Harry Warren
Encyclopedia
Harry Warren was an American composer
and lyricist
. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway
", "You'll Never Know
" and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
". He wrote the music for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street
, choreographed by Busby Berkeley
, with whom he would collaborate on many musical films.
Over a career spanning four decades, Warren wrote over 800 songs. Other well-known Warren hits included "I Only Have Eyes for You
", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
", "Jeepers Creepers
", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
", "That's Amore", "The More I See You
", "At Last
" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo
" (the last of which was the first gold record in history). One of America's most prolific film composers, Warren's songs have been featured in over 300 films.
. He also sang in the church choir and learned to play the drums. He began to play the drums professionally by age 14 and dropped out of high school at 16 to play with his godfather's band in a traveling carnival. Soon he taught himself to play piano and by 1915, he was working at the Vitagraph Motion Picture Studios
, where he did a variety of administrative jobs, such as props man, and also played mood music on the piano for the actors, acted in bit parts and eventually was an assistant director. He also played the piano in cafés and silent-movie houses. In 1918 he joined the U.S. Navy, where he began writing songs.
", a measure of a song's popularity. 21 of these reached #1 on Your Hit Parade. "You'll Never Know" appeared 24 times. His song "I Only Have Eyes For You
" is listed in the list of the 25 most-performed songs of the 20th Century, as compiled by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Warren was the director of ASCAP from 1929 to 1932.
He collaborated on some of his most famous songs with lyricists Al Dubin
, Billy Rose
, Mack Gordon
, Leo Robin
, Ira Gershwin
and Johnny Mercer
. In 1942 the Gordon-Warren song "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", as performed by the Glenn Miller
Orchestra, became the first gold record in history, with sales of 1,200,000. Among his biggest hits were "There Will Never Be Another You
", "I Only Have Eyes for You", "Forty-Second Street
", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
", "Lullaby of Broadway
", "Serenade In Blue
", "At Last
", "Jeepers Creepers
", "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
" and "Young and Healthy".
. He wrote a succession of hit songs in the 1920s, including "I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me)" and "Seminola" in 1925, "Where Do You Work-a John?" and "In My Gondola" in 1926 and "Nagasaki" in 1928. In 1930, he composed the music for the song "Cheerful Little Earful" for the Billy Rose
Broadway
revue
, Sweet and Low, and composed the music, with lyrics by Mort Dixon and Joe Young, for the Ed Wynn
Broadway revue The Laugh Parade in 1931.
He started working for Warner Brothers in 1932, paired with Dubin to write the score for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street
, and continued to work there for six years, writing the scores for 32 more musicals. He worked for 20th Century Fox
starting in 1940, writing with Mack Gordon. He moved to MGM starting in 1944, writing for musical film
s such as The Harvey Girls
and The Barkleys of Broadway
, many starring Fred Astaire
. He later worked for Paramount
, starting in the early 1950s, writing for the Bing Crosby
movie Just for You and the Martin and Lewis
movie The Caddy
, the latter containing the hit song "That's Amore". He continued to write songs for several more Jerry Lewis
comedies.
Warren is particularly remembered for writing scores for the film
s of Busby Berkeley
; they worked together on 18 films. His "uptempo songs are as memorable as Berkeley's choreography, as [sic] for the same reason: they capture, in a few snazzy notes, the vigorous frivolity of the Jazz Age." The 1980 stage musical
42nd Street
showcases his popular songs from these films.
Warren won the Academy Award for Best Song three times, collaborating with three different lyricist
s: "Lullaby of Broadway
" with Al Dubin in 1935, "You'll Never Know
" with Mack Gordon in 1943, and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
" with Johnny Mercer in 1946. He was nominated for eleven Oscars.
. The last musical score that Warren composed specifically for Broadway was Shangri-La
, a disastrous 1956 adaptation of James Hilton
's Lost Horizon
, which ran for only 21 performances. In 1957, he received his last Academy Award nomination for "An Affair To Remember". He continued to write songs for movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s but never again achieved the fame that he had enjoyed earlier. His last movie score was for Manhattan Melody, in 1980, but the film was never produced.
Warren composed a Mass, with Latin text, in 1962. This was performed a decade later at Loyola Marymount University
but has yet to be recorded commercially.
Warren died on September 22, 1981 in Los Angeles
. He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
in Los Angeles. The plaque bearing Warren's epitaph displays the first few notes of "You'll Never Know".
A theatre in Brooklyn, New York is named after Warren.
, quoted in Time Magazine, "By silent consensus, the king of this army of unknown soldiers, the Hollywood incognitos, was Harry Warren, who had more songs on the Hit Parade than Berlin himself and who would win the contest hands down if enough people have heard of him."
