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

Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. Biography Dietz was born in New York City. He attended Columbia Colle ...

Biography

Early life

Schwartz was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 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 at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

and an M.A. in Architecture at Columbia. Forced by his father, an attorney, to study law, Schwartz graduated from

NYU Law School New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence and 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 as Lorenz Hart and

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

encouraged him to stick with composing. He attempted to convince

, an MGM publicist who had collaborated with

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

, to work with him, but Dietz initially declined. As

Artist Direct ARTISTdirect is an American online digital media entertainment company. Overview Founded in 1994, it owns several websites, including artistdirect.com and artistdirectinterviews.com. These websites are a group of affiliate websites offering mul ...

documents: Schwartz placed his first songs in a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show, ''

The New Yorkers ''The New Yorkers'' is a musical written by Cole Porter (lyrics and music) and Herbert Fields (book). Star Jimmy Durante also wrote the words and music for the songs in which his character was featured. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1930. ...

'' (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 revue ''

The Little Show ''The Little Show'' was a musical revue with lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz. It was the first of 11 musicals that featured the songs of Dietz and Schwartz. The revue opened at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on April 30, 192 ...

'' (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 by

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type. Early life Hubert Prior Vall ...

. 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 was ''

Three's a Crowd ''Three's a Crowd'' (also known as ''Three's Company, Too'' in the ''Three's Company'' syndication package) is an American sitcom television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''Three's Company'' that aired on ABC from September 25 ...

'' (October 15, 1930), which featured the same cast as ''

'' and featured the hit "Something to Remember You By". Schwartz also started contributing songs to motion pictures, beginning with "I'm Afraid of You" (lyrics by

Ralph Rainger Ralph Rainger ( Reichenthal; October 7, 1901 – October 23, 1942) was an American composer of popular music principally for films. Biography Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, United States, Rainger initially embarked on a legal career, ...

and Edward Eliscu) in ''

Queen High ''Queen High'' is the title of an American pre-Code musical comedy film, produced by Paramount Pictures in 1930. Based upon the 1926 stage musical ''Queen High'' that Buddy DeSylva, Lewis Gensler, and Laurence Schwab had adapted from Edward P ...

'' (1930). Among other Broadway musicals for which Schwartz wrote the music are: ''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will restart his career. However, ...

'' (1931), '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' (1951), '' By the Beautiful Sea'' (1954), ''

The Gay Life ''The Gay Life'' is a musical with a book by Fay and Michael Kanin, lyrics by Howard Dietz, and music by Arthur Schwartz. Based on a cycle of seven short plays by Arthur Schnitzler, published in 1893 and first staged in 1910, ''The Gay Life'' foc ...

'' (1961), and '' Jennie'' (1963). His films include the MGM musical ''

'' (1953) with lyrics by Dietz. Schwartz also worked as a producer, for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. His work includes the musical ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

'' (1944) and the Cole Porter biographical film '' Night 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 Paul Schwartz (born 1956) is an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist. the basic elements of which are voice, piano, violin, and electronic samples. He has collaborated with vocalists Lisbeth Scott and Rebecca Luke ...

(born 1956), with actress/dancer Mary Schwartz, is a composer, conductor, pianist, and producer.

Death

Arthur Schwartz died September 3, 1984, in Kintnersville, 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 film ''Thank Your Lucky Stars''; the second in 1948 for "A Gal in Calico" from the film ''The Time, the Place and the Girl''. In 1972, Schwartz was inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

. In 1981, he was inducted in 1981 into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

. In 1990, Schwartz's hit, "That's Entertainment" from the film ''The 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 Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), " On t ...

, Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein II,

Edward Heyman Edward Heyman (March 14, 1907October 16, 1981) was an American lyricist and producer, best known for his lyrics to " Body and Soul," "When I Fall in Love," and " For Sentimental Reasons." He also contributed to a number of songs for films. Biog ...

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

, Johnny Mercer,

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Academy Award for Best Original Song, Oscar-winning song "Thanks for t ...

, and

Al Stillman Al Stillman ''(né'' Albert Irving Silverman; 26 June 1901 Manhattan, New York – 17 February 1979 Manhattan, New York) was an American lyricist. Biography Stillman was born to Jewish parents Herman Silverman and Gertrude Rubin ''(maiden).'' He a ...

Musicals

See the section Arthur Schwartz (1900–1984) in List 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 by Rosemary Clooney, Stacey Kent, Julie London,

Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, w ...

and notably

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

. *"

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" is a popular song published in 1929, with music by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz. Camp song It originally was a summer camp song titled "I Love to Lie Awake in Bed," with Schwartz's music set to l ...

", introduced by

Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...

in the

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

'' (1929) *"Lucky Seven" (1930) *"High and Low", performed in ''

'' (1931) by John Barker and Roberta Robinson *"Hoops", introduced in the

'' (1931) by

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rod ...

and

Adele Astaire Adele Astaire Douglass (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981), was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville perfor ...

*" Dancing in the Dark", introduced by John Barker in the

'' (1931) *"I Love Louisa", introduced by

and

in the

''The Band Wagon'' (1931) *"If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You", recorded by

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, ...

*" Alone Together", introduced in the

'' Flying Colors'' (1932), by Jean Sargent *"Louisiana Hayride", introduced by

Tamara Geva Tamara Geva (russian: Тамара Жева, born Tamara Levkievna Zheverzheeva, russian: Тамара Левкиевна Жевержеева; 17 March 1906 – 9 December 1997) was a Soviet and later an American actress, ballet dancer, and c ...

, and ensemble in the

'' Flying Colors'' (1932) *" Something to Remember You By", recorded by

Morgana King Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album ''The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2000).Liner notes by Ed Osborne � ...

