Henry Robert Merrill Levan (May 17, 1921 – February 17, 1998) was an American songwriter, theatrical composer,

lyricist A lyricist is a writer 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 income derives ...

, and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. Merrill was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s on the US and UK single charts. His musicals for the Broadway stage include ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical theatre, musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lil ...

'' (music and lyrics) and '' Funny Girl'' (lyrics). Merrill played an important role in American popular music, tapping out many of the hit parade songs of the 1950s on a toy xylophone,Haun, Harry
"Bob Merrill: The Music That Made Him"
''Playbill'', August 25, 2011 including " (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?", " Mambo Italiano", and "

If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" is a popular song written by Al Hoffman, Bob Merrill, and Clem Watts and published in 1950. In the U.S, the best known version of the song was recorded by Eileen Barton in January 1950. Joe Lip ...

"."Bob Merrill"
songhall.org, accessed March 24, 2019 Merrill was inducted to 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 heri ...

in 1987. Other career accolades include five Tony Award nominations, as well as the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for his work on ''Carnival!'' in 1961.

Early life

Merrill was born in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, and raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

over his family's candy factory and soda fountain. As a teenager, he wanted to be a singer and performed in all local talent contests and even worked as an impressionist-emcee at a local burlesque house. His plans for a career in show business were cut short by the advent of World War II, when he was drafted into the Horse Cavalry Division of the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Career

After the war, Merrill moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a dialogue director for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

, and while on location for a film, he was asked to write some songs for the film actress

Dorothy Shay Dorothy Shay (April 11, 1921 – October 22, 1978) was an American popular comedic recording artist in the late 1940s and early 1950s, who later became a character actress. She was known as the "Park Avenue Hillbillie". Early life Shay was bo ...

, who was recording an album at the time. Shay's album ''Park Avenue Hillbilly'' became a hit, which launched Merrill's career. Soon he was invited to collaborate with

Al Hoffman Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of wh ...

and Clem Watts to write some songs. They came up with a

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

"If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake", recorded in 1948 by Eileen Barton. He also co-wrote the

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with ...

song " You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry". Guy Mitchell recorded many of Merrill's songs, including " Sparrow in the Treetop", " She Wears Red Feathers", and " My Truly, Truly Fair". Merrill made his Broadway debut in 1957 with '' New Girl in Town'', a musical adaptation of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

's ''

Anna Christie ''Anna Christie'' is a Play (theatre), play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway theatre, Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work. According ...

''. The show was nominated for the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Musical. '' Take Me Along'' followed in 1959, with music and lyrics by Merrill, starring

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

and Walter Pidgeon. The musical was nominated for the 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1961, the film ''Lili'' was made into the Broadway musical ''

'', starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, with words and music by Merrill. The show was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award for Best Musical. He had theatrical success with the 1964 musical ''Funny Girl'' starring

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

, which introduced the standards "

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

" and " Don't Rain on My Parade". Merrill and songwriting partner

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

were nominated for the 1964 Tony Award for Best Original Score. When the stage show was adapted as a 1968 film, he and Styne were asked to write a title tune, which was nominated for both the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...

and

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song is a Golden Globe Award that was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is presented to the songwriters of a ...

. Producer David Merrick hired Merrill to write additional songs for the musical '' Hello, Dolly!'' by Jerry Herman. Merrill contributed the songs "Motherhood March" and "Elegance", as well as additional lyrics to Herman's "It Takes a Woman". Merrill did not accept billing or credit for his additions to the score. Merrill's other Broadway credits include '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1966), '' Henry, Sweet Henry'' (1967), ''

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

'' (1972) (reworked as ''Some Like It Hot'' for a 1992 production in London's West End starring

Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele recor ...

and a 2002-2003 United States national tour starring

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...

as Osgood Fielding, Jr.), and '' The Red Shoes'' (1993). He provided lyrics to "Loss of Love", the theme song composed by Henry Mancini for the 1970 Italian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

''Sunflower''. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical '' Prettybelle'' (1971), starring Angela Lansbury and directed by Gower Champion, which closed in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

during tryouts. He wrote the music and lyrics for ''The Prince of Grand Street'' (1978), starring Robert Preston and directed by Gene Saks, which also closed during its Boston tryouts (following negative reviews during the earlier Philadelphia tryout). Among Merrill's television credits were two holiday specials: '' Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol'' (1962) and ''The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood'' (1965), written for

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

. Merrill's screenwriting credits include '' W. C. Fields and Me'' (1976), and the

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

s ''Portrait of a Showgirl'' (1982) and ''The Animated Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1998).

Personal life and death

Merrill was married to Dolores Marquez in 1964; they divorced and he married Suzanne Reynolds in 1976. Suffering from depression and ill health in his later years, Merrill died by suicide on February 17, 1998, at age 76.

Stage musicals

* '' New Girl In Town'' (1957) * '' Take Me Along'' (1959) * ''

'' (1961) * '' Funny Girl'' (1964) * '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1966) * '' Henry, Sweet Henry'' (1967) * '' Prettybelle'' (1971) * ''

'' (1972) * ''The Prince of Grand Street'' (1978) * ''We're Home'' (1984) – Off-Broadway * ''Hannah... 1939'' (1990) – Off-Broadway * '' The Red Shoes'' (1993) (credited as Paul Stryker) Source: PlaybillMandelbaum, Ken
"Ken Mandelbaum's MUSICALS ON DISC: Remembering Bob Merrill"
''Playbill'', March 1, 1998

Popular songs

" –

*" (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" –

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...

" – Eileen Barton *"

Honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of Triangular prismatic honeycomb#Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb, hexagonal prismatic cells built from beeswax by honey bees in their beehive, nests to contain their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and stores of honey and pol ...

" –

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers ( – ) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Country Music", he is best known for his di ...

*" Mambo Italiano" – Rosemary Clooney *"

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

" – Guy Mitchell *" Love Makes the World Go 'Round" –

Jane Morgan Jane Morgan (born Florence Catherine Currier; May 3, 1924) is an American former singer and recording artist of traditional pop. Morgan initially found success in France and the UK before achieving recognition in the US, receiving six gold re ...

The Kid's Last Fight "The Kid's Last Fight" is a song written by Bob Merrill and first recorded by Frankie Laine in December 1953 at Columbia Records. The recording by Laine reached number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was covered by The Statler Broth ...

" –

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

*" Tina Marie" –

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

*"Make Yourself Comfortable" –

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Source:

Recordings by Guy Mitchell

*" Chicka Boom" *" Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" *" Look at That Girl" *" My Truly, Truly Fair" *"

" *" She Wears Red Feathers" *" Sparrow in the Treetop" Source: AllMusic"Guy Mitchell Songs"
allmusic.com, accessed March 24, 2019

References

External links

* * *
Bob Merrill at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Bob 1921 births 1998 deaths 1998 suicides Musicians from Atlantic City, New Jersey Songwriters from New Jersey American musical theatre composers American male musical theatre composers American musical theatre lyricists Broadway composers and lyricists Grammy Award winners 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters Suicides in California 20th-century American songwriters