorporated communities of Adamant, East Calais, North Calais, Kent's Co ...

) was a

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's incom ...

and bookwriter in American

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

Biography

John Treville Latouche was born in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. His family moved to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, when he was four months old. There he attended school, before going north to

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. He became involved in music and theater, writing for the

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University and its oldest performing arts presentation. Founded in 1894 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Col ...

and joining the

Philolexian Society The Philolexian Society of Columbia University is one of the oldest college literary and debate societies in the United States, and the oldest student group at Columbia. Founded in 1802, the Society aims to "improve its members in Oratory, Compo ...

. He did not graduate. In 1937 Latouche contributed two songs in the revue ''

Pins and Needles ''Pins and Needles'' (1937) is a musical revue with a book by Arthur Arent, Marc Blitzstein, Emmanuel Eisenberg, Charles Friedman, David Gregory, Joseph Schrank, Arnold B. Horwitt, John Latouche, and Harold Rome, and music and lyrics by Rome. ...

''. For the show ''Sing For Your Supper'' (1939), he wrote the lyrics for "Ballad for Uncle Sam", later retitled "

Ballad for Americans "Ballad for Americans" (1939), originally titled "The Ballad for Uncle Sam", is an American patriotic cantata with lyrics by John La Touche and music by Earl Robinson. It was written for the Federal Theatre Project production, ''Sing for Your ...

", with music by

Earl Robinson Earl Hawley Robinson (July 2, 1910 – July 20, 1991) was a composer, arranger and folk music singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Robinson is remembered for his music, including the cantata "Ballad for Americans" and songs such as " J ...

. It was featured at both the 1940 Republican Convention and the convention of the

American Communist Party The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

, and was extremely popular in 1940s America. This 13-minute cantata to American democracy was written for a soloist and as well a full orchestra. When performed on the CBS Radio network by singer

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplish ...

, it became a national success. Subsequently, both Robeson and Bing Crosby regularly performed it. Actor and singer

Brock Peters Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''Porgy and Bess'', and the wrongfully convicted Tom Robinson in t ...

also made a notable recording of the cantata. Latouche provided the lyrics for

Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can' ...

's songs (including, with

Ted Fetter Theodore Fetter (June 10, 1906 – March 13, 1996) was a Broadway lyricist who contributed material to such revues as ''The Show Is On'' (1936) and ''Billy Rose's Aquacade'' (1939), but is best remembered for co-writing the song "Taking a Cha ...

, "

Taking A Chance On Love "Taking a Chance on Love" is a popular song from the 1940 Broadway musical '' Cabin in the Sky''. It was introduced by Ethel Waters playing the role of Petunia Jackson both on Broadway and later in the 1943 MGM musical Cabin in the Sky (film). ...

") for the musical '' Cabin in the Sky'' (1940). He also wrote lyrics for Duke's musical '' Banjo Eyes'' (1941), which starred Eddie Cantor. He appeared as The Gangster in the

experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...

'' Dreams That Money Can Buy'' (1947). He returned to music, writing the lyrics for the song "The Girl With the Pre-Fabricated Heart" (music by Louis Applebaum), which accompanies a sequence conceived by French artist Fernand Léger. Latouche wrote the book and lyrics for '' The Golden Apple'' (1954) with music by

Jerome Moross Jerome Moross (August 1, 1913July 25, 1983) was an American composer best known for his music for film and television. He also composed works for symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists and musical theater, as well as orchestrating score ...

; it won the

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jone ...

Award for Best Musical. In 1955 he provided additional lyrics for Leonard Bernstein's '' Candide''. Latouche also wrote the libretto to

Douglas Moore Douglas Stuart Moore (August 10, 1893 – July 25, 1969) was an American composer, songwriter, organist, pianist, Conducting, conductor, educator, actor, and author. A composer who mainly wrote works with an American subject, his music is genera ...

's opera ''

The Ballad of Baby Doe ''The Ballad of Baby Doe'' is an opera by the American composer Douglas Moore that uses an English-language libretto by John Latouche. It is Moore's most famous opera and one of the few American operas to be in the standard repertory. Especially ...

'', one of the few American operas to join the standard repertoire. In 1955, he collaborated with co-writer Sam Locke and composer James Mundy on the

Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...

vehicle ''

The Vamp ''The Vamp'' is a musical comedy with music by James Mundy; lyrics by John La Touche; and a musical book by La Touche and Sam Locke which is based on a story by La Touche. The musical opened on Broadway on November 10, 1955 at the Winter Garde ...

'', which closed after a run of only 60 performances. He had been working with David Merrick on setting the

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

play ''

Ah, Wilderness ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' to music, but died during working on the adaptation. It was later developed as ''

Take Me Along ''Take Me Along'' is a 1959 musical based on the 1933 Eugene O'Neill play '' Ah, Wilderness'', with music and lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Joseph Stein and Robert Russell.Mandelbaum, Ke"Ken Mandelbaum's Musicals On Disc: Remembering Bob Me ...

