Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American actor, pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Harry Ruby biography
, Songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved April 29, 2013. He was married to

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

actress Eileen Percy.

Biography

Ruby was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1895. After failing at his early ambition to become a professional baseball player, he toured the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

circuit as a pianist with the Bootblack Trio and the Messenger Boys Trio, until meeting the man who would become his longtime partner, lyricist Bert Kalmar. Kalmar and Ruby were a successful songwriting team for nearly three decades until Kalmar's death in 1947, a partnership portrayed in the 1950 MGM musical '' Three Little Words'', starring Fred Astaire as Kalmar and

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

as Ruby.Harry Ruby song catalog
, Songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved April 29, 2013. A good friend of

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

, Ruby appeared several times on his television program, '' You Bet Your Life''. In his 1972 concert at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

, Marx gave the following introduction before performing a song of Ruby's: "I have a friend in Hollywood ... I think I do, I'm not so sure. aughterHis name is Harry Ruby pplauseand he wrote a lot of songs that I've sung over the years ..." : : Today, Father, is Father's Day : And we're giving you a tie : It's not much we know : It is just our way of showing you : We think you're a regular guy : You say that it was nice of us to bother : But it really was a pleasure to fuss : For according to our mother : You're our father : And that's good enough for us : Yes, that's good enough for us In '' The Dick Cavett Show'', recorded June 13, 1969, Marx also sang a second stanza, and introduced it with, "Isn't that a beautiful melody? And a beautiful sentiment: ... Today, father, is father's day. ... 16 men in that orchestra: nine of them are illegitimate children aughter Nine and a half including the director." : The tie that you got : Didn't cost such a lot : And we'll give you the same tie next year. : You tell us it was nice of us to bother : But it really was a pleasure to fuss : For they say, a child can only have one father : And you are the one for us. : And you are the one for us. Selected film scores Harry Ruby filmography
''IMDb.com''. Retrieved: April 29, 2013. * ''

Animal Crackers An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and slightly sweet, bu ...

'' (1930) * '' Horse Feathers'' (1932) * '' Duck Soup'' (1933) * '' Bright Lights'' (1935) * '' Walking on Air'' (1936) * '' Three Little Words'' (1950) Selected screenplays * '' The Kid from Spain'' (1932) * ''Horse Feathers'' (1932) * ''Duck Soup'' (1933) * ''Bright Lights'' (1935) * ''Walking on Air'' (1936) * '' The Life of the Party'' (1937) * '' Lovely to Look At'' (1952) Selected Broadway scores Harry Ruby stage scores
''IBDb.com''. Retrieved: April 29, 2013. * ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

of 1918'' (1918) -

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 ...

- featured songwriter * ''Helen of Troy, New York'' (1923) -

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

- co-

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

and co-

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 ...

* ''No Other Girl'' (1924) - musical - co-composer and co-lyricist * ''Holka Polka'' (1925) - musical - co-

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ...

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

* ''The Ramblers'' (1926) - musical - co-composer, co-lyricist and co-bookwriter * ''Lucky'' (1927) - musical - co-bookwriter * '' The Five O'Clock Girl'' (1927) - musical - composer * ''She's My Baby'' (1928) - musical - co-bookwriter * ''Good Boy'' (1928) - musical - co-composer and co-lyricist * ''

'' (1928) - musical - co-composer and co-lyricist * ''Top Speed'' (1929) - musical - co- producer and co-bookwriter * ''High Kickers'' (1941) - musical - co-composer, co-lyricist and co-bookwriter * '' Fosse'' (1998) - revue - featured songwriter for " Who's Sorry Now?" from '' All That Jazz'' 1979 Notable songs *"Rebecca Came Back From Mecca" (1921) *"The Sheik of Avenue B" (1922) *" Who's Sorry Now?" (1923), Kalmar and Ruby's first big hit *" I Wanna Be Loved by You" (1928), a hit for Helen Kane, known as the "Boop-boop-a-doop girl", and sung by

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

in the film ''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitne ...

'' *" Hooray for Captain Spaulding" from ''

'' (1928): became Groucho Marx's signature tune. *"I Love You So Much" (1928) * "Three Little Words" (1930), their biggest hit. * "Nevertheless" (1931), a hit for Jack Denny (vocal by Bob May) that year, later done by

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

*"I'm Against It", "I Always Get My Man" and "Everyone Says I Love You" from ''Horse Feathers'' (1932) *"Hail, Hail Freedonia" from ''Duck Soup'' (1933) *"What a Perfect Combination" (1932), lyrics by Kalmar and Irving Caesar, music by Ruby and Harry Akst, written for the

Broadway show Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

''The Kid'', starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

A Kiss to Build a Dream On "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is a song composed by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II. In 1935, Kalmar and Ruby wrote a song called "Moonlight on the Meadow" for the Marx Brothers film '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) but the song ...

" (1935), their last hit *"

The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American situation comedy starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Compan ...

" (1957-1963), television theme Selected bibliography *''The Kalmar-Ruby Song Book''

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

(1936) B009X7KK6K Introduction by

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

with contributions by

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. From his beginnings at '' The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thr ...

, Moss Hart,

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

, Marc Connelly, James Kevin McGuinness, Franklin P. Adams and Nunnally Johnson. *''Songs My Mother Never Sang''

(1943) B002B9VFCA *''The Four Marx Brothers in Monkey Business and Duck Soup''

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...

(1973) 978-0671212735 S.J. Perelman; Will B. Johnstone; Bert Kalmar; and Harry Ruby

Death

Ruby died on February 23, 1974 in Woodland Hills, California, and was interred at the Chapel of the Pines in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

.Harry Ruby profile
Findagrave.com; retrieved April 29, 2013.

References

External links

Photo of Harry RubyHarry Ruby
at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

Harry Ruby at the Sheet Music Consortium
*
Harry Ruby recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. Streaming audio
Harry Ruby
on Victor Records
Harry Ruby
on Edison Records
Harry Ruby
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

;Video * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruby, Harry 1895 births 1974 deaths Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory Jewish American composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish American screenwriters Vaudeville performers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American Jews

Biography

Death

See also

References

External links