Harold Arlen

Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (lyrics by Yip Harburg), including "Over the Rainbow", which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, he was nominated as composer for 8 other Oscar awards. Arlen is a contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.

Early life and education Arlen was born in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. and changed his name to Harold Arlen. Career Between 1926 and about 1934, Arlen appeared occasionally as a band vocalist on records by The Buffalodians, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Leo Reisman, and Eddie Duchin, usually singing his own compositions. He also played piano with The Buffalodians. In 1926, he and Dick George wrote "Minor Gaff (Blues Fantasy)", which became his first published song.

In 1929, Arlen composed his first well-known song: "Get Happy" (with lyrics by Ted Koehler) Arlen continued to perform as a pianist and vocalist with some success, most notably on records with Leo Reisman's society dance orchestra.

In the mid-1930s, Arlen married, and spent increasing time in California, writing for movie musicals. It was at this time that he began working with lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg. The theme song for the ABC sitcom Paper Moon is based on the song of that title, written by Arlen and Harburg in 1932. The series was based on a 1973 Peter Bogdanovich film of the same name, which used the same song. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1979.

Personal life Arlen and Anya Taranda married on January 6, 1937, over the objection of their parents, because she was Gentile and he was Jewish. she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1969, which became fatal by 1970.

Arlen never remarried. He died of cancer on April 23, 1986, at his Manhattan apartment at the age of eighty-one. He was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York next to his wife after his funeral service at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. After Arlen's death, Irving Berlin summed up his life at a tribute, saying: "He wasn't as well known as some of us, but he was a better songwriter than most of us and he will be missed by all of us."

Shortly before his death, Arlen adopted his nephew, Samuel, the 22-year-old adult son of his brother Julius "Jerry" Arluck, so that his estate would have an heir who could extend the copyright of his songs. his control extends to the company that owns the rights to the Arlen catalog.

Works for Broadway Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1930 (1930) – revue – contributing composer You Said It (1931) – musical – composer Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1932 (1932) – revue – co-composer and co-lyricist with Ted Koehler Americana (1932) – revue – contributing composer George White's Music Hall Varieties (1933) – revue – co-composer Life Begins at 8:40 (1934) – revue – composer The Show Is On (1936) – revue – contributing composer Hooray for What! (1937) – musical – composer Bloomer Girl (1944) – musical – composer St. Louis Woman (1946) – musical – composer House of Flowers (1954) – musical – composer and co-lyricist Mr. Imperium (1951) – movie musical – featured composer Jamaica (1957) – musical – composer – Tony nomination for Best Musical Saratoga (1959) – musical – composer

Major songs

"A Sleepin' Bee" – lyrics by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "As Long as I Live" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Blues in the Night" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Come Rain or Come Shine" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "Down with Love" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "For Every Man There's a Woman" – lyrics by Leo Robin "Get Happy" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "Hit the Road to Dreamland" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "I Could Go On Singing" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "If I Only Had a Brain" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Ill Wind" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "It Was Written in the Stars" – lyrics by Leo Robin "I've Got the World on a String" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "It's Only a Paper Moon" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, Billy Rose "Last Night When We Were Young" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "Let's Fall in Love" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Let's Take a Walk Around the Block" – lyrics by Ira Gershwin and E. Y. Harburg "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "My Shining Hour" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "On the Swing Shift" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Out of This World" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Over the Rainbow" – lyrics by E. Y. Harburg "Sing My Heart" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "Stormy Weather" – lyrics by Ted Koehler "That Old Black Magic" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "The Man That Got Away" – lyrics by Ira Gershwin "This Time the Dream's on Me" – lyrics by Johnny Mercer "When the Sun Comes Out" – lyrics by Ted Koehler

Films 2003 – Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen (directed by Larry Weinstein)