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

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

– August 7, 1956, Calais, Vermont) was a

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 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, moveme ...

Biography

John Treville Latouche was born in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. His family moved to

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

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, when he was four months old. There he attended John Marshall High School before going north to

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

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

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University. Founded in 1893 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of ...

and joining the Philolexian Society. He did not graduate. In 1937 Latouche contributed two songs in the revue ''

Pins and Needles Paresthesia is a sensation of the skin that may feel like numbness (''hypoesthesia''), tingling, pricking, chilling, or burning. It can be temporary or chronic and has many possible underlying causes. Paresthesia is usually painless and can oc ...

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

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

. It was featured at both the 1940 Republican Convention and the convention of the American Communist Party, and was extremely popular in 1940s America. This 13-minute

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

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, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

, it became a national success. Subsequently, both Robeson and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

regularly performed it. Actor and singer

Brock Peters Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''Porgy and Bess'', and Tom Robinson in the 1962 film ''To Kill a Mockingbird ...

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 and 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 ...

's songs (including, with Ted Fetter, " Taking A Chance On Love") for the musical '' Cabin in the Sky'' (1940). He also wrote lyrics for Duke's musical '' Banjo Eyes'' (1941), which starred

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. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

. He appeared as The Gangster in the

experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that does not apply standard cinematic conventions, instead adopting Non-narrative film, non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many e ...

'' 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 Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

. Latouche wrote the book and lyrics for '' The Golden Apple'' (1954) with music by Jerome Moross; it won the

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 23 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.Jon ...

Award for Best Musical. In 1955 he provided additional lyrics for

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

's ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

''. 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'', 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, comedian, singer and dancer who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Each of her characters typically possessed a fervent expressiveness and an easily ide ...

vehicle ''

The Vamp ''The Vamp'' is a stage Musical theatre, musical with a book by Sam Locke (screenwriter), Sam Locke and John La Touche (lyricist), John La Touche with lyrics by La Touche and music by Jimmy Mundy, James Mundy. The show is set in the 1920s and te ...

'', which closed after a run of only 60 performances. He had been working with

David Merrick David Merrick (born David Lee Margulois; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards. Life and career Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick grad ...

on setting the

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 ...

play '' Ah, Wilderness'' to music, but died during working on the adaptation. It was later developed as '' Take Me Along''. 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 acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

and Jack Woodford. Latouche dated Louella Woodford when they were both teenagers. He also was friends of the architect

William Alexander Levy Alexander Levy (1909–1997), later known as William Alexander Levy, was an American architect who worked principally in Southern California. Early in his career, he was influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. At New York ...

(who designed and built Hangover House for travel writer

Richard Halliburton Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900Declared death in absentia, presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writing, travel writer and adventurer who, among numerous journeys, swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowes ...

), 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 Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at his home in Calais, Vermont, 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 Miller Rorem (October 23, 1923 – November 18, 2022) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and a writer. Best known for his art songs, which number over 500, Rorem was considered the leading American of his time writing i ...

(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 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 * "The Best of All Possible Worlds" with

* "Brown Penny" with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

* "Day Dream" with Duke Ellington and

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the ...

* "I Didn't Do A Thing Last Night" with Madame Spivy * "I Love Town" with Peter van Eyck (as Goetz Eyck) * "I've Got Me" with Duke Ellington * "Lazy Afternoon" with Jerome Moross * "My Love" with Leonard Bernstein and Richard Wilbur * "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" 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'' (1944 operetta) * ''Polonaise'' (1945 musical) * '' Beggar's Holiday'' (1946 musical) *'' The Golden Apple'' (1954 musical) *''

'' (1955 musical) * '' The Ballad of Baby Doe'' (1956 opera) *''

'' (1956 operetta, additional lyrics)

References

Bibliography

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