Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American

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 ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

, film producer, 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 ...

. His films include '' Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930), '' Something to Sing About'' (

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

) with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

, and the first two "Road" pictures ''

Road to Singapore ''Road to Singapore'' is a 1940 American musical film, musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. Based on a story by Harry Hervey, the film is about two playboys trying to avoid ...

'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

) and '' Road to Zanzibar'' (

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

). His two best-known songs are " I Remember You" and "

Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in colour, that is considered either a variety of the mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), or a closely related species, under the name ''Citrus tangerina'', or yet as a hybrid (''Citr ...

", both with lyrics by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

and both featured in Schertzinger's final film, '' The Fleet's In'' (

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

Life and career

Schertzinger was born in

Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania Mahanoy City ( ) is a borough located southwest of Wilkes-Barre and 13 miles southwest of Hazleton, in northern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Coal Region of Pennsylvania and is surrounded by (but not part ...

, the child of musical parents of

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

descent, and attracted attention as a

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

prodigy at the age of four. As a child of eight, he appeared as a violinist with several orchestras, including the

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

Orchestra and the

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( , ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era known primarily for American military March (music), marches. He is known as "The March King" or th ...

band. In his teens, he attended the Brown Preparatory School 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 ...

, and gave violin performances while touring America and Europe. Schertzinger studied music at the University of Brussels. He continued to distinguish himself as a concert violinist, and then as a symphony conductor. He also worked as a songwriter, adding three songs with lyrics by producer Oliver Morosco to L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk's

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 Character (arts), charac ...

, '' The Tik-Tok Man of Oz'' (1914). 1917 Jan 5 display ad for Los Angeles premiere of The Play of Everyman by George Sterling

His first brush with the film industry came in 1916, when Thomas Ince commissioned him to compose the orchestral accompaniment for his great silent film ''

Civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

''. Remaining under Ince's employment, Schertzinger became principal director of the popular Charles Ray films, establishing a rapport with the mercurial Ray that few of the star's other collaborators would ever achieve. After the introduction of sound, Schertzinger continued to direct films but also began to compose songs for them, and in some instances writing scripts or producing as well. Although closely associated with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

, Schertzinger actually spent the 1930s as a

freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

. Some of his best films, such as '' One Night of Love'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) and ''The Mikado'' (

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

) exploited his vast knowledge of the world of music. His songwriting collaborators during this period also included Gus Kahn, Johnny Burke and

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...

. Schertzinger married Julia E. Nicklin, to whom he remained married until his death. They had two daughters, Patricia and Paula.

Death

Schertzinger died unexpectedly from a heart attack in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

at the age of 53, having just finished work on '' The Fleet's In'' (

). He had directed 89 films, and had composed music for more than 50 films. The

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

contains a star for Schertzinger at 1611

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, and Melrose Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine being symbolic of Hollywood itself. The intersection has be ...

. In his home town of Mahanoy City, an official marker from the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's heritage. The commission cares for hist ...

indicates the location of the Schertzinger homestead and jewelry store where Schertzinger grew up. The marker reads: :: Violin prodigy who performed with John Philip Sousa and later became a film director and composer. He pioneered the use of original film music for films, and his film 'One Night of Love' won best musical score and sound recording Oscars in 1934. He composed the pop standard 'Tangerine.' Among many films he directed were two of the

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

and Crosby 'Road' movies. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His childhood home was here. Schertzinger's two best-known songs, "I Remember You" and "Tangerine", continue to appear in the soundtracks of new films. Schertzinger also appears as a recurring character in the Epic Short Story The Organ of Love.

Filmography

The following information comes from the Internet Movie Database. All listed films were directed by Schertzinger, unless otherwise noted. * ''The Conqueror'' (1916) (composer only) * ''

'' (1916) (composer only) * '' The Pinch Hitter'' (1917) * '' The Millionaire Vagrant'' (1917) * '' The Clodhopper'' (1917) * '' Sudden Jim'' (1917) * '' The Son of His Father'' (1917) * '' His Mother's Boy'' (1917) * '' The Hired Man'' (1918) * '' The Family Skeleton'' (1918) * '' Playing the Game'' (1918) * '' His Own Home Town'' (1918) * ''

The Claws of the Hun ''The Claws of the Hun'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by Ella Stuart Carson and R. Cecil Smith. The film stars Charles Ray, Jane Novak, Robert McKim, Dorcas Matthews, Melbourne MacDowell, ...