Irene Kral Irene Kral (January 18, 1932 – August 15, 1978) was an American jazz singer who was born to Czechoslovakian parents in Chicago, Illinois and settled in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. She died from breast cancer in Encino, California. Kral's ...

, and

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

*" You and the Night and the Music", from the musical ''

Revenge with Music ''Revenge with Music'' is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz, that opened on Broadway in 1934. This was the first "book" musical by Dietz and Schwartz. Background and productions Dietz, inspired by a ...

'' (1934) *"Get Yourself a Geisha Girl", from the musical '' At Home Abroad'' (1935) *"Got a Bran' New Suit", introduced by

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...

in the

'' At Home Abroad'' (1935) *"Love Is a Dancing Thing", from the 1935

'' At Home Abroad'' (1935) *"Paree", from the musical '' At Home Abroad'' (1935) *"Confession" (1937), recorded by

Judy Holliday Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress, comedian and singer.Obituary '' Variety'', June 9, 1965, p. 71. She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Broadway plays and mus ...

I See Your Face Before Me I See Your Face Before Me is a popular song composed by Arthur Schwartz, with lyrics by Howard Dietz. It was introduced by Evelyn Laye and Adele Dixon in the 1937 Broadway musical ''Between the Devil''. Two recordings of the song made the charts ...

", introduced by

Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...

Evelyn Laye Evelyn Laye (née Elsie Evelyn Lay; 10 July 1900 – 17 February 1996) was an English actress who was active on the London light opera stage, and later in New York and Hollywood. Her first husband, actor Sonnie Hale, left her for Jessie Ma ...

, and

Adele Dixon Adele Dixon (born Adela Helena Dixon; 3 June 1908 – 11 April 1992) was an English actress and singer. She sang at the start of regular broadcasts of the BBC Television Service on 2 November 1936. After an early start as a child actress, an ...

in the musical '' Between the Devil'' (1937) and recorded by Frank Sinatra in his ''

In the Wee Small Hours ''In the Wee Small Hours'' is the ninth studio album by American vocalist Frank Sinatra. It was released in April 1955 by Capitol and produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. All the songs on the album deal with themes ...

'' (1955) album and by Doris Day on her '' Day by Night'' (1957) album. *"Haunted Heart", introduced in the musical '' Inside U.S.A.'' (1948) and recorded by

Susannah McCorkle Susannah McCorkle (January 1, 1946 – May 19, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Life and career A native of Berkeley, California, McCorkle studied Italian literature at the University of California at Berkeley before dropping out to move to ...

. *"

That's Entertainment! ''That's Entertainment!'' is a 1974 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film ''That's Dancing!'', and a ...

", for the film ''

'' (1953) *"Waitin' for the Evening Train", for the musical '' Jennie'' (1963)

With other lyricists

*"After All You're All I'm After" (words by

, 1933) *"Then I'll Be Tired of You" (words by

E. Y. Harburg Edgar Yipsel Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( ...

, 1934); recorded by Fats Waller and

Jeri Southern Jeri Southern (born Genevieve Lillian Hering, August 5, 1926 – August 4, 1991) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Early years Born Genevieve Lillian Hering in Royal, Nebraska, United States, Southern was the granddaughter of a German pi ...

*"An Old Flame Never Dies" (words by

and

Laurence Stallings Laurence Tucker Stallings (November 25, 1894 – February 28, 1968) was an American playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, literary critic, journalist, novelist, and photographer. Best known for his collaboration with Maxwell Anderson on the 1924 pl ...

), performed in the operetta ''

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 ...

'' *"A Lady Needs a Change" (words by Dorothy Fields), performed by Ethel Merman in ''Stars in Your Eyes'' (1939) *"It's All Yours" (words by Dorothy Fields), performed by Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman in ''Stars in Your Eyes'' (1939) *"'Til You Return" (words by Howard Schwartz), introduced by Claire Trevor in the film ''Crossroads'' (1942) *"I'm Riding for a Fall" ( Dennis Morgan and

Joan Leslie Joan Leslie (born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel; January 26, 1925 – October 12, 2015) was an American actress and vaudevillian, who during the Hollywood Golden Age, appeared in such films as '' High Sierra'' (1941), ''Sergeant York'' (1941) ...

) and "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" (

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

) (both to words by

), in the film '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) *"

A Gal in Calico "A Gal in Calico" is a song by American composer Arthur Schwartz, whose words were written by Leo Robin. Appearance in film The song was introduced in the 1946 film ''The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946 film), The Time, the Place and the Girl'' ...

" (words by

), introduced in the film '' The Time, the Place and the Girl'' (1946) by

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) with James Cagney and ...

, Martha Vickers and Dennis Morgan *"A Rainy Night in Rio" (words by

), introduced in the film '' The Time, the Place and the Girl'' (1946) by Dennis Morgan,

Janis Paige Janis Paige (born Donna Mae Tjaden; September 16, 1922) is an American retired actress and singer. Born in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in local amateur shows at the age of five. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, where she b ...

, and Martha Vickers *"Alone Too Long" (words by

), introduced by Shirley Booth and

Wilbur Evans Wilbur Whilt "Wib" Evans (August 5, 1905 - May 31, 1987) was an American actor and singer who performed on the radio, in opera, on Broadway in films and early live television. Biography Evans was born in Philadelphia, the son of Walter Percy and ...

in the musical '' By the Beautiful Sea'' (1954) *"Simpatico" recorded by Dean Martin (April 25, 1955)

References

External links

* * *, discussed by Jonathan Schwartz on his radio show (November 23, 2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Schwartz, Arthur 1900 births 1984 deaths American film producers American musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Jewish American composers Columbia University alumni New York University alumni American people of German descent 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American composers 20th-century American Jews