William Zinsser noted, "The familiarity of Harry Warren's songs is matched by the anonymity of the man... he is the invisible man, his career a prime example of the oblivion that cloaked so many writers who cranked out good songs for bad movies."
Nominations
Other popular songs
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway (song)
"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
", "You'll Never Know
You'll Never Know
"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
". He wrote the music for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street
42nd Street (film)
-Cast:*Warner Baxter as Julian Marsh, director*Bebe Daniels as Dorothy Brock, star*George Brent as Pat Denning, Dorothy's old vaudeville partner*Ruby Keeler as Peggy Sawyer, the newcomer*Guy Kibbee as Abner Dillon, the show's backer...
, choreographed by Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
, with whom he would collaborate on many musical films.
Over a career spanning four decades, Warren wrote over 800 songs. Other well-known Warren hits included "I Only Have Eyes for You
I Only Have Eyes for You
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler....
", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, published in 1938. It was featured in the movie Hard to Get, released November 1938, where it was sung by Dick Powell....
", "Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers (song)
Jeepers Creepers is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.-Overview:...
", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
"The Gold Diggers' Song " is a song from the 1933 film Gold Diggers of 1933, sung in the opening sequence by Ginger Rogers and chorus. The lyrics were written by Al Dubin and the music by Harry Warren...
", "That's Amore", "The More I See You
The More I See You
"The More I See You" is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Chris Montez produced the most commercially successful and well known version of the song and it is this version that has been used many times in movies, notably at the beginning of the famous club scene in...
", "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo
Chattanooga Choo Choo
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon . It was recorded in a big-band/swing manner by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, The Modernaires, Milton Berle...
" (the last of which was the first gold record in history). One of America's most prolific film composers, Warren's songs have been featured in over 300 films.
Early life
Warren was born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna, one of eleven children of Italian immigrants Antonio (a bootmaker) and Rachel De Luca Guaragna, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His father changed the family name to Warren when Harry was a child. Although his parents could not afford music lessons, Warren had an early interest in music and taught himself to play his father's accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. He also sang in the church choir and learned to play the drums. He began to play the drums professionally by age 14 and dropped out of high school at 16 to play with his godfather's band in a traveling carnival. Soon he taught himself to play piano and by 1915, he was working at the Vitagraph Motion Picture Studios
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
, where he did a variety of administrative jobs, such as props man, and also played mood music on the piano for the actors, acted in bit parts and eventually was an assistant director. He also played the piano in cafés and silent-movie houses. In 1918 he joined the U.S. Navy, where he began writing songs.
Career
Warren wrote over 800 songs between 1918 and 1981, publishing over 500 of them. They were written mainly for 56 feature films or were used in other films that used Warren's newly written or existing songs. His songs eventually appeared in over 300 films and 112 of Warner Brothers "Looney Tunes" cartoons. 42 of his songs were on the top ten list of the radio program "Your Hit ParadeYour Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
", a measure of a song's popularity. 21 of these reached #1 on Your Hit Parade. "You'll Never Know" appeared 24 times. His song "I Only Have Eyes For You
I Only Have Eyes for You
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler....
" is listed in the list of the 25 most-performed songs of the 20th Century, as compiled by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Warren was the director of ASCAP from 1929 to 1932.
He collaborated on some of his most famous songs with lyricists Al Dubin
Al Dubin
Alexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
, Billy Rose
Billy Rose
William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
, Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon was an American composer and lyricist of songs for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times, including six consecutive years between 1940 and 1945, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know"...
, Leo Robin
Leo Robin
Leo Robin 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 in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
, Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
. In 1942 the Gordon-Warren song "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", as performed by the Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
Orchestra, became the first gold record in history, with sales of 1,200,000. Among his biggest hits were "There Will Never Be Another You
There Will Never Be Another You
"There Will Never Be Another You" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mack Gordon for the Twentieth Century Fox musical Iceland starring Sonja Henie...
", "I Only Have Eyes for You", "Forty-Second Street
Forty-Second Street
Forty-Second Street is the title song from the 1933 movie of the same name.Music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, the song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Bros...
", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
"The Gold Diggers' Song " is a song from the 1933 film Gold Diggers of 1933, sung in the opening sequence by Ginger Rogers and chorus. The lyrics were written by Al Dubin and the music by Harry Warren...
", "Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway (song)
"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
", "Serenade In Blue
Serenade In Blue
"Serenade in Blue" is a 1942 popular song composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics written by Mack Gordon. It was introduced in the 1942 film Orchestra Wives by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, sung by Lynn Bari in the film but dubbed by Pat Friday...