'' (1918) * ''

A Nine O'Clock Town ''A Nine O'Clock Town'' is a 1918 American comedy silent film written and directed by Victor Schertzinger. The film stars Charles Ray, Jane Novak, Otto Hoffman, Gertrude Claire, Catherine Young, and Dorcas Matthews. The film was released on ...

'' (1918) (also story) * '' Coals of Fire'' (1918) * ''

Quicksand Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...

'' (1918) * '' String Beans'' (1918) * '' Hard Boiled'' (1919) * '' Extravagance'' (1919) * '' The Sheriff's Son'' (1919) * '' The Homebreaker'' (1919) * '' The Lady of Red Butte'' (1919) * '' When Doctors Disagree'' (1919) * '' Other Men's Wives'' (1919) * '' Upstairs'' (1919) * '' The Peace of Roaring River'' (1919) (unconfirmed) * '' Jinx'' (1919) with Mabel Normand * '' Pinto'' (1920) (also writer) * '' The Blooming Angel'' (1920) * '' The Slim Princess'' (1920) * '' What Happened to Rosa'' (1920) * '' The Concert'' (1921) * '' Made in Heaven'' (1921) * '' Beating the Game'' (1921) * '' Head Over Heels'' (1922) * '' The Bootlegger's Daughter'' (1922) * '' Mr. Barnes of New York'' (1922) * '' The Kingdom Within'' (1922) * '' Dollar Devils'' (1923) * '' Refuge'' (1923) * '' The Lonely Road'' (1923) * '' The Man Next Door'' (1923) * '' The Scarlet Lily'' (1923) * '' Long Live the King'' (1923) * '' The Man Life Passed By'' (1923) (also writer) * ''

Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...

'' (1923) * '' A Boy of Flanders'' (1924) * ''

Bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

'' (1924) * '' Flaming Love'' (1925) * '' Man and Maid'' (1925) Victor Schertzinger 1919

* '' The Wheel'' (1925) * '' Thunder Mountain'' (1925) * '' The Golden Strain'' (1925) * ''

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

'' (1926) * '' The Lily'' (1926) * '' The Return of Peter Grimm'' (1926) * '' Stage Madness'' (1927) * '' The Heart of Salome'' (1927) * '' The Secret Studio'' (1927) * '' The Showdown'' (1928) * '' Forgotten Faces'' (1928) * '' Outcast'' (1928) (composer only) * ''

Redskin Redskin is a slang term for Native Americans in the United States and First Nations in Canada. The term ''redskin'' underwent pejoration through the 19th to early 20th centuries and in contemporary dictionaries of American English, it is l ...

'' (1929) * '' Nothing But the Truth'' (1929) * '' The Wheel of Life'' (1929) * '' Fashions in Love'' (1929) (also composer) * '' The Laughing Lady'' (1929) * ''

The Love Parade ''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonal ...

'' (1929) (composer only) * '' Betrayal'' (1929) (story only) * '' The Climax'' (1930) (composer only) * ''

Shadow of the Law Shadow of the Law may refer to: * Shadow of the law, a sociolegal term * Shadow of the Law (1930 film), an American pre-Code film * Shadow of the Law (1926 film), an American silent crime drama {{dab ...

'' (1930) (composer only, uncredited) * '' Paramount on Parade'' (1930) (co-directed) * ''

Safety in Numbers Safety in numbers is the hypothesis that, by being part of a large physical group or mass, an individual is less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, attack, or other bad event. Some related theories also argue (and can show statistica ...