''. Latouche was a protégé of

James Branch Cabell James Branch Cabell (; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and ''belles-lettres''. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His work ...

and friends with writers

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and e ...

and Jack Woodford. Latouche dated

Louella Woodford Jack Woodford (1894–1971) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer, author of successful pulp novels and non-fiction of the 1930s and 1940s. He wrote unique books on writing and getting published. Most famously, Woodford authored ...

when they were both teenagers. He also was friends of the architect William Alexander Levy (who designed and built Hangover House for travel writer

Richard Halliburton Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900 – presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writer and adventurer who swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowest toll in its history—36 cents in 1928. He disappeared at ...

), and writer Paul Mooney, who assisted Halliburton in several of his classic travel works. Latouche died of a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at his home in

, aged 41.

Legacy

The New York Theatre Company produced ''Taking a Chance on Love - The Lyrics and Life of John LaTouche, A New Musical Revue'' ("The Bad Boy of Broadway Is Back") in 2000, with notes by

Ned Rorem Ned Rorem (October 23, 1923 – November 18, 2022) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and writer. Best known for his art songs, which number over 500, Rorem was the leading American of his time writing in the genre. Althoug ...

(recorded by Original Cast Records). The John LaTouche Archive, containing journals, family letters, scrapbooks of photographs and newspaper articles, is housed at Columbia University. ''Out in the World - Selected Letters of

Jane Bowles Jane Bowles (; born Jane Sydney Auer; February 22, 1917 – May 4, 1973) was an American writer and playwright. Early life Born into a Jewish family in New York City on February 22, 1917, to Sydney Auer (father) and Claire Stajer (mother), Jane ...

1935-1970,'' edited by Millicent Dillon (Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1985), contains a number of references to LaTouche, and his circle of friends and acquaintances. Chapter 28 of ''The Autobiography of Jack Woodford'' (Doubleday, Garden City, 1962) is devoted to La Touche.See also Virginia Spencer Carr, ''Paul Bowles - A Life'' (Scribner: New York London Toronto and Sydney, c2004) for frequent snapshot references to LaTouche.

Notable songs

* "Backer's Audition" with John Strauss and

Kenward Elmslie Kenward Gray Elmslie (April 27, 1929 – June 29, 2022) was an American author, performer, editor and publisher associated with the New York School of poetry. Life and career Kenward Gray Elmslie was born to William and Constance Pulitzer in M ...

* "The Best of All Possible Worlds" with Leonard Bernstein * "Brown Penny" with Duke Ellington * "Day Dream" with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn * "I Didn't Do A Thing Last Night" with

Madame Spivy Bertha Levine (September 30, 1906 – January 7, 1971), who used the stage name Spivy ( ), was an American entertainer, nightclub owner, and actress. Biography Early life Bertha Levine was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1906, the eldest of the ...

* "I Love Town" with Peter van Eyck (as Goetz Eyck) * "I've Got Me" with Duke Ellington * "Lazy Afternoon" with

* "My Love" with Leonard Bernstein and

Richard Wilbur Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilbur's work, composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentle ...

* "A Nail in the Horseshoe" with John Strauss * "Not a Care in the World" with

* "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks" with Duke Ellington * "Ragtime Romeo" with James Mundy * "Summer Is A-Comin' In" with Vernon Duke * "Surrealist" with Madame Spivy * "

Taking a Chance on Love "Taking a Chance on Love" is a popular song from the 1940 Broadway musical '' Cabin in the Sky''. It was introduced by Ethel Waters playing the role of Petunia Jackson both on Broadway and later in the 1943 MGM musical Cabin in the Sky (film). ...

" with Vernon Duke * "Wind Flowers" with Jerome Moross * "You Were Dead, You Know" with Leonard Bernstein and Richard Wilbur

Works

* ''Walpurgis Eve'' (1928 play) * ''Flair-Flair, the Idol of Paree'' (1935 musical) * ''Ballad for Americans'' (1939 cantata) *'' Cabin in the Sky'' (1940 musical) *'' Banjo Eyes'' (1941 musical) *''The Lady Comes Across'' (1942 musical) *''

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

'' (1944 operetta) * ''Polonaise'' (1945 musical) * ''

Beggar's Holiday ''Beggar's Holiday'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by John La Touche and music by Duke Ellington. History and background The project originated with black scenic designer Perry Watkins, who envisioned a jazz-driven adaptation of John G ...

'' (1946 musical) *'' The Golden Apple'' (1954 musical) *''

'' (1955 musical) * ''

'' (1956 opera) *'' Candide'' (1956 operetta, additional lyrics)

References

External links

*
Photo and biography

Finding aid to the John Latouche papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latouche, John Treville American musical theatre lyricists Songwriters from Maryland Writers from Baltimore Writers from Richmond, Virginia Members of the Communist Party USA 1914 births 1956 deaths Columbia College (New York) alumni 20th-century American musicians Songwriters from Virginia