", "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
", "Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers (song)
Jeepers Creepers is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.-Overview:...
", "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
"You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Brothers musical film 42nd Street...
" and "Young and Healthy".
Early hits and film years
Warren's first hit song was "Rose of the Rio Grande" (1922), with lyrics by Edgar LeslieEdgar Leslie
Edgar Leslie was an American songwriter. His first song Lonesome in 1909 was an immediate success, recorded by the Haydn Quartet and again by Byron G. Harlan. Other notable artists he worked with are:...
. He wrote a succession of hit songs in the 1920s, including "I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me)" and "Seminola" in 1925, "Where Do You Work-a John?" and "In My Gondola" in 1926 and "Nagasaki" in 1928. In 1930, he composed the music for the song "Cheerful Little Earful" for the Billy Rose
Billy Rose
William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
, Sweet and Low, and composed the music, with lyrics by Mort Dixon and Joe Young, for the Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn was a popular American comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor....
Broadway revue The Laugh Parade in 1931.
He started working for Warner Brothers in 1932, paired with Dubin to write the score for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street
42nd Street (film)
-Cast:*Warner Baxter as Julian Marsh, director*Bebe Daniels as Dorothy Brock, star*George Brent as Pat Denning, Dorothy's old vaudeville partner*Ruby Keeler as Peggy Sawyer, the newcomer*Guy Kibbee as Abner Dillon, the show's backer...
, and continued to work there for six years, writing the scores for 32 more musicals. He worked for 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
starting in 1940, writing with Mack Gordon. He moved to MGM starting in 1944, writing for musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
s such as The Harvey Girls
The Harvey Girls
The Harvey Girls is a 1946 MGM musical film based on a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred Harvey's famous Harvey House restaurants. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Virginia O'Brien, Ray Bolger, and Marjorie Main...
and The Barkleys of Broadway
The Barkleys of Broadway
The Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart...
, many starring Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
. He later worked for Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, starting in the early 1950s, writing for the Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
movie Just for You and the Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis as the comedic "foil". The pair first met in 1945; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24/25, 1946....
movie The Caddy
The Caddy
The Caddy is a 1953 American film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It was filmed from November 24, 1952 through February 23, 1953. It was released by Paramount Pictures on August 10, 1953...
, the latter containing the hit song "That's Amore". He continued to write songs for several more Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
comedies.
Warren is particularly remembered for writing scores for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s of Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
; they worked together on 18 films. His "uptempo songs are as memorable as Berkeley's choreography, as [sic] for the same reason: they capture, in a few snazzy notes, the vigorous frivolity of the Jazz Age." The 1980 stage musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
showcases his popular songs from these films.
Warren won the Academy Award for Best Song three times, collaborating with three different lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
s: "Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway (song)
"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
" with Al Dubin in 1935, "You'll Never Know
You'll Never Know
"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" with Mack Gordon in 1943, and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
" with Johnny Mercer in 1946. He was nominated for eleven Oscars.
Last years
In 1955, Warren wrote "The Legend of Wyatt Earp", which was used in the TV series The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a Western television series loosely based on the adventures of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black and white series ran on ABC-TV from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian as Earp. An off-camera barbershop quartet sang the theme song and hummed...
. The last musical score that Warren composed specifically for Broadway was Shangri-La
Shangri-La (musical)
Shangri-La is a musical with a book and lyrics by James Hilton, Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee and music by Harry Warren.Based on Hilton's classic 1933 novel Lost Horizon, it focuses on Hugh Conway, a veteran member of the British diplomatic service, who stumbles across a utopian lamasery high...
, a disastrous 1956 adaptation of James Hilton
James Hilton
James Hilton was an English novelist who wrote several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.-Biography:...
's Lost Horizon
Lost Horizon (novel)
Lost Horizon is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamasery high in the mountains of Tibet.-Overview:...
, which ran for only 21 performances. In 1957, he received his last Academy Award nomination for "An Affair To Remember". He continued to write songs for movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s but never again achieved the fame that he had enjoyed earlier. His last movie score was for Manhattan Melody, in 1980, but the film was never produced.
Warren composed a Mass, with Latin text, in 1962. This was performed a decade later at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
but has yet to be recorded commercially.
Personal life
Warren married Josephine Wensler in 1917. They had a son, Harry Jr. (1919–1938), and a daughter, Joan (b. 1925).Warren died on September 22, 1981 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Los Angeles. The plaque bearing Warren's epitaph displays the first few notes of "You'll Never Know".
A theatre in Brooklyn, New York is named after Warren.
