Biography
Born on 4 January 1902 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (with 1898 sometimes listed instead), he died on 26 July 1974 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Following studies at Columbia University, he pursued work as a composer and songwriter across stage and screen. His numbers appeared in such films as Blossoms On Broadway (1937), College Swing (1938) and A Girl Must Live (1939), while he supplied complete scores for Stolen Heaven (1938), King Arthur Was A Gentleman (1942) and Once Upon A Dream (1947). Working with various partners, he penned individual pieces including ‘Don’t Ever Leave Me’ (with Val Guest), ‘Got A Bee In My Bonnet’ (Guest), ‘I Get A Kick From A Circus Parade’ and ‘If You Will Dream Of Me’ (Paul Herrick), ‘It Happened Just Like That’ and ‘It’ll Take A Little Time’ (Douglas Furber and Marty Symes), together with ‘It Must Be You’, ‘Man About The House’, ‘Midnight In Santiago’, ‘The Moment I Saw You’, ‘Moon For Sale’, ‘Music For Romance’, ‘No Ring On Her Finger’, ‘Painting Rainbows’, ‘Shake It Up Shake It Well’, ‘Time And Time Again’, ‘Under Your Window’, ‘Waiting’, ‘What Rumba Does To Romance’, ‘When Eagles Fly’, ‘Who’s Your Love’, ‘Why Can’t It Happen To Me’, ‘Wrap Yourself In Cotton Wool’, ‘You’ll Love The Army’ and ‘You’re A Natural’.
Although these compositions suited their period, most soon seemed dated and seldom entered the standard repertory, receiving few recordings beyond their initial contexts. One clear exception emerged in ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square’, created in 1940 with Eric Maschwitz. Despite its strong evocation of wartime London, the song sustained wide interest through countless vocal and instrumental versions that reached well beyond simple nostalgia.
Although these compositions suited their period, most soon seemed dated and seldom entered the standard repertory, receiving few recordings beyond their initial contexts. One clear exception emerged in ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square’, created in 1940 with Eric Maschwitz. Despite its strong evocation of wartime London, the song sustained wide interest through countless vocal and instrumental versions that reached well beyond simple nostalgia.