Biography
Tin Pan Alley lyricist Mack David earned his reputation chiefly through themes and scores composed for film and television, with the bulk of his influential output occurring between the early 1930s and the close of the 1960s. The New York City native, born in 1912 and the older brother of fellow lyricist Hal David, studied at Cornell University and St. John's Law School. Among his most recognized numbers stand “Rain, Rain, Go Away” from 1932, “Moon Love” and “What Do You Know About Love?” both from 1939, “A Sinner Kissed an Angel” in 1941, the 1945 collaboration with Duke Ellington titled “I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So,” “Candy,” “Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba” from 1947, “I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine” in 1949, and “La Vie en Rose” from 1950. David also supplied the well-known opening themes for the television series Casper the Friendly Ghost, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, and Bourbon Street Beat, along with title songs for the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and the 1967 release The Dirty Dozen. Over the course of his career he worked with numerous composers, among them Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman, Alex Kramer, Count Basie, Burt Bacharach, and Henry Mancini.