Reputation
According to Wilfrid SheedWilfrid Sheed
Wilfrid John Joseph Sheed was an English-born American novelist and essayist.Sheed was born in London to Francis "Frank" Sheed and Mary "Maisie" Ward, prominent Roman Catholic publishers in the United Kingdom and the United States during the mid-20th century...
, quoted in Time Magazine, "By silent consensus, the king of this army of unknown soldiers, the Hollywood incognitos, was Harry Warren, who had more songs on the Hit Parade than Berlin himself and who would win the contest hands down if enough people have heard of him."
William Zinsser noted, "The familiarity of Harry Warren's songs is matched by the anonymity of the man... he is the invisible man, his career a prime example of the oblivion that cloaked so many writers who cranked out good songs for bad movies."
Academy Award nominations and winners
Winners- "Lullaby of BroadwayLullaby of Broadway (song)"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
" (1935) w. Al DubinAl DubinAlexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
for Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935 is a Warner Bros. musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley and starring Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Adolphe Menjou, Winifred Shaw, Alice Brady, Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0310a.htm - "You'll Never KnowYou'll Never Know"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" (1943) w. Mack GordonMack GordonMack Gordon was an American composer and lyricist of songs for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times, including six consecutive years between 1940 and 1945, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know"...
for Hello, Frisco, HelloHello, Frisco, HelloHello, Frisco, Hello is a film starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the last musicals made by Faye for Fox, and in later interviews Faye said it was clear Fox was promoting Betty Grable as her...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0631.htm - "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa FeOn the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
" (1945) w. Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
for The Harvey GirlsThe Harvey GirlsThe Harvey Girls is a 1946 MGM musical film based on a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred Harvey's famous Harvey House restaurants. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Virginia O'Brien, Ray Bolger, and Marjorie Main...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0385i.htm
Nominations
- "Remember Me?" (1937) w. Al Dubin for Mr. Dodd Takes The Airhttp://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0428.htm
- "Jeepers CreepersJeepers Creepers (song)Jeepers Creepers is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.-Overview:...
" (1938) w. Johnny Mercer for Going Places - "Down Argentina Way" (1940) w. Mack Gordon for Down Argentine Way
- "Chattanooga Choo ChooChattanooga Choo Choo"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon . It was recorded in a big-band/swing manner by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, The Modernaires, Milton Berle...
" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for Sun Valley Serenade - "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" Kalamazoo" is a #1 popular song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1942. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and published in 1942. It was featured in the musical film Orchestra Wives and was recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, featuring Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton and...
" (1942) w. Mack Gordon (1942) for Orchestra Wives http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0247.htm - "Zing A Little Song" (1952) w. Leo RobinLeo RobinLeo Robin 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 in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
for Just For You - "That's Amore" (1953) w. Jack BrooksJack Brooks (lyricist)Jack Brooks was an English-American lyricist.Brooks was born in Liverpool, England. He wrote a large number of lyrics of popular songs, including "Ole Buttermilk Sky" "That's Amore" and " Wagon Train" the second theme used on the television program, Wagon...
for The CaddyThe CaddyThe Caddy is a 1953 American film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It was filmed from November 24, 1952 through February 23, 1953. It was released by Paramount Pictures on August 10, 1953...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0508.htm - "An Affair To Remember" (1956) w. Harold AdamsonHarold AdamsonFor the Toronto Police Chief see Harold Adamson Harold Adamson was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s.- Biography :...
and Leo McCareyLeo McCareyThomas Leo McCarey was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. During his lifetime he was involved in nearly 200 movies, especially comedies...
for An Affair To RememberAn Affair to RememberAn Affair to Remember is a 1957 film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and directed by Leo McCarey. It was distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation....
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0003c.htm
Broadway
- "Cheerful Little EarfulCheerful Little Earful"Cheerful Little Earful" is a 1930 song composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Billy Rose.It was written for the musical Sweet and Low .-Notable recordings:...
" (1930) w. Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and Billy RoseBilly RoseWilliam "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
for Sweet & Low http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0060.htm - "Would You Like to Take a Walk?Would You Like to Take a Walk?"Would You Like to Take a Walk?" is a popular song with by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mort Dixon and Billy Rose. It appeared in the Broadway show Sweet and Low starring James Barton, Fannie Brice and George Jessel. The song was published in 1930 by Remick Music Corporation...
