Ralph Freed (1 May 1907,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

- February 13, 1973) was a Canadian born American lyricist and television producer.

Early life

Born May 1, 1907 to Max Freed and Rosie (Rosza) Grossman who met in Charleston, SC. Ralph married Grace H. Berchman aka Grace Saxon (Saxon Sisters) and had two children. Freed was the brother of Victor (b 1896), Hugo (b 1897), Sidney (b 1900), Walter (b 1903), Ruth (b 1906), and Clarence (b 1911), and

Arthur Freed Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for ''An American in Paris'' and in 1958 for '' Gigi''. Both films were musicals ...

(b 1894).

Career

Writer and Lyricist, under contract with MGM, Universal, and Paramount during the "Golden Age." Freed's collaborators included

Sammy Fain Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatr ...

and

Harry Barris Harry Barris (November 24, 1905 – December 13, 1962) was an American popular singer and songwriter. He was one of the earliest singers to use " scat singing" in recordings. Barris, one of Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys, along with Bing Crosby an ...

. With

Burton Lane Burton Lane ( Levy; February 2, 1912 – January 5, 1997) was an American composer and lyricist primarily known for his theatre and film scores. His most popular and successful works include '' Finian's Rainbow'' in 1947 and '' On a Clear Day Yo ...

, Freed wrote "

How About You? "How About You?" is a popular song composed by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Ralph Freed. It was introduced in the 1941 film '' Babes on Broadway'' by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. The lyrics of the song are often changed depending on the reco ...

" for the

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

and

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

musical ''

Babes on Broadway ''Babes on Broadway'' is a 1941 American musical film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, with Vincente Minnelli directing Garland's big solo numbers. The film, which features Fay Bainter and Virginia Weidler, ...

''. The song received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song at the

15th Academy Awards The 15th Academy Awards was held in the Cocoanut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on March 4, 1943, honoring the films of 1942. The ceremony is most famous for the speech by Greer Garson. Accepting the award for Best Actress, Gar ...

Notable songs

" *"Little Dutch Mill" *"Who Walks in When I Walk Out?" *"Mama Don't Allow It" *"You Leave Me Breathless" *"Just the Way You Are" *"Hawaiian War Chant" *"

Adios Amigo Adios Amigos or Adios Amigo may refer to Film and television * ''Adios Amigo'' (1976 film), an American comedy-western film * Adios Amigo (2024 film), an Indian Malayalam-language film * ''Adios Amigos'' (film), a 2016 Dutch drama * Adios Amig ...

" *"I Thought of You Last Night"1952 hit for Jeri Southern

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freed, Ralph 1907 births 1973 deaths Businesspeople from Vancouver Jewish American songwriters American lyricists American television producers 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American Jews