'' (1930) * '' Heads Up'' (1930) (also composer) * '' The Woman Between'' (1931) * '' Caught Plastered'' (1931) (composer only) * '' Friends and Lovers'' (1931) (also composer) * '' Strange Justice'' (1932) (also composer) * '' Uptown New York'' (1932) * ''

The Constant Woman ''The Constant Woman'' (1933), also known as ''Auction in Souls'' and ''Hell in a Circus'', is an American Pre-Code film directed by Victor Schertzinger. It is based on the 1913 Eugene O'Neill play ''Recklessness''. Plot Marlene Underwood is a ...

'' (1933) (also producer) * '' Cocktail Hour'' (1933) (also producer) * '' My Woman'' (1933) (also composer) * '' Beloved'' (1934) (also composer) * '' One Night of Love'' (1934) (

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nomination for Best Direction) * '' Let's Live Tonight'' (1935) * '' Love Me Forever'' (1935) (also writer, composer) * '' The Lone Wolf Returns'' (1935) (composer only, uncredited) * '' The Return of Peter Grimm'' (1935) (uncredited) * '' Don't Gamble with Love'' (1936) (composer only) * '' The Music Goes 'Round'' (1936) (also composer) * '' You May Be Next'' (1936) (composer only, uncredited) * '' The Devil's Playground'' (1937) (composer only, uncredited) * '' Something to Sing About'' (1937) (also writer, producer, composer) * ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * '' Rhythm on the River'' (1940) (also composer) * '' Road to Zanzibar'' (1941) * '' Kiss the Boys Goodbye'' (1941) * '' Birth of the Blues'' (1941) * '' The Fleet's In'' (1942)

Discography

Unless otherwise noted, the following information comes from the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

. * "Marcheta" (1913) * "My Wonderful Dream Girl" (1913) (lyrics by Oliver Morosco from L. Frank Baum's '' The Tik-Tok Man of Oz'') *"There's a Mate in this Big World for You" (1913) (lyrics by Oliver Morosco from L. Frank Baum's '' The Tik-Tok Man of Oz'') *"Oh! Take Me" (1913) (lyrics by Oliver Morosco from L. Frank Baum's '' The Tik-Tok Man of Oz'') * "Another Kiss" (1927) * "Gotta Be Good" (1928) * "Dream Lover" (1929) (lyrics by Clifford Grey) * "Paris Stay the Same" (1929) (lyrics by Clifford Grey) * "Delphine" (1929) (lyrics by

Leo Robin Leo Robin (April 6, 1895 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song " Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope and Shi ...

) * "I Still Believe In You" (1929) (lyrics by

) * "You're My Melody of Love" (1931) * "I'm That Way About You" (1931) * "Close to Me" (1931) * "Listen Heart of Mine" (1933) * "One Night of Love" (1934) (lyrics by Gus Kahn) * "Love Me Forever" (1934) (lyrics by Gus Kahn) * "Right or Wrong" (1937) * "Out of the Blue" (1937) * "Any Old Love" (1937) * "Loving You" (1937) * "I Don't Want to Cry Anymore" (1940) * "Captain Custard" (1940) (lyrics by Johnny Burke) * "(The Moon and the) Willow Tree" (1940) (lyrics by Johnny Burke) * "I Don't Cry Anymore" (1940) (lyrics by Johnny Burke) * "I'll Never Let a Day Pass By" (1941) (with

) * "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" (1941) (with

) * "Sand in My Shoes" (1941) (with

) * "Find Yourself a Melody" (1941) (with

) * "My Start" (1941) (with

) * " I Remember You" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "

" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "Not Mine" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "The Fleet's In" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "When You Hear The Time Signal" (1941) (lyrics by

) * "If You Build A Better Mousetrap" (1941) (lyrics by

)

Images

Publicity photo of Victor Schertzinger, circa 1930

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schertzinger, Victor L. 1888 births 1941 deaths People from Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Dutch people American people of German descent American film score composers American male film score composers American male screenwriters American male conductors (music) 20th-century American classical violinists Film directors from Pennsylvania American comedy film directors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Musicians from Pennsylvania Screenwriters from Pennsylvania Songwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters 20th-century American songwriters