" (1930) w. Mort DixonMort Dixon-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
and Billy RoseBilly RoseWilliam "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
for Sweet & Low http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0614.htm - "I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store)" (1931) w. Billy RoseBilly RoseWilliam "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
and Mort DixonMort Dixon-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
for Crazy Quilt http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0183.htm - "Ooh That Kiss" (1931) w. Mort DixonMort Dixon-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
and Joe Young for The Laugh Parade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0390.htm - "The Torch Song" (1931), w. Dixon and Young for The Laugh Parade
- "You're My Everything" (1931) w. Dixon and Young for The Laugh Parade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0637.htm
#1 hits
- "By the River Sainte Marie" (1931) w. Edgar Leslie
- "Too Many Tears" (1932) w. Al Dubin http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0534.htm
- "I Found a Million Dollar Baby" (1932) w. Mort Dixon
- "You're Getting to Be a Habit With MeYou're Getting to Be a Habit with Me"You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Brothers musical film 42nd Street...
" (1933) w. Al Dubin - "Forty-Second StreetForty-Second StreetForty-Second Street is the title song from the 1933 movie of the same name.Music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, the song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Bros...
" (1933) w. Al Dubin - "Shadow Waltz" (1933) w. Al Dubin
- "I'll String Along With YouI'll String Along With You"I'll String Along with You" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1934. It features in the 1934 film Twenty Million Sweethearts where it is sung by Dick Powell....
" (1934) w. Al Dubin - "Lullaby of BroadwayLullaby of Broadway (song)"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
" (1935) w. Al Dubin http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0310b.htm - "She's a Latin from Manhattan" (1935) w. Al Dubin
- "I'll Sing You a Thousand Love Songs" (1936) w. Al Dubin http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0217.htm
- "September in the RainSeptember in the Rain"September in the Rain" is a popular song by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film Melody for Two...
" (1937) w. Al Dubin http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0451.htm - "With Plenty of Money and You" (1937) w. Al Dubin http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0606.htm
- "Remember Me?" (1937) w. Al Dubin
- "Jeepers CreepersJeepers Creepers (song)Jeepers Creepers is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.-Overview:...
" (1938) w. Johnny Mercer http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0253.htm - "You Must Have Been a Beautiful BabyYou Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, published in 1938. It was featured in the movie Hard to Get, released November 1938, where it was sung by Dick Powell....
" (1938) w. Johnny Mercer http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0627.htm - "Chattanooga Choo ChooChattanooga Choo Choo"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon . It was recorded in a big-band/swing manner by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, The Modernaires, Milton Berle...
" (1941) w. Mack Gordon http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0058.htm - "My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart?)" (1943) w. Mack Gordon http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0352.htm
- "I Had the Craziest DreamI Had the Craziest Dream"I Had the Craziest Dream" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1942....
" (1943) w. Mack Gordon - "You'll Never Know" (1943) w. Mack Gordon http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0631.htm
- "The More I See YouThe More I See You"The More I See You" is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Chris Montez produced the most commercially successful and well known version of the song and it is this version that has been used many times in movies, notably at the beginning of the famous club scene in...
" (1945) w. Mack Gordon http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0345.htm - "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa FeOn the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
" (1945) w. Johnny Mercer
Other songs from films
- "Cryin' For the Carolines" (1929), w. Lewis and Young
- "Have a Little Faith in Me" (1929), lyric by Lewis and Young
- "Three's a Crowd" (1932) w. Al Dubin and Irving Kahal for Crooner http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0527.htm
- "Too Many Tears" (1932) w. Al Dubin for Blessed EventBlessed EventBlessed Event is a 1932 comedy-drama film starring Lee Tracy as a newspaper gossip columnist who becomes entangled with a gangster.-Cast:*Lee Tracy as Alvin Roberts*Mary Brian as Gladys Price*Allen Jenkins as Frankie Wells...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0534.htm - "You're Getting To Be A Habit With MeYou're Getting to Be a Habit with Me"You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Brothers musical film 42nd Street...
" (1932) w. Al Dubin for 42nd Street42nd Street (film)-Cast:*Warner Baxter as Julian Marsh, director*Bebe Daniels as Dorothy Brock, star*George Brent as Pat Denning, Dorothy's old vaudeville partner*Ruby Keeler as Peggy Sawyer, the newcomer*Guy Kibbee as Abner Dillon, the show's backer...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0636.htm - "Forty-Second StreetForty-Second StreetForty-Second Street is the title song from the 1933 movie of the same name.Music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, the song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Bros...
" (1933) w. Al Dubin for 42nd Street http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0121.htm - "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" (1933) w. Al Dubin for 42nd Street http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0460.htm
- "Young and Healthy" (1933) w. Al Dubin for 42nd Street http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0632.htm
- "The Boulevard of Broken DreamsBoulevard of Broken Dreams (song)"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a 1933 hit song by Al Dubin and Harry Warren , set in Paris. The narrator says "I walk along the street of sorrow/The Boulevard of Broken Dreams/Where gigolo and gigolette/Can take a kiss without regret/So they forget their broken dreams."The song appeared in the...
" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Moulin RougeMoulin Rouge (1934 film)Moulin Rouge is a 1934 film starring actress Constance Bennett. It contained the songs Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night and Boulevard of Broken Dreams with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Lucille Ball is an uncredited show girl in the film...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0037.htm - "Coffee in the Morning, Kisses in the Night" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Moulin Rouge http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0065.htm
- "Song of Surrender" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Moulin Rouge http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0474.htm
- "Build a Little Home" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Roman ScandalsRoman ScandalsRoman Scandals is a 1933 black-and-white American musical film starring Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, Edward Arnold and David Manners. It was directed by Frank Tuttle....
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0044.htm - "Keep Young and Beautiful" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Roman Scandals http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0259.htm
- "I've Got to Sing a Torch Song" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1933Gold Diggers of 1933Gold Diggers of 1933 is a pre-code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin , staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0259.htm - "Pettin' in the Park" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1933 http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0406.htm
- "Remember My Forgotten Man" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1933 http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0406.htm
- "Shadow Waltz" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1933 http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0453.htm
- "We're in the MoneyThe Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)"The Gold Diggers' Song " is a song from the 1933 film Gold Diggers of 1933, sung in the opening sequence by Ginger Rogers and chorus. The lyrics were written by Al Dubin and the music by Harry Warren...
" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1933 http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0140.htm - "Honeymoon Hotel" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Footlight ParadeFootlight Parade-Cast:*James Cagney as Chester Kent, creator of musical prologues*Joan Blondell as Nan Prescott, his secretary*Ruby Keeler as Bea Thorn, dancer turned secretary turned dancer*Dick Powell as Scott 'Scotty' Blair, juvenile lead, former protege of Mrs...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0167.htm - "Shanghai Lil" (1933) w. Al Dubin for Footlight Parade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0455.htm
- "Dames" (1934) w. Al Dubin for DamesDamesDames is a 1934 Warner Bros. musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright with dance numbers created by Busby Berkeley. The film stars Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, ZaSu Pitts, and Hugh Herbert...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0082.htm - "I Only Have Eyes for YouI Only Have Eyes for You"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler....
" (1934) w. Al Dubin for Dames (1934 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0195a.htm; Art Garfunkel 1975 version:http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0195b.htm) - "Fair and Warmer" (1934) w. Al Dubin for Twenty Million SweetheartsTwenty Million SweetheartsTwenty Million Sweethearts is a 1934 American musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright. The film stars Pat O'Brien, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers.The film was remade in 1949, starring Doris Day and Jack Carson as My Dream Is Yours.-Plot:...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0108.htm - "I'll String Along with YouI'll String Along With You"I'll String Along with You" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1934. It features in the 1934 film Twenty Million Sweethearts where it is sung by Dick Powell....
" (1934) w. Al Dubin for Twenty Million Sweethearts http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0219c.htm - "Wonder Bar" (1934) w. Al Dubin for Wonder BarWonder BarWonder Bar is a 1934 pre-code movie adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0608.htm - "About a Quarter to Nine" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Go Into Your DanceGo Into Your DanceGo Into Your Dance is a 1935 musical film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Glenda Farrell, and Helen Morgan.-Plot:...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0001.htm - "Go Into Your Dance" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Go Into Your Dance http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0136.htm
- "She's a Latin from Manhattan" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Go Into Your Dance http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0457.htm
- "Don't Give Up the Ship" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Shipmates Forever http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0093.htm
- "I'd Love to Take Orders from You" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Shipmates Forever http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0206.htm
- "Lullaby of BroadwayLullaby of Broadway (song)"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Wini Shaw in the musical film, Gold Diggers of 1935, and, in an unusual move, it was used as background music in a sequence in the Bette Davis film...
" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935 is a Warner Bros. musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley and starring Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Adolphe Menjou, Winifred Shaw, Alice Brady, Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh...
(1935 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0310a.htm; 1951 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0310b.htm) - "Lulu's Back in Town" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Broadway Gondolier http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0311.htm
- "The Rose in Her Hair" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Broadway Gondolier http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0436.htm
- "September in the RainSeptember in the Rain"September in the Rain" is a popular song by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film Melody for Two...
" (1935) w. Al Dubin for Stars Over Broadway http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0451.htm - "I'll Sing You a Thousand Love Songs" (1936) w. Al Dubin for Cain and MabelCain and MabelCain and Mabel is a 1936 romantic comedy film designed as a vehicle for Marion Davies in which she co-stars with Clark Gable and Robert Paige ....
