Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser | |
---|---|
librettist | |
Years active | 1931–1968 |
Spouse(s) | Lynn Garland
(m. 1936; div. 1957)Jo Sullivan (m. 1959) |
Website | frankloesser |
Frank Henry Loesser (
Early years
Frank Henry Loesser was born to a Jewish family[1] in New York City, the son of Henry Loesser, a pianist,[2] and Julia Ehrlich.[3][4] He grew up in a house on West 107th Street in Manhattan.[5]
His father had moved to America to avoid German military service and work in his family's banking business. He married Bertha Ehrlich; their son, Arthur Loesser, was born on August 26, 1894. Bertha's younger sister Julia arrived in America in 1898, marrying Henry in 1907 after Bertha died in childbirth. Grace, their first child, was born in December of that year. Their son Frank was born on June 29, 1910.[6]
Loesser's parents, secular German Jews, prized high intellect and culture, and educated him musically in the vein of European composers.[4] But although Henry was a full-time piano teacher, he never taught his son. In a 1914 letter to Arthur, Henry wrote that the four-year-old Frank could play by ear "any tune he's heard and can spend an enormous amount of time at the piano."[7] (Frank Loesser later collaborated with musical secretaries to ensure that his written scores reflected the music as he conceived it.)[8]
Loesser disliked his father's refined taste in music and resisted by writing his own music and taking up the harmonica. He was expelled from Townsend Harris High School, and from there went to City College of New York.[6] He was expelled from the CCNY in 1925 after one year for failing every subject except English and gym.[4]
After his father died suddenly on July 20, 1926, Loesser was forced to seek work to support his family.[9] His jobs included restaurant reviewer, process server, classified ad salesman for the New York Herald Tribune, political cartoonist for The Tuckahoe Record, sketch writer for Keith Vaudeville Circuit, knit-goods editor for Women's Wear Daily, press representative for a small movie company, and city editor for a short-lived newspaper in New Rochelle, New York, titled New Rochelle News.[4][6]
Early career as lyricist
Loesser's first song credit was "In Love with the Memory of You," with music by William Schuman, published in 1931.[9] Other early lyrical credits included two hit songs of 1934, "Junk Man" and "I Wish I Were Twins", both with music by Joe Meyer and the latter with co-lyric credit to Eddie DeLange. "Junk Man" was first recorded that year by Benny Goodman with singer Mildred Bailey on vocals.[10]
In the mid-1930s, he performed at The Back Drop, a night spot on east 52nd Street, along with composer Irving Actman, while by day working on the staff of Leo Feist Inc. writing lyrics to Joseph Brandfon's music at $100 per week. After a year, Feist had not published any of them. Loesser fared only slightly better collaborating with the future classical composer Schuman, selling their 1931 song to Feist that would flop. Loesser described his early days of learning the craft as having "a rendezvous with failure." While he dabbled in other trades, he inevitably returned to the music business.[4][11]
Loesser's work at the Back Drop led to his first Broadway musical, The Illustrator's Show, a 1936 revue written with Back Drop collaborator Irving Actman, which lasted only four nights. The year before while performing at the Back Drop, Loesser met an aspiring singer, Lynn Garland (born Mary Alice Blankenbaker). He proposed in a September 1936 letter that included funds for a railroad ticket to Los Angeles where Loesser's contract to
One of his notable efforts was "
Members of the Western Writers of America chose the 1942 song "Jingle Jangle Jingle", for which Loesser wrote the lyrics, as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[14]
He stayed in Hollywood until World War II, when he joined the Army Air Force.[2]
World War II era
During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and continued to write lyrics for films and single songs.[2] Loesser created the popular war song "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1942) inspired by words of navy chaplain Howell Forgy.[15] Loesser wrote other songs at the request of the armed forces, including "What Do You Do in the Infantry?" and "The Ballad of Rodger Young" (1943).[2] He also wrote "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" for the 1943 film Thank Your Lucky Stars.[4]
In 1944, Loesser worked as the lyricist on the little-known musical Hi Yank!, performed by and for U.S. soldiers abroad, with music by
Broadway and later film career
In 1948, Broadway producers Cy Feuer and Ernest H. Martin asked Loesser to write music and lyrics to George Abbott's book for an adaptation of the Brandon Thomas play Charley's Aunt. The musical, Where's Charley? (1948), starred Ray Bolger and ran for 792 performances. A film version released in 1952.