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0217.htm - "With Plenty of Money And You" (1936) w. Al Dubin for Gold Diggers of 1937Gold Diggers of 1937Gold Diggers of 1937 is a 1936 Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, and Victor Moore. The film features songs by the teams of Harold Arlen and E.Y...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0606.htm - "Am I in Love?" (1937) w. Al Dubin for Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (early edition: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0010b.htm; published edition: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0010a.htm)
- "Remember Me?" (1937) w. Al Dubin for Mr. Dodd Takes the Air http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0428.htm
- "Cause My Baby Says It's So" (1937) w. Al Dubin for The Singing Marine http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0057.htm
- "I Know Now" (1937) w. Al Dubin for The Singing Marine http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0188.htm
- "You Must Have Been a Beautiful BabyYou Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, published in 1938. It was featured in the movie Hard to Get, released November 1938, where it was sung by Dick Powell....
" (1938) w. Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
for Hard to Get http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0627.htm - "Two Dreams Met" (1940) w. Mack Gordon for Down Argentine WayDown Argentine WayDown Argentine Way is a 1940 Technicolor musical film made by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio, and introduced American audiences to Carmen Miranda. The film also starred Don Ameche, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood, and J....
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0540.htm - "Boa Noite" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for That Night in RioThat Night in RioThat Night in Rio is a 1941 musical comedy film starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda and Don Ameche . It is one of several film adaptations of a play called The Red Cat by Rudolph Lothar and Hans Adler...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0034.htm - "They Met in Rio (A Midnight Serenade)" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for That Night in Rio
- "Chica Chica Boom Chic" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for That Night in Rio http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0062.htm
- "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)"I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi " is a 1941 song. It was written for the 1941 film, That Night in Rio, and was popularized by Carmen Miranda...
" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for That Night in Rio http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0205.htm - "Chattanooga Choo ChooChattanooga Choo Choo"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon . It was recorded in a big-band/swing manner by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, The Modernaires, Milton Berle...
" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for Sun Valley SerenadeSun Valley SerenadeSun Valley Serenade is a 1941 musical film starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, and Lynn Bari. It features The Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by The Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge, performing "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which was nominated for an Academy...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0058.htm - "I Know Why (and So Do You)" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for Sun Valley Serenade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0189.htm
- "It Happened in Sun ValleyIt Happened in Sun Valley"It Happened in Sun Valley" is a 1941 song composed by Harry Warren, music, and Mack Gordon, lyrics, which was recorded and featured by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in the movie Sun Valley Serenade...
" (1941) w. Mack Gordon for Sun Valley Serenade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0235.htm - "At LastAt Last"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for Sun Valley Serenade http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0015.htm - "I Had the Craziest DreamI Had the Craziest Dream"I Had the Craziest Dream" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1942....
" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for Springtime in the RockiesSpringtime in the RockiesSpringtime in the Rockies is a Technicolor musical comedy film released by Twentieth Century Fox in 1942. A Betty Grable vehicle, with support from John Payne, Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Horton. Also in the cast was Grable's future husband Harry James, and...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0186.htm - "People Like You and Me" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for Orchestra WivesOrchestra WivesOrchestra Wives is a 1942 American musical film by 20th Century Fox starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, and Glenn Miller. The film was the second and last film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is notable among the many swing era musicals because its plot is more serious and...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0405.htm - "Serenade In BlueSerenade In Blue"Serenade in Blue" is a 1942 popular song composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics written by Mack Gordon. It was introduced in the 1942 film Orchestra Wives by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, sung by Lynn Bari in the film but dubbed by Pat Friday...
" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for Orchestra Wives http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0452a.htm - "That's Sabotage" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for Orchestra Wives http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0509.htm
- "There Will Never Be Another YouThere Will Never Be Another You"There Will Never Be Another You" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mack Gordon for the Twentieth Century Fox musical Iceland starring Sonja Henie...
" (1942) w. Mack Gordon for IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(1942 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0515a.htm; 1966 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0515b.htm) - "A Journey to a Star" (1943) w. Leo Robin for The Gang's All Here http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0255.htm
- "No Love, No Nothin'" (1943) w. Leo Robin for The Gang's All Here http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0373.htm
- "My Heart Tells Me" (1943) w. Mack Gordon for Sweet Rosie O'GradySweet Rosie O'GradySweet Rosie O'Grady is a 1943 musical film about an American singer who attempts to better herself by marrying an English duke, but is harassed by a reporter...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0352.htm - "You'll Never KnowYou'll Never Know"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" (1943) w. Mack Gordon for Hello, Frisco, HelloHello, Frisco, HelloHello, Frisco, Hello is a film starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the last musicals made by Faye for Fox, and in later interviews Faye said it was clear Fox was promoting Betty Grable as her...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0631.htm - "I Wish I Knew" with lyrics by Mack Gordon (1945) for Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe http://www.harrywarrenmusic.com/moviesongs/moviesongsfox.html
- "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa FeOn the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
" (1945) w. Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
for The Harvey GirlsThe Harvey GirlsThe Harvey Girls is a 1946 MGM musical film based on a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred Harvey's famous Harvey House restaurants. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Virginia O'Brien, Ray Bolger, and Marjorie Main...
(sheet music version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0385.htm; Judy's entrance: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0385i.htm) - "The More I See YouThe More I See You"The More I See You" is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Chris Montez produced the most commercially successful and well known version of the song and it is this version that has been used many times in movies, notably at the beginning of the famous club scene in...
" (1945) w. Mack Gordon for Diamond Horseshoe http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0345.htm - "This Heart of MineThis Heart of MineThis Heart of Mine is a 1946 song. This music standard was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Arthur Freed to be featured in the musical film score, Ziegfeld Follies. This song is introduced by Fred Astaire who danced with Lucille Bremer in a lavish and romantic dance...
" (1946) w. Arthur Freed for Ziegfeld FolliesZiegfeld FolliesThe Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0522.htm - "Shoes With Wings On" (1948) w. Ira Gershwin for The Barkleys of BroadwayThe Barkleys of BroadwayThe Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0459.htm - "My One and Only Highland Fling" (1949) w. Ira Gershwin for The Barkleys of BroadwayThe Barkleys of BroadwayThe Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0358.htm - "(The Same Thing Happens with) The Birds and the Bees(The Same Thing Happens With) The Birds and the Bees" The Birds and the Bees" is a popular song, written by Harry Warren and Mack David and published in 1956...
" (1956) Mack DavidMack DavidMack David was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning from the early 1940s through the early 1970s. Mack was credited with writing lyrics and/or music for over one thousand songs...
for The Birds and the BeesThe Birds and the Bees (film)The Birds and the Bees is a 1956 screwball comedy film with songs, starring George Gobel, Mitzi Gaynor and David Niven. A remake of Preston Sturges' 1941 film The Lady Eve, which was based on a story by Monckton Hoffe, the film was directed by Norman Taurog and written by Sidney...
http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0031.htm - "I've Come to California" (1957) w. Harold Adamson for The CaliforniansThe Californians (TV series)The Californians is a 54-episode half-hour Western television series, set in the San Francisco gold rush of the 1850s, which aired on NBC from September 24, 1957, to May 26, 1959...
television series on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050002/)
American songbook songs
In his book American Popular Song, Alec Wilder notes that Warren "wasn't in the category as the best theater writers, but he certainly was among the foremost pop song writers." He discusses songs he likes: "Would You Like To Take A Walk" (1930), "I Found A Million Dollar Baby" (1931), "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me" (1932), "Summer Night" (1936), "There Will Never Be Another You" (1942), "Serenade in Blue" (1942), "At Last" (1942), "Jeepers Creepers" (1938), and "The More I See You" (1945).Other popular songs
- "Rose of the Rio Grande" (1922) w. Edgar Leslie m. with Ross Gorman http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0437.htm
- "(Home in) Pasadena" (1923) w.m. Harry Warren, Grant Clarke and Edgar Leslie http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0166.htm
- "I Love My Baby" (1925) w. Bud Green (1925 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0192a.htm; 1956 version: http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0192b.htm)
- "I'm Lonely Without You" (1926) w. Bud Green http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0223.htm
- "Where Do You Work-a, John?" (1926) w. Mortimer Weinberg and Charley Marks http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0584.htm
- "Ya Gotta Know How to Love" (1926) w. Bud Green http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0615.htm
- "Away Down South in Heaven" (1927), W. Bud Green
- "NagasakiNagasaki (song)"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
" (1928) w. Mort Dixon http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0362.htm - "Where the Shy Little Violets Grow" (1928), w. Gus Kahn
- "Absence Makes the heart Grow Fonder for Somebody Else" (1929), w. Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young
- "Telling It to the Daisies" (1930) w. Joe Young http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0505.htm
- "By the River Sainte Marie" (1931) w. Edgar Leslie http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0047.htm
- "Devil May Care" (1940) w. Johnny Burke http://www.harrywarren.org/songs/0089.htm
External links
- The Harry Warren website
- Biography at the Encyclopedia of Composers and Songwriters
- Chronology of some of Warren's best-known songs Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer (1933)
- Biography at Guide to Musical Theatre
- HarryWarrenMusic.com site
- Italian Tribute at Harry Warren - By Calabresi.net - Calabrians in the Worlds