Also in 1948, Loesser sold to MGM the rights to "Baby, It's Cold Outside", a song he wrote in 1944 and performed informally at parties with his then wife Lynn Garland. The studio included it in the 1949 movie Neptune's Daughter, and the song became a huge hit. While Garland was mad at Loesser for selling what she considered "their song",[20] it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
His next musical,
In 1950, Loesser started Frank Music Corporation. Initially created as a means of controlling and publishing his work, the company eventually supported other writers, including Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, and Meredith Willson.[9] Loesser also started the theatrical licensing company Music Theatre International in 1952. Frank Music and MTI were sold to CBS Music in 1976.[22] CBS in turn sold Frank Music to Paul McCartney's MPL Communications holding company in 1979.[23]
Also in 1952, Loesser wrote the score for the film Hans Christian Andersen. The movie's songs included "Wonderful Copenhagen", "Anywhere I Wander", "Thumbelina", and "Inchworm".[9]
He wrote the book, music, and lyrics for his next two musicals,
Pleasures and Palaces (1965), the last Loesser musical produced during his lifetime, closed during out-of-town tryouts.
Later life and death
From 1965 until 1968, Loesser was composing the book, music and lyrics for Señor Discretion Himself, a musical version of a Budd Schulberg short story. A version was presented in 1985 at the New York Musical Theatre Works. With the support of his widow Jo Loesser, a completed version was presented at the Arena Stage, Washington, D.C., in 2004, reworked by the group Culture Clash and director Charles Randolph-Wright.[25]
When he was asked why he did not write more shows, Loesser responded that "I don't write slowly. It's just that I throw out fast." The New York Times confirmed his hard working habits and wrote that Loesser "was consumed by nervous energy and as a result slept only four hours a night, spending the rest of the time working."[4]
Loesser, a heavy cigarette smoker, died on July 28, 1969, of lung cancer at age 59 at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood.[26]
Personal life
Lynn Garland and Frank Loesser divorced around the beginning of 1957 after 21 years of marriage.
He married his second wife Jo Sullivan (born Elizabeth Josephine Sullivan) on April 29, 1959[29] after being introduced to her by Lynn. Jo Sullivan had played a lead in The Most Happy Fella.[2] They had two children, Hannah and Emily. Emily is a performer who is married to actor Don Stephenson.[30] Hannah was an artist in oils, pastels and mixed media; she died of cancer on January 25, 2007.[31] Jo died on April 28, 2019, at age 91.[32]
Notable songs
Loesser was the lyricist of over 700 songs.[33]
- War songs
- "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1942)
- "The Ballad of Rodger Young" (1943)
- Broadway musicals
- "Guys and Dolls
- "Standing on the Corner" and "Joey, Joey, Joey" from The Most Happy Fella
- "Never Will I Marry" from Greenwillow
- Films and Tin Pan Alley
- "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from the M-G-M picture Neptune's Daughter (1949). This was originally a song which Loesser and his wife Lynn performed at parties for the private entertainment of friends. They also recorded the song for Mercury Records. Under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to supply a full score for Neptune's Daughter, Loesser included this song which he had created in 1944, originally for their housewarming party.
- "Heart and Soul" (from the Paramount short subject A Song is Born) – lyrics
- "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" from the Paramount picture Sweater Girl (1942), performed on screen by Betty Jane Rhodes
- "Let's Get Lost" from Happy Go Lucky (1943) This song inspired the title to the 1988 documentary film with the same title about jazz trumpeter and singer Chet Baker, who recorded it several times.
- "On a Slow Boat to China" (1948)
- "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" from the Universal picture Christmas Holiday (1944)
- "Inch Worm", "Thumbelina", "The Ugly Duckling" and "Wonderful Copenhagen" from the Samuel Goldwyn picture Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
- "Two Sleepy People" (music by Hoagy Carmichael) from the Paramount picture Thanks for the Memory (1938)
- "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (written in 1947)
Awards and legacy
Loesser received the 1951
Loesser is regarded as one of the more talented writers of his era, noted for writing witty lyrics and clever musical devices. He also introduced a complex artistic style that challenged shaped the compositional approach of Broadway musicals. He was also noted for using classical forms, such as
Loesser won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Baby, It's Cold Outside." He was nominated four more times:
- "Dolores" from Las Vegas Nights (1941)
- "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" from Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
- "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" from The Perils of Pauline (1947) (a hit that year for both Vaughn Monroe and the film's star Betty Hutton)
- "Thumbelina" from the movie musical Hans Christian Andersen (1953)
The PBS documentary Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser was released in 2006.[36]
42nd Street Moon artistic director Greg MacKellan developed Once in Love with Loesser in 2013 as one of his musical tributes dedicated to exploring and celebrating the work of some of Broadway's great songwriters. The performance was built around the three stages of Loesser's career: Tin Pan Alley, Hollywood, and Broadway. Jason Graae performed "Once in Love with Amy" and The King's New Clothes; Emily Skinner sang Cleo's "Ooh! My Feet", and Rosabella's "Somebody, Somewhere" (from The Most Happy Fella); Ashley Jarrett performed "If I Were a Bell"; and Ian Leonard provided a tongue-in-cheek rendition of "Sing a Tropical Song".[37]
Loesser, contrasted to his brother
References
- ^ Bloom, Nate (December 22, 2014). "All those Holiday/Christmas Songs: So Many Jewish Songwriters!". Jewish World Review.
- ^ a b c d e Frank Loesser biography, pbs.org, accessed December 5, 2008
- ISBN 1-55611-364-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cogdill 2010, p. 1
- ^ Loesser, Susan (1993). A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in his Life. United States: ISBN. pp. 4–7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7876-6009-3.
- ^ Loesser 1993, p. 8-10
- ^ Loesser 1993, p. 154-156
- ^ a b c d e Maiers 2009, pp. 1–3
- OCLC 297548294.
- ^ Loesser 1993, p. 13-15
- ^ Loesser 1993, p. 24-25
- ^ Vallance, Tom (January 30, 2012). "Betty Jane Rhodes: Actress and singer who charmed the US as a wartime sweetheart". The Independent. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010.
- doi:10.1093/acref/9780191843730.001.0001/q-oro-ed5-00004516 (inactive January 31, 2024). Retrieved August 31, 2019.)
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link - ^ Wertheim, Albert (2004). Staging the War: American Drama and World War II. Indiana University Press. p. 146.
- ^ PBS History Detectives; "Blueprint Special", 2008, show transcript, PDF pbs.org
- ^ PBS History Detectives; "Blueprint Special" Aired: Season 6, Episode 10; 2008 pbs.org
- ^ Click on player at the bottom to listen to the recording of the Hi Yank soldier musical. (7m37s) pbs.org
- ISBN 1-55611-364-1.
- ^ Loesser biography, mtishows.com, accessed August 4, 2009
- ^ "CBS Buys Show Tuner Frank Music". Billboard. September 11, 1976. p. 4.
- ^ "Inside Track". Billboard. February 17, 1979 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Best Original Cast Album". grammy.com. May 29, 1962. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ISBN 0-300-11051-0, p,219-223
- ^ Krebs, Alvin, "Frank Loesser, Composer, Dead," The New York Times, July 29, 1969, p. 1
- ^ Frank Loesser biography tcm.com, accessed December 5, 2008
- ^ Genz, Michelle (April 17, 2014). "'How to Succeed' playright's [sic] son now lives in Castaway Cove". VeroNews.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014.
- ^ NPR Weekend Saturday Edition interview by Scott Simon with Jo Loesser on May 1, 2010
- ^ "Emily Loesser, Actress, Marries", The New York Times, May 5, 1991
- ^ Simonson, Robert (January 26, 2007). "Hannah Loesser, Daughter of Frank Loesser, Is Dead at 44". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
- ^ Evans, Greg. "Jo Sullivan Loesser Obituary" deadline.com, April 29, 2019
- ^ Review of book "Frank Loesser", Thomas L. Riis, Dec 17, 2007, yalepress.yale.edu, accessed December 5, 2008
- ^ "Frank Loesser Tony Awards Info". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "Frank Loesser - Wins* 1 Nominations* 1". www.grammy.com. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "Heart & Soul, The Life and Music of Frank Loesser" Archived January 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine www.loessermovie.com, accessed January 11, 2013
- Huffington Post. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- JSTOR 20633039. Retrieved September 12, 2020..
My favourite, though, has to be Michael McDowell's comment on Gay Mitchell: 'He is the evil of two lessers' even if this witticism is culled from a comment once made even more piquantly about Frank Loesser and his brother.
Note: Michael McDowell was comparing Gay Mitchell to his brother Jim
Sources
- Cogdill, John L. (2010). American National Biography.
- Maiers, Claire D. (2009). Musicians and Composers of the Twentieth Century.
External links
- Free scores by Frank Loesser at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- frankloesser.net
- Frank Loesser at the Internet Broadway Database
- Frank Loesser at IMDb
- Interview with daughter Susan Loesser
- Frank Loesser entry at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- A Centennial Tribute to Frank Loesser Archived March 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- Harold Fielding, Ltd. contracts and correspondence for productions of Frank Loesser's Hans Andersen, 1974-1978 at Isham Memorial Library, Harvard University
- Frank Loesser discography at Discogs